WILDLIFE SURVEYS, 2: Wildlife surveys are more than a 
snapshot of a moment in time…we explain ahead on 
Passport to Texas. 

This is Passport to Texas

Wildlife biologists use data from field surveys to manage 
the state’s game and nongame wildlife populations. 

04— One thing that’s important to remember is that we’re never going 
to count every single animal.

Biologist, Heidi Baily, says the public sometimes confuses 
“survey” with “census”. The latter implies a tally of all 
individual animals in a population. Instead, biologists 
look for trends.

15— We like to put it in context of the years behind us and look at it in 
relation to that. And determine what the trend is doing: are we on a 
steady incline; is the population decreasing; is the sex ratio improving? 
Things like that.

As the majority of the state is in private hands, 
landowners are encouraged to conduct wildlife surveys 
on their property.

24—We can actually go out there and teach them how to do surveys on 
their own property. Usually, when we go out, we have a look at their 
habitat, and we’ll visit with them about the things that they’re 
concerned about, and what they want to manage for. And then we can 
actually teach them ways to go ahead and monitor their own 
populations. They’ll forward the results of those surveys to us for any 
kind of habitat or population management recommendations.  

Learn more about wildlife surveys on the Texas Parks and 
Wildlife website.

The Wildlife Restoration Program support our series. 

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.  





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