Dr. Stephen Demarais

Dr. Stephen  Demarais

Title

  • Taylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction

Contact Information

sd38@msstate.edu
Office: 662-325-2618
Thompson Hall, Rm 247

Overview

Education

  • Mississippi State University, Doctor of Philosophy (PHD), Forest Resources
  • Mississippi State University, Master of Science (MS), Wildlife Ecology
  • University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Bachelor of Science (BS), Wildlife Science

Research Interests

Ecology and management of white-tailed deer
Impacts of land management decisions on wildlife populations

Publications

Year Publications
2023

Thompson, N., Huang, M. M., Christensen, S., Demarais, S. 2023. Managing the Fire: Wildlife Agency Responses to Chronic Wasting Disease in Free-ranging Cervids. Wildlife Society Bulletin

2023

Ripa, G. N., Demarais, S., Granger, J., Hamrisk, R. G., Iglay, R. B. 2023. 20-year effects of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory on vegetation composition and structure. Forest Ecology and Management 528:120644.

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2023

Resop, L., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Iglay, R. B., Nichols, R., Lashley, M. A. 2023. Plant species-specific responses and community associations with fire season. Forest Ecology and Management 529(120724).

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2023

Henderson, C., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., McKinley, W. T., Street, G. M. 2023. Temporal effects of relative hunter activity on adult male white-tailed deer habitat use. Wildlife Research

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2023

Ripa, G. N., Demarais, S., Granger, J., Hamrick, R. G., Iglay, R. B. 2023. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) nutritional carrying capacity over two decades after exclusion. Forest Ecology and Management 535:120899.

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2022

Wiskirchen, K. H., Jacobsen, T. C., Ditchkoff, S. C., Demarais, S., Gitzen, R. A. 2022. Behavior of a Large Ungulate Reflects Temporal Patterns of Predation Risk. Wildlife Research 49(6):500-512.

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2022

Huang, M. H., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Brookshire, W. C. 2022. Identifying aflatoxin exposure risk from supplemental feeding of deer. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 58(2):384-388.

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2022

Huang, M. H., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Brookshire, W. C., Chandler, J. G., Butler, R. A., Trout-Fryxell, R. T. 2022. Supplemental feeding of deer reduces tick abundance in Mississippi, U.S.A. Journal of Vector Ecology 47(1):29-37.

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2022

Huang, M. H., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Brookshire, W. C. 2022. Analysis of supplemental wildlife feeding in Mississippi and environmental gastrointestinal parasite load. Frontiers in Veterinary Science

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2022

Wiskirchen, K. H., Jacobsen, T. C., Ditchkoff, S. S., Demarais, S., Grand, J. B. 2022. Adult white-tailed deer survival in hunted populations on public and private lands. Wildlife Society Bulletin

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2021

Webb, S. L., DeYoung, R. W., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Gee, K. L. 2021. Testing a Local Inbreeding Hypothesis as a Cause of Observed Antler Characteristics in Managed Populations of White-Tailed Deer. Diversity 13(3):116.

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2021

Nichols, R., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Lashley, M. A. 2021. Alter fire timing to recouple forage nutrients with herbivore nutrient demands. Forest Ecology and Management 500(119646).

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2021

Latch, E., Gee, K. L., Webb, S. L., Honeycutt, R. L., DeYoung, R. W., Gonzales, R. A., Demarais, S., Toby, R. 2021. Genetic consequences of fence confinement in a population of white-tailed deer. Diversity 13(126).

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2020

Strickland, B. K., Dixon, G., Jones, P., Demarais, S., Owen, N., Cox, D., Landry-Guyton, K., Baldwin, W. M., McKinley, W. T. 2020. Cohort antler size signals environmental stress in a moderate climate. International Journal of Biometeorology 64:611-621.

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2020

Youngmann, J. L., DeYoung, R. W., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Jenkins, G. 2020. Genetic characteristics of restored elk populations in Kentucky. Journal of Wildlife Management 84(3):515-523.

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2020

Wolff, C., Demarais, S., Brooks, C. P., Barton, B. T. 2020. Behavioral plasticity mitigates the effect of warming on white-tailed deer. Ecology and Evolution 10(5):2579-2587.

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2020

Henderson, C. B., Demarais, S., Street, G. M., Strickland, B. K., McKinley, W. T. 2020. Fine-scale vegetation use by white-tailed deer in a forested landscape during hunting season. Journal of Forest Research 25(6):439-443.

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2020

Dykes, J. L., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., Reynolds, D. B., Lashley, M. A. 2020. Diet selection of white-tailed deer supports the nutrient balance hypothesis. Behavioural Processes 179:7.

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2020

Michel, E. S., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., Belant, J. L., Kautz, T. M., Duquette, J. F., Beyer, D., Chamberlain, M. J., Miller, K. V., Shuman, R. M., Kilgo, J. C., Diefenbach, D. R., Wallingford, B. D., Vreeland, J. K., Ditchkoff, S. S., DePerno, C. S., Moorman, C. E., Chitwood, M. C., Lashley, M. A. 2020. Relative reproductive phenology and synchrony affect neonate survival in a nonprecocial ungulate. Functional Ecology 34(12):2536-2547.

