White-tailed deer research benefits students, land managers, wildlife
Data collection project gives students hands-on field experience, new insights into deer behavior, health
image: An ongoing course project led by experts in the Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management will provide researchers with key data to assess populations, evaluate nutrition and develop management plans for white-tailed deer at the Texas A&M Ecology and Natural Resources Teaching Area. (Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Credit: Courtney Sacco/Texas A&M AgriLife
A new research project at the Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management Ecology and Natural Resources Teaching Area will contribute to a greater understanding of white-tailed deer biology and ecology while providing students with vital experience in field-based data collection and analysis.
The project launched in the fall of 2024 as part of the department’s Large Mammal Management curriculum taught by Marcus Blum, Ph.D., assistant professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service statewide wildlife specialist.
Over the coming years, trained undergraduate and graduate students will use drop nets to capture white-tailed deer and collect biological and morphological data. All captured deer will be marked with ear tags, and some will be equipped with GPS collars before being released back into the wild.
With this information, researchers will be able to assess the property’s white-tailed deer population, develop management plans to sustain the population, track habitat use, evaluate nutrition and health, and much more.
“Our goal is to collect as much data as we can while minimizing stress to the animal,” said Blum. “This data will then be made available to student researchers to analyze and gain a greater understanding of deer behavior and landscape preferences. In the long run, it will benefit students, deer populations and land managers.”
Research findings extend beyond campus deer populations
While the study area is focused on the 945-acre low-fenced biological field station located near campus, the information collected has a far greater reach.
Blum said the data and subsequent research findings will apply to white-tailed deer conservation and management across the Post Oak Savannah ecoregion.
“Although movement-based studies are beneficial to proper management of white-tailed deer habitat, few have occurred within the Post Oak Savannah,” Blum said. “The data and analyses produced by this course will provide valuable insight for landowners and biologists managing white-tailed deer within the ecoregion.”
Training next-generation natural resource professionals
In addition to augmenting existing scientific data on white-tailed deer, Blum said the course’s field-based focus is part of the department’s concerted effort to provide relevant and immersive learning opportunities in course curricula.
Like the department’s campus squirrel project, this course will engage undergraduate and graduate students across multiple classes and college departments, including the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
“Direct, hands-on involvement with wildlife management and research is typically only available to students through extracurricular activities or special occasions involving internal and external research projects,” Blum said. “The fact that we are actively incorporating it into our curricula is a testament to our department’s commitment to producing the best natural resource professionals possible.”
Blum said this specific project is made possible through support from the department as well as grants from the Houston Safari Club Foundation.
Connecting the classroom to the field
Faith Ash ’25 was part of the course’s first cohort with the project. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in rangeland, wildlife and fisheries management and said the course was one of the most beneficial experiences of her academic career.
“Directly working with the animals and collecting data was an amazing experience,” Ash said. “It was also good to observe how fellow students worked in the field, communicated and strategized to make the process efficient.”
Ash said her time in the field allowed her to apply what she learned in the classroom.
“Each time we went out, I learned something new and gained practical skills,” she said. “From plant identification to vegetation surveys, it makes a huge difference to be able to take what you learn in class to the field.”
This experience and newly acquired field-based skills also broadened Ash’s peer network and fostered confidence in her own abilities, leading her to pursue additional opportunities to grow as a wildlife professional.
“I feel like this course opened a lot of doors for me personally and professionally,” she said. “Thanks to new relationships, I was able to help a graduate student conduct javelina captures in South Texas, and I attended the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society meeting.”
Expanding opportunities with a focus on the land-grant mission
Looking forward, Blum said he would like to expand the research to benefit students, land managers and wildlife in perpetuity.
“Providing experiential learning opportunities that prepare students for their careers is key to achieving the land-grant mission,” Blum said. “Overall, our goal for this project is to connect the theories and concepts taught in the classroom with on-the-ground application.”
Turn your passion for conservation into a fulfilling career
The Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management offers six undergraduate and graduate degrees designed to prepare you for a career in natural resource stewardship and conservation.