BOGART, Ga. -- The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) will hold its first Deer Steward Level I course of 2012 at NASCAR's Tony Stewart's Hidden Hollow Ranch in Columbus, Ind., April 13-16.

Stewart, who was recently named honorary chairman of National Hunting and Fishing Day 2012, turned his 414-acre Hidden Hollow Ranch into a deer research facility for biologists from Mississippi State University and the Catch-A-Dream Foundation in 2010. This year, QDMA will hold its first of four, in-person Deer Steward courses, a Level I course, at Stewart's property.

To register online, visit www.QDMA.com and click "Deer Steward Certification Register Now!" on the homepage. To register by phone, call 800-209-3337. Registration fees for Level I are $800 for non-members, $750 for QDMA members and $700 for QDMA Life and Sponsor members.

The Deer Steward Level I course is two and a half days in length including an optional half-day in the field. The course focuses on the four Cornerstones of Quality Deer Management: Herd Management, Habitat Management, Hunter Management, and Herd Monitoring.

The Deer Steward courses are QDMA's individual certification program and include three levels of potential achievement which much be completed in sequence.

Deer Steward I will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the key principles of deer and habitat biology, ecology and management.

Deer Steward II will teach students how to apply the principles learned in level one through hands-on and field experience.

Deer Steward III, the most prestigious, must be earned through an individual's long-term service to QDMA, and/or the white-tailed deer

Complete 2012 Deer Steward Course Schedule:
Level I Courses:
April 13-16 - Columbus, IN at Hidden Hollow Ranch
May 11-14 - Andalusia, AL at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center

Level II Courses:
June 1-4 - Woodbine, GA at Cabin Bluff
June 22-25 - LaGrange, KY at Ashbourne Farms

For additional information or questions, visit www.QDMA.com or contact Matt Ross, QDMA Certification Programs Manager, at mross@qdma.com or (518) 280-3714.

About QDMA
QDMA is dedicated to ensuring the future of white-tailed deer, wildlife habitat and our hunting heritage. Founded in 1988, QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with nearly 50,000 members in all 50 states and Canada. To learn more about QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call 800-209-3337 or visit www.QDMA.com.

Media members wishing to join QDMA's Media Outreach Network can contact Tanner Tedeschi at tanner@qdma.com or by calling (800) 209-3337 ext 1017. If you are already subscribed to the Media Outreach Network but wish to be unsubscribed from the list, please inform Tanner and you will be removed.