Deer Research Center
Due to strict requirements for biosecurity, we cannot allow visitors to our animal facilities without special permission.
Please call or write before you plan a trip or if you have questions about our farms and facilities:
- AskDAS@psu.edu
- 814-863-3665
- FAX: 814-863-6042
The Penn State Deer Research Center is located in a 22 acre fenced enclosure northeast of campus off of Big Hollow Road. The current facility was constructed in 1972 and includes a handling facility and nine outdoor paddocks ranging in size from 0.3 to 3.5 acres. The handling facility, centrally located within the enclosure, contains 24 individual holding pens, chutes for deer restraint, an animal scale and a feed room. The facility typically maintains a herd of 150-200 captive white-tailed deer.
The Deer Research Center exists to provide research and educational opportunities for students and faculty of the university, and to share information about white-tailed deer with the public. Over the years, research projects have focused on antler growth, nutrition, repellents and fences, suckling behavior of fawns, radio telemetry collar designs and reproduction of deer under controlled conditions.
Current research includes a collaborative study with the National Wildlife Research Center to address deer overpopulation issues in several eastern states. Each year the Deer Pens provide numerous opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the research experiments both as student employees and student researchers. These hands-on experiences have been an excellent way for students to prepare themselves for careers in wildlife management, biology, animal science and veterinary medicine or graduate study.
