Matt Ross - Whitetail Stewards, Inc.
Wildlife Biologist and Forester

Early Outdoor Experiences

Matt Ross was raised in upstate New York, spending most fall weekends outdoors hunting pheasants and deer with his father, uncle and cousins.  During the off-season, Matt and his family could be found making any necessary improvements on their club's hunting cabin, stockpiling firewood or scouting/placing stands for the upcoming autumn.  Too young to handle a firearm, his first introduction to the deer woods took place sidled up to his dad in a homemade ground-blind.  His first harvest came by the age of 15, an event that would forever fuel his passion for deer and deer hunting.

Undergraduate Experience

These childhood activities and interests lead to a pursuit in higher education.  In 1998, Matt received his Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Massachusetts.  While an undergraduate Matt took an active role in the university's many wildlife research projects, including studies investigating black bear habitat preferences and fisher predatory response to changes in prey populations.  During his summer breaks, he worked for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation studying nesting peregrine falcons within the Hudson River Valley.

Graduate School Experience

Matt then moved on to earn a Master's of Science in Wildlife Management from the University of New Hampshire in 2003.  He spent three years researching and developing a quick, inexpensive method for state biologists to predict if supplemental food is present in the diets of northern deer herds. Overall, results of this research indicated that most (62-89%) deer in New Hampshire probably have access to supplemental feed, but for most deer, supplemental food comprises less than 30% of their total diet.

While at UNH, Matt met the other Whitetail Stewards, Inc. staff members, where he also succeeded Matt Tarr as the university's wildlife research facility manager. This facility houses 30-40 captive white-tailed deer and 5-20 turkeys annually. The unique experiences Matt gained here allow him to better understand the intricate physiological and behavioral aspects of white-tailed deer biology.

Professional Experience

Matt has worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Ecosystems Studies and was employed as a wildlife field technician at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for several years before his tenure at UNH. Currently, Matt professionally works as a wildlife biologist and consulting forester in southeastern NH, where he administers timber sales, develops forest management plans, and designs wildlife improvement projects on a daily basis.  Matt is also an active member of The Wildlife Society, Forest Guild, and National Rifle Association.  He is a certified NH Tree Farm Inspector.  In addition, Matt is the Vice President and a founding member of the First NH Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association.

Hunting Experience

Matt has over 13 years of hunting and outdoor experience. Every year, he spends enormous amounts of time during the off-season shed hunting and scouting (on-ground or on-line) for the upcoming season.  The youngest member of Whitetail Stewards, Inc., Ross loves all aspects of deer hunting, but truly lives to bow hunt and film the other pro-staff members connect on a bruiser.  He has an uncanny ability to capture the moment of truth in a way that makes you feel like you're right there in the tree with them.