SWTX Wildlife Management Department

Scholarship Announcement!! Attention, Texas High School Seniors!! We are accepting applications for the Larry J. Milstead Scholarship!

You must be a Texas high school senior who plans to enroll in our wildlife management program in the Fall 2026 semester. Contact Dean Wiemers ([email protected]) or Daniel Tidwell ([email protected]) with any questions.

Come check out our new Wildlife at the Crossroads episode! We discuss Texas Parks and Wildlife MLDP program with David Rios.

New episode drop! 🎙️

SWTX Wildlife at the Crossroads Podcast – Episode 6 is live: “MLD 101, Turning Deer Data into TPWD.” We sit down with Texas Parks & Wildlife biologist David Rios to unpack the Managed Lands Deer (MLD) Program, what to do after deer season ends, and how good data and habitat practices translate into healthier herds and more valuable hunting opportunities. We also cover the fast-approaching April 1 deadline, key habitat practices like supplemental water and grazing management, and brag a little on our SWTX wildlife students who just placed third in the Texas Chapter TWS plant ID competition.

YouTube: https://bit.ly/4uRyVlh
Spotify: https://bit.ly/4sylhll
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/41tZjnI

Students did a great job this prescribed burn season! Introducing students prescribed fire is one of many highlights in our year.

Using students to burn allows them to see the preparation of the burn site, weather requirements that fit our objective, and equipment needed for a safe burn. All valuable experience for their wildlife careers or burning on their own properties.

Leslee Kay at Transition Ranch Gianna Adamek Israel Cardenas Logan Webb Angel Victorino

Wrapped up our 2026 prescribed burn season this week. Students did a fantastic job from start to finish! They collected fuel loads, built a burn plan, and conducted the burn itself. Now students have hands-on knowledge of another tool in the habitat management toolbox.

Congratulations to Charles Causey, Parker Boyd, and Wyatt Metcalf! They placed 3rd in the collegiate plant id contest at the Texas Chapter of The Wildlfie Society meeting. Fifty students from eleven universities across the state competed in Galveston.

One of our great activities we perform in the wildlife program is prescribed burns. Students are tasked to complete and present a prescribed burn plan to the county Judge for approval. This is where academics meet real world application.

Check out David Rios (TPWD Senior Wildlife Biologist for South Texas) on our latest podcast!

Ever wondered what a wildlife career really looks like on the ground in South Texas? 🦌🐻
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In Episode 5 of the Wildlife at the Crossroads podcast, we sit down with Texas Parks and Wildlife senior biologist David Rios and SWTX wildlife student Wyatt Metcalf to talk private land management, spotlight surveys, dove banding, black bear call-outs, and how hands-on hunts and internships are shaping the next generation of wildlife pros at Southwest Texas Junior College.​

🎧 Listen to Episode 5 now and tag a friend who should be in the wildlife program with you next semester.

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ZM39Yv
Spotify: https://bit.ly/46wIGdY
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NUCmqm