Giving Back

Scholarship Recipient

Kristyn Stewart


Kristyn Stewart

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Year Received: 2019

Master of Science in Range and Wildlife Management

Montezuma Quail Habitat Use in the Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos Ecoregions of Texas

I began my career in wildlife at a very young age, although I did not recognize all the signs pointing me to this profession until my senior year of high school. I was raised in Chatfield, Texas (which you will have to google to find) on what seemed to me as a forty-acer playground. My father taught me to hunt ethically, fish successfully, and appreciate what nature had to offer.

I began my educational journey in wildlife science at Tarleton State University, where I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in the fall of 2017 and then accepted a master’s position at Texas A&M University-Kingsville in the spring of 2018. My project is focused on determining the influence of juniper on Montezuma quail habitat use in the Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos ecoregions of Texas. Our goal is to fit Montezuma quail with backpack GPS transmitters to track movement throughout the day. After accumulating points used by individual quail, I will collect vegetation data to identify habitat suitability thresholds and potential site selection preferences. With this research, I look forward to providing land managers and biologists with a better understanding of specific habitat requirements of Montezuma quail, to aid in future conservation of this secretive species.

Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) is a non-profit organization, exempt from federal income tax, under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. The charitable deduction for contributions to HSCF is the cash amount of the contribution, less the value of goods and services received, to the extent permitted by law. HSCF EIN 74-2177975. Please contact your tax advisor concerning deductibility of any payments as business deductions. HSCF is an independent organization, is not affiliated with Safari Club International (SCI) or its affiliates and is not a chapter or affiliate of any other organization.