Brendan Oates

Brendan Oates

Brendan Oates

Walking through the concrete jungle of Córdoba, Argentina in 2007, I realized I was experiencing a personal deficit of the natural world. I had been teaching English daily to Argentinians in the bustling latin city for 2 months. I needed to get out and into the mountains, into fresh air. I packed my backpack, locked my apartment, and headed to the Patagonia for a few days. Here, it became clear what career was calling me. Two months later, I was in the Sierra Nevada Range of California, setting up track-plate boxes to collect hair samples and tracks from fishers and martens for the U.S. Forest Service. I spent the next five years gaining field experience and taking courses to prepare me for graduate school. Before long, I began working with Drs. Matt Kauffman and Jake Goheen at the University of Wyoming, coordinating research on Shiras moose in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

My research interests span broadly within predator-prey ecology and animal movement, including the mechanisms that influence individual behavior as well as population- and community-level dynamics. I’m curious how and to what degree ungulates balance the risk of predation with the benefits of foraging while also dealing with changing environmental conditions. I’m also interested in how intra- and inter-specific competition influence resource selection for both large carnivore and herbivore guilds.

As the human population continues to rise exponentially, natural places and the animals that live within them will inevitably become increasingly strained. A large part of my motivation to study natural systems is to be able to help solve the problems and conflicts that will arise between humans and wildlife in the future.

If I’m not staring at my computer analyzing spatial and demographic data for my thesis, you will find me exploring the outdoors via mountain biking, skiing (cross-country & alpine), backpacking, trail running, rock climbing, geeking out on nature, and cliff jumping whenever possible. Good friends, music, dogs, cooking, and delicious beer also help keep me sane and smiling.

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Selected Presentations

Oates, B. A. 2016.” Evaluating the Effects of Habitat Condition, Climate, and Predator Density on Shiras Moose Demography.” Oral presentation to the USGS Regional Cooperator Meeting; Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.

Oates, B.A., Kevin L. Monteith, Jerod A. Merkle, Matthew M. Hayes, Gary L. Fralick, Douglas W. Smith, Daniel R. Stahler, Sarah Dewey, Michael D. Jimenez, Alyson B. Courtemanch, Jacob R. Goheen, Matthew J. Kauffman. 2016. “Evaluating the Effects of Habitat Condition, Climate, and Predator Density on Shiras Moose Demography”. Oral presentation to the Predator-Prey Dynamics Conference; Revelstoke, British Columbia.

Oates, B.A. 2016. Training Seminar on Ecology, Tracking and Classification of Shiras Moose. Oral presentation to Winter Moose Day Participants in January. Laramie, WY.

Oates, B.A., Jacob Goheen, Kevin Monteith, Jerod Merkle, Matthew Hayes, Gary Fralick, Douglas Smith, Daniel Stahler, Sarah Dewey, Steven Cain, Michael Jimenez, Alyson Courtemanch, Matthew Kauffman. 2015. “Evaluating the Effects of Habitat Condition, Weather, and Predator Density on Shiras Moose Demography”. Oral presentation at the national conference of The Wildlife Society; Annual Meeting, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Oates, B.A., Jacob Goheen, Kevin Monteith, Jerod Merkle, Matthew Hayes, Gary Fralick, Douglas Smith, Daniel Stahler, Sarah Dewey, Steven Cain, Michael Jimenez, Alyson Courtemanch, Matthew Kauffman. 2015. “Evaluating the Effects of Habitat Condition, Weather, and Predator Density on Shiras Moose Demography”. Oral presentation to The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Conference; Annual Meeting, Lander, WY.

Oates, B.A. 2015. Training Seminar on Ecology, Tracking and Classification of Shiras Moose. Oral presentation to Summer Moose Day Participants in June. Laramie, WY.

Oates, B.A., Jacob Goheen, Kevin Monteith, Jerod Merkle, Matthew Hayes, Gary Fralick, Douglas Smith, Daniel Stahler, Sarah Dewey, Steven Cain, Michael Jimenez, Matthew Kauffman. “Spatially-Explicit Demography of Two Moose Populations with Contrasting Predator Densities”. Oral Presentation to the North American Moose Conference; Annual Meeting, North Park, CO.

Oates, B. A. 2015.”Spatially-Explicit Demography of Two Moose Populations with Contrasting Predator Densities.” Oral presentation to the USGS Regional Cooperator Meeting; Annual Meeting (Spring), Cheyenne, WY.

Oates, B. A. 2014.”Shiras Moose Demography and Behavior in Western Wyoming.” Oral presentation to the USGS Regional Cooperator Meeting; Annual Meeting (Fall), Laramie, WY.

Oates, B. A., J. R. Goheen, G. L. Fralick, K. L. Monteith, M. J. Kauffman. 2014. “Comparative Demography of Two Moose Populations with Contrasting Predator Densities.” Oral presentation to The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Conference; Annual Meeting, Sheridan, WY.

Oates, B. A., J. R. Goheen, G. L. Fralick, K. L. Monteith, M. J. Kauffman. 2014. “Comparative Demography of Two Moose Populations with Contrasting Predator Densities.” Oral presentation to the North American Moose Conference; Annual Meeting, Girdwood, AK.

Oates, B. A. 2014.”Shiras Moose Demography and Behavior in Western Wyoming.” Oral presentation to the USGS Regional Cooperator Meeting; Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.

Oates, B. A., J. R. Goheen, M. J. Kauffman, G. L. Fralick, S. G. Smith, K. L. Monteith. 2014. “Demography and Movement in Relation to Potential Energy Development.” Oral presentation to Wyoming Game and Commission at a public meeting, Lander, WY.

Oates, B. A., J. R. Goheen, M. J. Kauffman, G. L. Fralick, S. G. Smith, K. L. Monteith. 2014. “Demography and Movement in Relation to Potential Energy Development.” Oral presentation to the public at the Sublette County Public Library, Pinedale, WY.

Oates, B. A., J. R. Goheen, M. J. Kauffman, Fralick, G. L., S. G. Smith, K. L. Monteith. 2013. “Comparative Demography Of Two Moose Populations With Contrasting Predator Densities.” Oral presentation to the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society; Annual Meeting, Rock Springs, WY.

Oates, B. A., M. J. Kauffman, J. R. Goheen, Fralick, G. L., S. G. Smith, K. L. Monteith. 2013.”Shiras Moose Demography, Nutrition and Behavior in Western Wyoming.” Oral presentation to the USGS Regional Cooperator Meeting; Annual Meeting, Cheyenne, WY.

Oates, B. A., J. R. Goheen, M. J. Kauffman, G. L. Fralick, S. G. Smith, K. L. Monteith. 2012 “Investigating the Influences of Nutrition and Predation on Shiras Moose Demography in Western Wyoming.” Poster presentation at The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Conference; Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.

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