Big Game Management

Catalog description

This class will expose students to concepts of managing major big game species in North America (i.e. white-tailed deer, feral hog, desert mule deer, pronghorn antelope, desert bighorn sheep, javelina, mountain lion, bear), with focus on the conservation practices of those species in Texas. Overview of topics include taxonomy, life history, harvest management, habitat management, population estimation, and conservation ecology of exotic species. Additional topics cover wildlife diseases, genetics, economic significance, and human dimensions. Indoor lab exercise will cover identification and aging of species. Field trips will expose students to actual management practices conducted in the field and provide an opportunity for applied skills in planning field studies, data collection, analysis, and synthesis of a management plan. Crosslisted with: AG 381 .