James Hugh "Jim" Yantis

Yantis was a wildlife biologist, carrying a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University, who served for 25 years at Texas Parks and Wildlife. During his agency career, he was based in Hearne, and managed program work in nine nearby counties. He was known as an expert in the life and restoration of the endangered Houston toad, undertaking multi-year, range-wide presence-absence surveys and audio chorus recordings during the late 1980s and early ’90s. In addition to endangered species work, he made important contributions to field and model studies for recovery of the eastern wild turkey, and helped develop Dan Lay’s Stem-Count Index, a standardized method to monitor browse impacts and stocking intensity. Yantis is also remembered for his collaboration with private landowners on habitat management, deer herd care, and prescribe burn planning.