The management of wildlife will be an important topic discussed during the South Texas Farm & Ranch Show.

Texas A&M Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife specialist Dr. Jacob Dykes will give a presentation on the management and habitation of white-tailed deer.

This will be Dykes first appearance at the show and he’s ready to inform public on the importance of the species.

“Whitetail deer is one of the most studied wildlife species in the world,” he said during an interview. “It’s an animal that we’re always studying on how to manage them.”

Dykes has more than a decade in experience studying the species across the state of Texas. He said this type of deer is very sought after and it helps the economy.

“People come from all over the country and the world to Texas to hunt them,” he said. “Whitetail deer hunting in Texas has a $4.3 billon impact on the economy of Texas itself.”

During his presentation, he will give an “A to Z” assessment on herd structure, nutrition and the management of habitats to support the high quality of the animals.

Dykes said he’ll explain to hunters and landowners how certain factors such as the climate of this region could affect the deer.

“Often times we don’t consider heat to be a variable that affects animals,” he said. “We’ll typically see them move less in the heat.” Like us, they’ll get a little lazier when it’s hot outside.”

Dykes is prepared to present to the public why the characteristics of what makes this animal so unique in the landscape of hunting.