Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Abstract: Management agencies within native largemouth bass (LMB; Micropterus nigricans) range across the United States regularly stock non-native pure Florida bass (FLB; Micropterus salmoides) or reciprocal LMB × FLB F1 hybrids to enhance angling opportunities based on public demand. Often, these stocked fish are introduced into waterbodies already occupied by LMB, which readily hybridize with FLB. This hybridization and resulting genetic integration of FLB alleles into the population is often considered the goal of stocking programs. However, managers have little...

Fisheries

Christopher R. Middaugh, Sean C. Lusk, Jeremy T. Risley

1    Predicting Long-Term Genetic Integration Following Stocking of Florida Bass (Micropterus salmoides) into an Arkansas Reservoir

Cynthia F. Holt, J. Wesley Neal

10   Experimental Population Reduction of Largemouth Bass from an Overpopulated Tropical Reservoir:  Impacts on Predators and Prey

Bryant M. Haley, J. Wesley Neal

19   Effects of Reservoir Characteristics on Crappie Populations in...

Relatively little research has focused on the spread of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) in working pine forests of the southeastern United States despite sericea being one of the most prominent forest invaders of this region. Timber thinning is commonly used to meet forestry and wildlife habitat objectives within these forests, with thinning intensity being objective-dependent. Higher-intensity thinning may facilitate the spread of sericea or other forest invaders due to effects such as increased availability of understory sunlight and understory disturbance, though the...

Age-related differences in habitat use are commonly observed among eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). We investigated home range size and within home range habitat (third-order) selection of 55 radio-tracked adult and juvenile male wild turkeys across five ecological regions of West Virginia from September 2004 to August 2007. Mean core (50% fixed-kernel density estimates [KDE]; adult = 363.2 ha; juvenile = 447.6 ha) and peripheral (95% KDE; adult = 1635.4 ha; juvenile = 2105.8 ha) home range size estimates were large, but comparable to both historical and...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) allows use of acoustical surveys and automated identification software to determine the presence of the proposed endangered tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). Analytical software is required to assess the probability of species absence on a sitenight basis using a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) that accounts for interspecific misclassification rates. The current standard for occupancy determination is a returned MLE P-value ≤0.05 at the nightly level irrespective of the number of files identified as tricolored bats. For this species, MLE P...

Hooking and delayed mortality rates are poorly documented for capture of alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) with standard sampling gears and fishing tackle. A recent study documented over 81% hooking mortality for alligator gar captured from Lake Texoma, Oklahoma, using overnight jugline sets with treble hooks. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission uses active-set juglines rigged with 3-prong treble hooks to conduct alligator gar population assessments. We evaluated hooking and delayed capture mortality of alligator gar by using juglines set with either treble or circle hooks....

The pectoral fin spine is the most accepted hard structure used for estimating ages of sturgeons. However, sturgeon age validation studies indicate that age estimation using fin spines typically underestimate sturgeon ages, particularly of older fish. Underestimating the ages of these long-lived species can result in inaccurate findings in population dynamics studies, such as overestimation of growth and mortality parameters. The shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) is a long-lived, critically endangered fish for which population declines are attributed to anthropogenic...

Tandem baited hoop nets (TBHN) are the most efficient gear used to evaluate channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) populations in reservoirs. However, sampling month and bait used in TBHN have varied among collections in Arkansas and in published studies. Understanding how catch rates and size structure might change by season or bait type will help inform standard sampling protocols used by management agencies. We evaluated catch rates, size structure, and turtle bycatch of TBHN in two lakes in eastern Arkansas (Lake Greenlee and Lake Des Arc) using Zote^TM soap and...

Abstract: Commonly, fisheries management decisions are based on one-time samples, which are generally adequate for assessing key rate functions, such as age and growth, but are of limited value for assessing recruitment. Recruitment variability has not been indexed for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Further evaluation of practical recruitment indexing methods from single sampling events and identification of potential drivers in recruitment variability could provide biologists with additional information needed for improved management of channel catfish ...

The white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) is an important U.S. game fish but is prone to stunting. In Oklahoma, stocking saugeye (Sander vitreus × S. canadensis) is a common management strategy for improving white crappie growth. However, recent work has suggested that saugeye stocking may not be a broadly effective management tool for improving crappie growth rates, especially when controlling for among­-reservoir variation.  Therefore, our objectives were to: (1) determine if stocking of Sander spp. (walleye [S. vitreus], saugeye, or both) improved...

