Heather Sanders
Texas A&M University – Kingsville
Range and Wildlife Management, M.S.
Impacts of Invasive Wild Pigs on Wild Turkey Reproductive Success
The impacts of invasive wild pigs on native species is a rapidly growing concern as the population of wild pigs in North America continues to grow and their range expand. My research focuses specifically on their impacts on wild turkeys, a highly valued game bird. Wild pigs have been frequently noted as a nest predator for wild turkeys, but how often they depredate nests and the mechanisms they use to forage for nests have not been well studied. My research suggests that wild pigs are a substantial nest predator for wild turkeys; during my study which took place near San Antonio, Texas in 2016 they were the most substantial nest predator. Continued investigations will determine the foraging mechanisms that lead to nest depredation by wild pigs, and characterize interactions between wild pigs and hens during the nesting season.
Heather was born and raised in a small town in rural Iowa, where following game trails evolved into a passion for studying animal movement. She received her B.S. in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University in 2014, and upon the completion of her M.S. will begin her Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in January 2018.
