Wildlife researchers, land managers and conservation advocates will gather at Sul Ross State University in August for the 2026 Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference.
The three-day event is scheduled for Aug. 5-7, with most presentations taking place at the university’s Espino Conference Center in Alpine. The conference is hosted by the Borderlands Research Institute, the Texas Wildlife Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Organizers say the conference will examine major issues affecting wildlife and working lands across West Texas, including wildlife disease, black bears, mountain lions, mule deer, pronghorn, desert bighorn sheep, grassland restoration, watershed stewardship and habitat management.
The conference will begin Wednesday, Aug. 5, with the Texas Big Game Awards from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Museum of the Big Bend. The event will recognize hunters whose animals qualified for the state awards program.
Thursday’s program will open at 8:15 a.m. with welcome remarks, followed by a keynote session titled “Change at the Border: Voices from Conservation, Science, and Policy.” Scheduled speakers include retired Big Bend National Park wilderness coordinator Raymond Skiles, Texas Conservation Alliance Executive Director Grahame Jones and attorney Jim Bradbury.
Other Thursday presentations will include an update on New World screwworm in Texas, a discussion of preserving dark skies, research on Rio Grande and Pecos River systems, and population updates involving mule deer, pronghorn and desert bighorn sheep.
Afternoon sessions will focus on black bears along the U.S.-Mexico border, mountain lions in Texas, bird-detection research, grassland restoration and conservation work along Alamito Creek. Researchers also will discuss the effects of grazing management on desert grasslands.
A reception and dinner will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Museum of the Big Bend.
Friday’s activities will include a guided birding hike at the Hancock Hill Trailhead from 7 to 9 a.m., a field visit to the Mimms Unit of the Dixon Water Foundation from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a comparative necropsy session at the Everett E. Turner Range Animal Science Center from 9 to 11 a.m.
Registration prices range from $60 to $5,000, depending on the ticket or sponsorship level. More information and registration are available through the Borderlands Research Institute’s conference page.
