Episode 26 - Restoring Everglades Whitetails: Inside Florida’s Bold Deer Reintroduction Project With Mike Elfenbein

A groundbreaking Everglades conservation mission reveals what it really takes to rebuild a wild deer population. Kenia heads deep into the Florida Everglades to follow one of the most ambitious wildlife restoration efforts happening anywhere in the country: the Everglades Deer Reintroduction Project. Host Kenia sits down with Mike Elfenbein of the Isaac Walton League’s Cypress Chapter to break down how a massive landscape, once home to thriving white-tailed deer herds, lost nearly all of its deer over the last two decades, and what it takes to put them back. Listeners will get an insider look at the real fieldwork behind the project, including darting wild whitetails, conducting genetic testing, fitting GPS tracking collars, and relocating healthy deer into 45,000 acres of restored habitat. Mike explains how high water levels, predation from Florida panthers and pythons, and decades of water-management changes reshaped the ecosystem, and why science-driven collaboration with tribes, ranchers, hunters, and conservationists is key to recovering the species. From wildlife biology and land management to the emotional moments of releasing deer back into historic habitat, this conversation blends conservation storytelling, whitetail behavior insights, and the kind of practical big-picture learning that resonates with lifelong hunters, aspiring outdoorsmen, and anyone who cares about wild places. Follow along as Kenia and Mike unpack what today’s work means for the future of whitetail hunting, Everglades conservation, and species restoration projects across America. Listen now on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or your favorite podcast app! Don’t forget to leave a 5 star review and SUBSCRIBE on Apple or Spotify Check out Mike Elfenbein’s work: https://wildlifeflorida.org/our-people/mike-elfenbein/ Follow Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=%2Fmike_2lf%2F&source=omni_redirect&hl=en Check out the IOTR website: International Order of T. Roosevelt | Protect At-Risk Wildlife Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19zGf29wGZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr Follow us on X: https://x.com/iotrofficial?s=21&t=SzcoQxiDPMWvFcFPurrzNw Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iotr_official?igsh=dXp5b284dXJpOXlq&utm_source=qr