Matthew Hewitt
Sul Ross State University
Master’s degree in range and wildlife management
Modeling occupancy and potential distribution of kit fox in Texas
My name is Matthew Hewitt and I am from Kingsville, Texas. As a kid I developed a passion for the outdoors from my time hunting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, and mountain climbing. I have always had an interest in wildlife and knew that I wanted to work with wildlife since I was young. My interests turned specifically towards carnivores after I did an internship in Utah working with coyotes. I received my Bachelor’s Degree from Texas A&M University-Kingsville in the fall of 2017, majoring in Range and Wildlife Management. I am now working towards my Master’s Degree in Range and Wildlife Management at Sul Ross State University. Kit fox can be found in desert and semi-arid regions of the western U.S., including the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. Abundance and population trends of kit fox are unknown throughout this territory. I will use remote sensing data to determine all possible kit fox habitat in the Trans-Pecos, and implement a grid of trail cameras across the region to determine what areas are being utilized. I will also be looking at the spatial relationships between kit fox and other sympatric carnivores (coyotes, gray fox, and bobcat) in their habitat.