Crappie (Pomoxis spp.) fisheries are important across much of North America, but most research has focused on management in larger reservoirs. Understanding factors that affect crappie populations in small reservoirs could improve management approaches because manipulation of physicochemical, biological, and morphometric factors may be feasible in these smaller systems. We examined biotic and abiotic features that influence crappie (black crappie P. nigromaculatus and white crappie P. annularis) species dominance, growth, condition, and trap net catch­per­effort...

Behavioral shifts by bass (Micropterus spp.) anglers toward catch and release practices has severely decreased the ability of managers to control predator-prey dynamics and reduced effectiveness of harvest as a management tool. Lack of harvest reduces managers’ ability to use harvest regulations to influence bass growth and can result in slower growth and poor condition due to excessive predator abundance and reduced prey availability. This scenario appears to have developed in a tropical reservoir where angler harvest has been limited. Largemouth bass (M. nigricans) were...

The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a species of concern in the southeastern United States, and its distribution is within the range of the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). One conservation strategy within the state of Alabama has been translocation of adult tortoises to other areas with longleaf pine and sandy soils, including areas outside the current accepted species’ range. Prior examples of such tortoise translocations occurred in two counties in central Alabama: one in the 1960s in Macon County and another in the 1980s in Autauga County. Both introductions...

Southern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger niger) have been declining due to habitat fragmentation, cover type conversion, and fire suppression in the Southeast. A decrease in growing season burns has led to hardwood encroachment and forest mesophication that benefit the competing eastern gray squirrels (S. carolinensis). In the southern Coastal Plain and Piedmont of Virginia, these pattern raises the question of whether gray squirrels are competitively excluding southern fox squirrels in these altered landscapes. From October 2019 to October 2020, we conducted continual...

Throughout much of the eastern U.S., many forested ecosystems have lost large amounts of core forest areas due to land-use change, isolating wildlife in forest fragments. The eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is considered a species of conservation concern in Virginia, where populations are restricted to spatially disjunct forest patches in the central Appalachian Mountains. We caught and radio-tagged eastern spotted skunks in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia to assess whether current habitat fragmentation restricts skunk movements and hence distribution, potentially...

Understanding the relationships of biotic and abiotic factors to seasonal activity at hibernacula is important for the conservation of bats impacted by white-nose syndrome (WNS). Research on the relative and probable activity patterns of the federally endangered northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) primarily has focused on summer maternity colonies, whereas surveys at hibernacula have traditionally relied on external capture and internal counts. We used passive acoustic monitoring to assess the relative and probable activity of northern long-eared bats at 13...

Conservation of bats declining from white-nose syndrome (WNS) impacts requires an understanding of both temporal and landscape-level habitat relationships. Traditionally, much of the research on bat ecology has focused on behavior of summer maternity colonies within species’ distribution cores, including that of the endangered northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). To further our knowledge of this species, we evaluated multi-season activity patterns in eastern North Carolina and Virginia, including areas where populations were recently discovered. We used passive...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows acoustical surveys and automated identification software to determine the presence of the endangered northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) and Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). Analytical software is required to assess presence probability on a site-night basis using a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) that accounts for interspecific bat misclassification rates. The current standard for occupancy is a returned MLE P-value < 0.05 at the nightly level irrespective of the number of files identified as either northern long-...

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are arguably one of the greatest wildlife management challenges facing natural resource professionals and landowners in the U.S., and lethal removal by trapping is often the most cost- and time-effective means for managing populations. Whereas numerous studies have examined the effects of trap type, trap activation designs, and baits on trapping effectiveness, no studies utilizing a conditioning period and accounting for unique individuals/sounders and wild pig social structure have examined the effects of trap door width on wild pig entrance into corral-...

Grain-based attractants (e.g., corn) are standard among most wild pig (Sus scrofa) trapping and non-invasive sampling efforts (e.g., genetic spatial capture/recapture, camera trapping), but their use is not always feasible due to cost, deployment restrictions (e.g., difficulty of transporting grain into remote areas, property rules), and potential disease concerns associated with concentrating non-target species at bait sites. Attractant deployment and efficacy should be considered by biologists, private landowners, and researchers given the ultimate need to use attractants to attract wild...

Animal body mass can be used to estimate age, determine health status, or guide dosage when administering sedatives. Because it can be difficult to weigh live large animals, using morphometric measurements to estimate body mass is sometimes used in field studies. Several statistical models exist for estimating domestic pig mass from morphometric measurements, but models based on domestic animals are likely unreliable estimators of wild pig (Sus scrofa) body mass due to known hybridization between domestic and wild pigs, and variable environmental conditions. The goal of this...

