Ground-Breaking Biologist Kent Kammermeyer Has Passed Away

Kent Kammermeyer (second from left) was among the distinguished group of retired and current WRD biologists who measure racks for GON’s Truck-Buck Contest.

Kent Kammermeyer, a wildlife biologist who was instrumental in leading Georgia into the modern age of deer management in the 1980s and 90s, has died at the age of 73. Kent, of Clermont, passed away on Jan. 13, 2023.

After earning a graduate degree at the University of Georgia, Kent was a valuable member of the now-retired group of Georgia DNR biologists who loved hunting and who oversaw wildlife management during a time when deer, turkey and bear populations exploded in numbers and quality.

“Back in the 1980s, Kent developed the model for estimating deer populations in counties and setting doe days,” said retired WRD biologist Bill Cooper. “He was the main deer person in the state for those years.”

Kent was also instrumental in developing food plots on north Georgia WMAs, and his expertise led to a successful wildlife management consulting career after he retired from WRD.

Kent worked often with GON, providing data while a WRD biologist for GON’s annual WMA Deer and Turkey Special articles. Kent also wrote many articles—some still available to read at GON.com.

It was Kent Kammermeyer who identified a dramatic impact of coyotes and bears on fawn recruitment in north Georgia. Kent’s findings led to a GON article in 2006 titled “Predators And Fawns: What’s The Impact In Georgia?” That article was published at a time when most scoffed at the idea that coyotes were having an impact.

Kent co-authored several books, including “Quality Food Plots – Your Guide To Better Deer And Better Deer Hunting,” and “Deer & Turkey Management Beyond Food Plots.”

An official Boone & Crockett scorer, Kent measured many Georgia bucks now in the record books, and for many years he was one of the scorers for GON’s Truck-Buck Contest.

Among honors and accolades, Kent was the first recipient of the Southeastern Wildlife Biologist of the Year award, and he was the first biologist to receive the Deer Management Career Achievement Award for the Southeast from Wildlife Society. Kent founded a regional Hunters for the Hungry program.

Kent Kammermeyer, of Clermont, died on Jan. 13 at the age of 73.