B&C Fellow - Daniel Thompson

Texas A&M University - Ph.D. - Graduated 2020
Evaluating the physiological and behavioral responses of moose to fluctuating environmental temperatures

I was born and raised in western Colorado were my father was a District Wildlife Manager, and he cultivated my interest in wildlife from a young age through his profession and instilling in me a strong hunting heritage. I followed in my father’s footsteps by obtaining a B.Sc. in wildlife biology from Colorado State University, and then I followed my own aspirations and achieved a M.Sc. in wildlife biology from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. I have worked as a wildlife biologist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Colorado, as a NEPA coordinator at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and currently as a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. I look forward to passing on my interest of wildlife and my hunting heritage to my son and daughter as they begin to accompany my wife and I on outdoor and hunting trips in Alaska.

2019 Boone and Crockett Fellow Outstanding Achievement Award Winner

LEFT TO RIGHT: Chad Bishop, B&C Professional Member and Director and Associate Professor of the Wildlife Biology Program at the University of Montana, Daniel P. Thompson, B&C Fellow, Perry S. Barboza, Boone and Crockett Chair in Wildlife Conservation & Policy at Texas A&M University, Timothy C. Brady, B&C President. Chad Bishop welcomed everyone to the luncheon and introduced the award and selection process. Perry Barboza introduced Daniel and his research as his professor at Texas A&M.

Evaluating the physiological and behavioral responses of moose to fluctuating environmental temperatures

My research evaluates how moose respond, both physiologically and behaviorally, to daily and seasonal fluctuations in environmental temperature on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Using internal temperature sensors in moose, I can look at daily and seasonal body temperatures to determine when they may become stressed from warm environmental temperatures. Using captive moose, I will evaluate how individual moose respond physiologically to warm environmental temperatures by using novel techniques such as heart rate belts, salivary and fecal stress hormone levels, and forward looking infrared thermal images. With wild moose, I will evaluate behavioral responses to warm environmental temperatures by using GPS collars to determine habitat selection and activity. Understanding habitat selection of moose for both thermoregulation and habitat quality will allow wildlife managers to identify areas that can provide both thermal relief and adequate forage for moose during seasonally warm temperatures when planning habitat improvements for these populations.