Krista Hagan is a master’s student with the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the Department of Zoology and Physiology studying with Dr. Matt Kauffman. Her research focuses on how ungulates learn to navigate fences and novel habitats. For the fence work, she uses trail cameras in the Red Desert to study mule deer fawns’ response to a novel task of crossing fences, and the effect group composition has on fawns’ success and method of crossing. She is further evaluating bighorn sheep habitat selection behavior in response to translocation history, and the effect of previous knowledge on habitat selection.
Prior to joining the Wyoming Coop Unit, Hagan spent five years zookeeping at the North Georgia Zoo, and conducted research in the neural mechanisms of mate choice in female songbirds. Driven by her passion for research, Hagan hopes that her work informs conservation practices to help mule deer migrate safely and ensure migration habitats stay open.
Hagan’s work is supported by Knobloch Family Foundation, Muley Fanatic Foundation, Wyoming Research Scholars, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, and Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition.
Professional Preparation and Appointments
B.S. Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 2008.