Undergraduate Experiences, Missouri and Illinois (2007-2011)
Prescribed burn crew, 2011
I was fortunate enough as an undergraduate student to gain a wide variety of field experience, including:
- small mammal surveys of southeastern Missouri by using Sherman traps
- assisting with a prairie and upland forest prescribed burn in southern Illinois
- collecting a variety of aquatic and terrestrial insects through Missouri and Illinois
- museum preparation of medium (coyote) to small (squirrel) mammals
- field identification of midwestern (and some eastern) birds
Student Research, South Dakota (June 2011)
elk at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Over the first two weeks of June, I studied animal behavior of ungulate populations within Black Hills National Forest. Species included elk, pronghorn, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. I also assisted with data collection of other student projects, including those dealing with yellow-bellied marmots, native birds, red squirrels, and flying squirrels. I learned the importance of keeping well-organized field notes as well as preparation and completion of ethograms to quantify behavioral activities.
Coyote and Mule Deer Technician, Nevada (July-Aug 2011)
setting a foothold trap in central Nevada
My first field job was working with a MS student at Utah State University, Pat Jackson. His project investigated questions to help determine the prey base and possible prey preference of coyotes in central Nevada. In the first year of his study, I worked to collect field data including conducting passive transect data, scat surveys, dawn and dusk surveys for mule deer and lagomorphs, and the trapping of adult coyotes. Coyotes were trapped by foothold traps and immobilized. Morphological data and vital signs were checked often, and then each coyote was administered either a VHF or both GPS and VHF collars.
Natural Resources Research Technician, Wisconsin (Dec 2011-July 2012)
largest antlered buck captured in the 2011 field season
I was employed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to collect field data for two graduate student projects out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The first project was under the direction of Andrew Norton, a PhD student at the university. His field season went from mid-December through the end of March. His project aimed to identify causes of mortality for adult bucks in Wisconsin. In the second year of his project, I assisted in trapping adult white-tailed deer in east central Wisconsin by using netted cage traps, box traps, and drop-nets. I safely restrained adult deer within the three trap types, and immobilized adult does and antlered bucks. I properly put in vaginal implant transmitters (VITs) in pregnant does and GPS collared pregnant adult does and any age male. I obtained bi-weekly telemetry locations for all collared deer, and investigated mortality signals, performing field necropsies if cause of death was unknown. The second project was lead by Camille Warbington, a MS student at UW-Madison. She had similar interests for her project, but focused on causes of mortality for fawns. During the second year of her project, I assisted in opportunistic searches for white-tailed deer fawns. I safely restrained fawns in a way to minimize scent transfer and collect morphological data as quickly as possible. All single fawns were GPS collared, whereas only one sibling was collared and other were ear tagged if twins or triplets were present. Daily telemetry was done to ensure a quick response to mortality signals. Mortality investigations were done by examining surroundings (identifying any tracks, feces, hair, or distinguishing feeding techniques on fawn) and field necropsies were done if necessary.