White-tailed Deer Interactions with Nonnative Ungulates and Historic Brush Management in the Texas Hill Country
Miranda Hopper (PhD)
Large mammals are an important resource for landowners in the Hill Country. In addition to white-tailed deer, the Hill Country has large populations of nonnative species, especially feral pigs, axis deer, elk, and aoudad, as well as domesticated species including goats, sheep, and cattle. The main goal of this project is to understand and manage the interactions of native and nonnative species with each other and the environment. This goal begins with obtaining good population density estimates and an understanding of wildlife habitat use and interactions. Such data have traditionally been expensive to obtain but advances in remote camera technology and analytical techniques enable these research topics to be addressed reasonably. This broad scale survey will allow for the linking large mammal community responses to environmental conditions and land use legacies detailed by a concurrent Juniper Management Project. Based on results from this study, we can provide landowners with information they can use to manage white-tailed deer and nonnatives on their property.
