Dylan StewartDylan Stewart is a doctoral student on a Merit Fellowship in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management. He studies the spatial and movement ecology of translocated desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) in Sonora, Mexico. His research is a binational collaboration between Texas A&M University, Universidad Autonóma Agraria Antonio Narro, the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, and the Artee family.
“Bighorn sheep abundance across North America has declined more than 60% since historic times. In response, wildlife management agencies have translocated bighorn sheep to augment existing populations or reintroduce them to historic ranges,” Stewart said. “Despite these efforts, roughly 50% of reintroductions are considered unsuccessful, leading researchers to stress the importance of post-release monitoring on the success of the translocation projects.”
Since 2022, 28 translocated desert bighorn sheep have been equipped with GPS collars, ten of which had video capabilities, to quantify space use, connectivity, habitat use, movement and survival on a free-range property owned by the Artee family that contains a resident, wild population of sheep.
Based on initial findings, Stewart said these particular restocking efforts appear successful because annual survival rates were high, the translocated sheep integrated into herds with native sheep, and video collar data suggest that females recruited lambs.
“We will conduct analyses using the GPS location and video data to identify the factors that influence translocation success and then use these data to prioritize release and supplemental water source sites and manage critical habitat across Sonora, Mexico,” Stewart said.
In addition to his work with bighorn sheep, Stewart has also produced a peer-reviewed journal article on white-tailed deer movement across high fences. A second manuscript comparing the efficacy of solar-powered GPS ear tags and traditional GPS neck collars in stationary and on-animal tests was recently accepted by Smart Agriculture Technology. Two additional manuscripts investigating the effects of capture techniques and temporary baiting on white-tailed deer space use and movement are currently under review.
Stewart’s contributions have been recognized by professional wildlife organizations, including multiple scholarships from the Wild Sheep Foundation, Houston Safari Club and The Wildlife Society - Southwest Section.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in natural resources from the University of Arizona and a Master of Science in wildlife science from Auburn University. Prior to joining Texas A&M, Stewart was a wildlife research biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
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