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2019

Michel, E. S., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Belant, J. L., Castle, L. E. 2019. Body mass influences maternal allocation more than parity status for a long-lived cervid mother. Journal of Mammalogy 100(5):1459-1465.

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2019

Jones, P., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., McKinley, W. T., Ernst, J. R., Klassen, J. A. 2019. Seasonal flooding effects on deer in the Mississippi river batture. Journal of Wildlife Management 83(5):1117-1130.

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2018

Campbell, K., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., Wang, G., Jones, P. D., Dacus, C. M. 2018. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates limited utility of lactation index for white-tailed deer management. Wildlife Society Bulletin 42(2):8.

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2018

Parrish, M. C., Demarais, S., Wigley , T. B., Riffell, S. K., Ezell, A. W., Jones, P. D. 2018. Operational green tree retention and land cover patterns in intensively managed pine forest landscapes of the southeastern U.S. . Forest Science 64(5):564-576.

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2018

Morina, D. L., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Larson, J. E. 2018. While males fight, females choose: Male phenotypic quality informs female mate choice in mammals. Animal Behaviour 138:69-74.

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2018

Jones , P. D., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., Wang, G., Dacus, C. M. 2018. Nutrition and ontogeny influence weapon development in a long-lived mammal. Canadian Journal of Zoology 96:955-962.

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2018

Dykes, J. L., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., Reynolds, D. B., Lashley, M. A. 2018. Soil nutrients indirectly influence plant selection in white-tailed deer. Basic and Applied Ecology 32:103-109.

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2018

Henderson, C. B., Michel, E. S., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K. 2018. Camouflage patterns are highly heritable but predictability varies among three populations of white-tailed deer. Ecosphere 9(3):e02169.

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2018

Morina, D., Demarais, S., Chesser, G. D., Lowe, J. W., Strickland, B. K. 2018. Antler manipulation procedures for use in social and behavioral studies of deer. Wildlife Biology 2018(1):5.

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2017

Michel, E. S., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Wang, G. 2017. Birth Date Promotes a Tortoise or Hare Tactic for Body Mass Development of a Long-lived Male Ungulate. Oecologia 186(1):117-128.

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2017

Parrish, M. C., Demarais, S., Ezell, A. W., Wigley, T. B., Jones, P. D., Riffell, S. K. 2017. Retained vegetation density of streamside management zones and stringers in southern intensively managed pine forests. Forest Ecology and Management 397:89-96.

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2017

Hinton, G. C., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., Eubank, T. W., Jones, P. D. 2017. Estimation of deer damage to soybean production in eastern Mississippi: perception versus reality. Wildlife Society Bulletin 41(1):80-87.

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2017

Strickland, B. K., Jones, P. D., Demarais, S., Dacus, C. M. 2017. Adjusting for Mass Change in White-tailed Deer During Hunting Season. Wildlife Society Bulletin 41(2):286-293.

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2017

Demarais, S., Verschuyl, J., Roloff, G., Miller, D. A., Wigley, T. B. 2017. Terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity and intensive forest management in the U.S. Forest Ecology and Management 385:308-330.

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2017

Michel, E. S., Flinn, E. B., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Wang, G., Dacus, C. M. 2017. Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid. Journal of Visual Experimentation 126:e56059.

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2017

Parrish , M. C., Demarais, S., Wigley, T. B., Jones, P. D., Ezell, A. W., Riffell, S. K. 2017. Breeding bird communities associated with land cover in intensively managed pine forests of the southeastern U.S. Forest Ecology and Management 406:112-124.

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2017

Loman , Z. G., Greene, E. J., Wheat, B., Demarais, S., Miller, D., Rush, S. A., Riffell, S. K. 2017. White-tailed deer carrying capacity response to intercropping switchgrass in loblolly pine plantations. Journal of Wildlife Management 81(6):999–1008 .

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2016

Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Webb, S. L., Smith, T., McDonald, C. 2016. Simulated effects of releasing pen-raised deer into the wild to alter population-level antler size. Wildlife Society Bulletin 40(1):41-49.

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2016

Michel, E. S., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Smith, T., Dacus, C. M. 2016. Antler characteristics are highly heritable by influenced by maternal factors. Journal of Wildlife Management 80(8):1420-1426.

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2016

Michel, E. S., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Belant, J. L., Millspaugh, J. J. 2016. Quantifying dominance of adult female white-tailed deer in the presence of abundant food. Behaviour 153:49-67.

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2016

Campbell, K. L., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., Jones, P. D., Wang, G., Dacus, C. M., Cook, C., Knox, W. M. 2016. Adjusting for seasonal harvest bias in the lactation index for white-tailed deer management. Wildlife Society Bulletin 40(4):754-757.

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2016

Michel, E., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Wang, G., Dacus, C. M. 2016. Improved nutrition cues a switch from efficiency to luxury phenotypes for male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Ecology and Evolution 6(20):7276-7285.

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2016

Ferguson, T. L., Demarais, S., Cooley, C., Fleming, S., Michel, E. S. 2016. Ear and tail lesions of captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus): A case study. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 47:636–639.

