Jack Watson Examines Key Deer Antler

Jack Watson (1913 - 1982) was a legend in the Florida Keys. Assigned in 1951 to patrol the habitat of the Keys’ rarest mammal, the diminutive Key deer, Watson fought poaching, compiled data on the species, and enlisted citizen support for creating a refuge for the deer, which culminated in 1957 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation authorizing National Key Deer Refuge. “I fought for every damn island we’ve got out there,” Watson said of the four units that now comprise Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges. Watson was the only U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee during his tenure to be named “National Conservationist of the Year” by the National Wildlife Federation. Here, Watson examines a discarded Key deer antler on Big Pine Key.