Levi Heffelfinger
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Ph.D. Student in Wildlife Science
The Influence of Agriculture on Mule Deer Demographics and Movement
Levi was raised in Tucson, AZ where he found a passion for hunting, fishing, and everything outdoors. After receiving a B.S. at the University of Arizona, he went on to the University of Nevada, Reno to begin a M.S. There, he worked on a population of mule deer on the Mojave National Preserve where he evaluated how environmental factors influenced fawn survival and female resource selection. He is currently working on his Ph.D. at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville, TX.
Levi’s current research focuses on learning how the changes in land use practices affects mule deer population parameters in the Texas Panhandle. Mule deer numbers have increased in the Panhandle over the past decade. However, the amount of native rangeland converted to cropland has also continued to increase in the region. His research will focus on placing GPS radio collars on adult bucks, does, and fawns among three study sites across the Panhandle. The research seeks to understand when they use cropland, how often, and how the use of agriculture affects survival, size, and antler growth within these populations of mule deer. This will prove beneficial to the management and conservation of the species moving forward.
