Meet Dr. Craig Harper

Craig A. Harper is a Professor of Wildlife Management and the Extension Wildlife Specialist in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries at The University of Tennessee. Dr. Harper is responsible for developing wildlife-related programs for UT Extension and assisting Extension agents and natural resources professionals with wildlife-related issues. Dr. Harper maintains an active research program to complement his Extension programming, which concentrates on applied habitat management and white-tailed deer management.

Habitat management programs focus on managing early successional plant communities, oak/pine savanna and woodland, and upland hardwood forests to meet the habitat requirements of various wildlife species. The influence of timing and frequency of prescribed fire on plant community composition and structure and how that affects habitat quality for various wildlife species is of particular interest. The use of selective herbicides to influence plant composition and habitat quality also is a primary interest. Establishing and managing native plant communities through natural revegetation using the seedbank and evaluating effect of various management practices is ongoing. Craig has conducted and coordinated research concerning white-tailed deer, elk, wild turkey, northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse, wood duck, and songbirds.