Laura Warner
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
M.S. Graduate Research Assistant in Range and Wildlife Management
The Influence of Agriculture on Mule Deer Movement and Survival in the Texas Panhandle
I grew up in rural Michigan and attended Central Michigan University, where I graduated in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. After graduating, I worked as a hunting control station manager at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland, where I also assisted in ongoing research at the USGS captive seabird colony on the refuge. In January 2016, I began my master’s assistantship with the CKWRI at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
My research seeks to evaluate mule deer movements and survival rates relative to crop use by tracking radio-collared mule deer at 3 different study sites in the Texas Panhandle. Deer location and survival is currently being monitored weekly using radio telemetry, and crop type and growth stage in each field at each study site is being monitored monthly.
Using GPS location data from the collars, I will determine how crop use affects deer movement patterns and survival rates. I will also determine which crops and growth stages deer prefer. This information will help to correct survey data, improve projections of the impact of changing agricultural practices on mule deer, and provide deer harvest recommendations that are appropriate for areas where agricultural crops are present.