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2016

Marantz, S. A., Long, J. A., Webb, S. L., Gee, K. L., Little, A. R., Demarais, S. 2016. Impacts of human hunting on spatial behavior of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Canadian Journal of Zoology 94(12):853-861.

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2016

Little, A. R., Webb, s. L., Demarais, S., Gee, S., Riffell, K. L., Gaskamp, J. A. 2016. Hunting intensity alters movement behaviour of white-tailed. Basic and Applied Ecology 17:360-369.

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2015

Michel, E. S., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Belant, J. L. 2015. Contrasting the Effects of Maternal and Behavioral Characteristics on Fawn Birth Mass in White-Tailed Deer. PloS One 10(8):e0136034.

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2015

Flinn, J. J., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., Gee, K. L., Webb, S. L., Jones, P. D., Jacobson, H. A. 2015. Estimating age and antler traits of photographed male white-tailed deer. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife 2:135-143.

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2012

Iglay, R. B., Demarais, S., Wigley, T. B., Miller, D. A. 2012. Bird community dynamics and vegetation relationships among stand establishment practices in intensively managed pine of Mississippi. Forest Ecology and Management 283:1-9.

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2010

Jones, P. D., Burger, L. W., Demarais, S. 2010. Habitat value of intensively established pine plantations for Northern Bobwhite. Journal of Wildlife Management 74(3):449-458.

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2010

Iglay, R. B., Jones, P. D., Miller, D. A., Demarais, S., Leopold, B. D., Burger, L. W. 2010. Deer carrying capacity in mid-rotation pine plantations of Mississippi. Journal of Wildlife Management 74:1003-1012.

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2004

Dubey, J. P., Graham, D. H., De Young, R. W., Dahl, E., Eberhard, M. L., Nace, E. K., Won, K., Bishop, H., Punkosdy, G., Sreekumar, C., Vianna, M. C., Shen, S. K., Kwok, O. C., Sumners, J. A., Demarais, S., Humphreys, J. G., Lehmann, T. 2004. Molecular and biologic characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from wildlife in the United States. The Journal of Parasitology 90(1):67-71.

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2003

DeYoung, R. W., Demarais, S., Honeycutt, R. L., Rooney, A. P., Gonzales, R. A., Gee, K. L. 2003. Genetic consequences of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) restoration in Mississippi. Molecular Ecology 12(12):3237-3252.

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2002

Williamson, S., Burger, L. W., Demarais, S., Chamberlain, M. 2002. Effects of Northern Bobwhite habitat management practices on red imported fire ants. National Quail Symposium Proceedings 5:136-140.

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1999

Dehority, B. A., Demarais, S., Osborn, D. A. 1999. Rumen ciliates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), axis deer (Axis axis), sika deer (Cervus nippon) and fallow deer (Dama dama) from Texas. The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 46(2):125-131.

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1992

Henke, S. E., Demarais, S. 1992. Changes in vitreous humor associated with postmortem interval in rabbits. American Journal of Veterinary Research 53(1):73-7.

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1992

Richardson, M. L., Demarais, S. 1992. Parasites and condition of coexisting populations of white-tailed and exotic deer in south-central Texas. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 28(3):485-489.

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1990

Henke, S. E., Demarais, S. 1990. Effect of diet on condition indices in black-tailed jackrabbits. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 26(1):28-33.

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1990

Henke, S. E., Pence, D. B., Demarais, S. 1990. Serologic survey of selected zoonotic disease agents in black-tailed jack rabbits from western Texas. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 26(1):107-11.

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1987

Demarais, S., Jacobson, H. A., Guynn, D. C. 1987. Effects of season and area on ectoparasites of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Mississippi. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 23(2):261-6.

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1987

Demarais, S., Everett, D. D., Pons, M. L. 1987. Seasonal comparison of endoparasites of northern bobwhites from two types of habitat in southern Texas. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 23(2):256-260.

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Graduate Students

  • Jennifer Sublett
  • Luke Resop

Awards & Honors

  • Fellow
    The Wildlife Society
  • Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award
    National Deer Association
  • SEC Faculty Achievement Award
    Southeast Conference
  • Kleberg Award for Applied Wildlife Research
    The Wildlife Society
  • Taylor Chair in Applied Research and Instruction
    Funding obtained from Taylor Foundation (2018-2023)
  • Conservation and Stewardship Award
    Boone and Crockett Club
  • Ralph E. Powe Research Award
    Mississippi State University
  • Deer Management Career Achievement Award
    The Wildlife Society and Deer Study Group
  • Outstanding Media Product
    The Wildlife Society, Mississippi Chapter
  • Publication and Creativity Award
    Oklahoma Chapter of the Wildlife Society
  • Outstanding Peer-Reviewed Article
    Miss Chapter of The Wildlife Society
  • Outstanding Popular Article
    Miss Chapter of The Wildlife Society

Society Memberships

  • American Society of Mammalogists
  • Mississippi Chapter of The Wildlife Society
  • Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
  • Southeastern Section - The Wildlife Society
  • The Wildlife Society