Leroy G. Denman, Jr., Director of Wildlife Research

Fred Bryant is the Leroy G. Denman, Jr. Director of Wildlife Research at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute.  He is a 4th generation Texan, born and raised on the outskirts of San Antonio. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management from Texas Tech University in 1970. Fred obtained his Masters of Science degree in Wildlife Biology in 1974 from Utah State University, and his Ph.D. in Range Science from Texas A&M University in 1977.

Fred has been Director of the Institute since 1996. From 1977 to 1996 he served at Texas Tech University as Assistant Vice Provost for Research in the Office of Research Services and as Professor of Range Management in the Department of Range and Wildlife Management. The subject of his research has ranged from coyotes to white-tailed and mule deer, from pronghorn antelope to domestic livestock.

Fred's international experiences include research activities in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and Morocco. In addition, he embarked upon short-term assignments in Venezuela, Indonesia, Australia, Ecuador, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The principal focus of his international research was on the pastures and rangelands of these countries, with specific emphasis on grazing animals.

Fred has co-authored two books, Wildlife Habitat Management of Forestlands, Rangelands, and Farmlands (Krieger Publications, 1998) and Ranch Management: Integrating Cattle, Wildlife and Range, Published by King Ranch, Inc. 2003.  He is also the author of 4 book chapters, 61 journal articles, 28 bulletins and symposia reports, 21 popular articles, 2 monographs, and 73 published abstracts. Fred and faculty member Scott Henke, Ph.D. received the prestigious national award from The Wildlife Society for the Outstanding Publication of 2001, entitled “Effects of coyote removal on the faunal community in western Texas,” which appeared in the Journal of Wildlife Management 63: 1066-1081.

He received teaching and academic research awards from Texas Tech University, and was named a distinguished alumnus of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University in 1998. Fred was a member of the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (1996 to 2002), where he chaired the Land and Conservation Committee (1997 to 2002). He also is past-President of the International Society for Range Management (1995). Fred is a Professional Member of the Boone and Crockett Club and is an Honorary Member of The Wildlife Society. 

He and his co-authors have been recognized on 5 occasions for Outstanding Publication by the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society.  He has also received Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Texas Wildlife Association, the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society, and the Texas Section, Society for Range Management.  He has been recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University (2002) and the College of Natural Resources at Utah State University (1996).