pronghorn Research

The TCC has completed initial inquiry into the genetic susceptibility of pronghorn to Chronic Wasting Disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disease of great concern to wildlife biologists and managers. We have also performed the first attempt at regional surveillance of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in pronghorn in Texas. Our findings will help inform pronghorn management in this region. 

In 2016, TCC joined Texas A&M - Kingsville and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in a project to begin looking at pronghorn habitat use in the Texas panhandle, with a specific interest in use of agricultural crops. The objectives of the project are to investigate pronghorn resource selection, movements, survival, and diet composition (using metabarcoding analyses). This is an ongoing project. Partial funding was supplied by an award from Houston Safari Club Foundation. 

Pronghorn research near Fort Stanton Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area began in 2013, as a collaboration between TTU and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF). Dr. Conway joined the team in 2014.  By the end of the project in 2017, we were able to investigate translocated adult survival, annual fawn survival, causes of fawn mortality, adult doe habitat use and home range size near Capitan, NM, all of which helps better understand pronghorn ecology and informs population management decisions.