Management of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) typically employs some form of population survey methodology, and trail cameras are the most common tool for conducting these surveys. Identification of individual sounders is generally at the foundation of these population surveys. Pelage characteristics and relative age distribution of individuals within the sounder coupled with total sounder size are common characteristics used to identify unique sounders. However, in many populations, the pelage of many wild pigs is either black or wild/grizzled, making pelage characteristics unreliable for...

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a highly destructive invasive species and reported to be present in 77% of counties in the southeastern U.S. Wild pigs may negatively affect white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereinafter, deer) and eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris; hereinafter, turkey) via competition over forage or exclusion from preferred areas. To explore effects of wild pigs on spatial distribution of these species within a mixed agriculture-forest landscape, we developed models predicting camera trap detections of deer and turkeys as a...

Monitoring waterfowl populations provides the basis for improving habitat quantity and quality, establishing harvest regulations, and ensuring sustainable waterfowl populations through appropriate management. Waterfowl biologists currently use a variety of population and habitat monitoring methods ranging from informal ground observations to low-level occupied aircraft surveys. Unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) may provide safer and more precise alternatives to traditional aerial survey techniques that are less disturbing to waterfowl, but there is limited information on how waterfowl in...

Land managers in the southeastern United States cultivate rice (Oryza sativa) to provide calorie-dense forage for autumn-migrating and wintering waterfowl and other migratory birds. Conservation planners require accurate yield estimates for rice and other energy-rich croplands to parameterize bioenergetic models and support data-driven, adaptive resource management efforts. We developed a rapid method to efficiently estimate rice yield and quantified associated precision, accuracy, sampling time, and operating costs in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (n = 16 fields). We...

The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has declined precipitously in abundance and currently occupies a substantially reduced portion of its historic range. Within the sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) prairies at the southwestern extent of the lesser prairie-chicken’s contemporary range, efforts to conserve the species have been constrained by limited information on how land management practices influence habitat quality, and subsequently, affect lesser prairie-chicken recruitment. From 2008–2011, we captured and radio-tagged hen lesser prairie-...

Nest site selection has a critical effect on nest success for eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), yet the underlying drivers of nest site selection are often misrepresented in the literature. Early works typically focused on evaluating behavioral ecology of female wild turkeys before nest initiation, under the assumption that female wild turkeys sought out nest sites well in advance of nest initiation. However, recent work has clearly found no evidence of nest site search behavior before the day of nest initiation, thus increasing the need to focus evaluations...

Understanding hunter satisfaction and behavior under normal and abnormal situations is important for effective management of game species by state wildlife agencies. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) created a global pandemic that coincided with the 2020 spring wild turkey hunting season. Concern was expressed by some wild turkey researchers and biologists that COVID-19 lockdown protocols could result in increased hunting effort and unsustainable harvests because of people having more free time. We assessed how COVID-19 and associated lockdown protocols affected hunter satisfaction and behavior during...

Many states throughout the range of wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) have delayed their spring wild turkey hunting seasons to allow reproductively active males more time to breed before being harvested and to potentially increase population fecundity rates. Six states in the Southeast recently delayed their spring hunting season by 7 to 14 days. However, there are no published data indicating their previous season frameworks had a deleterious effect on wild turkey reproduction or that delaying the season increased fecundity. In addition to potentially affecting turkey...

Plantings of perennial and biennial forage, such as white clover (Trifolium repens), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa), commonly are used by managers to increase nutritional resource availability for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Regular mowing and selective herbicide applications are two common practices used to maintain perennial plantings and reduce weed competition. However, there is little information available on how these management activities influence perennial forages or wildlife response. We evaluated...

Wildlife management agencies in regions where chronic wasting disease (CWD) is prevalent have adopted costly management practices to mitigate the spread of this fatal and highly transmissible disease. Non-market valuation represents a critical tool for managers attempting to address these costs, but the mode and methods of contingent valuation (CV) questions can impact valuations due to biases inherent to self-reporting economic decisions. We administered online (n = 1430) and phone (n = 602) surveys in North Carolina and South Carolina to assess what hunters with licenses to hunt white-...

Across the U.S., the presence of white-tailed deer (deer; Odocoileus virginianus) in urban areas can create conflicts with residents (e.g., ornamental plant damage). State wildlife agencies approach urban deer management differently from traditional deer management due to diverse community groups, urban stakeholder viewpoints about deer, and other aspects of wildlife management in urban environments. With this variation in mind, we reviewed deer management resources across the U.S. to understand the current state of urban deer management. Of the 46 states with deer populations, 21...

Non-native species have sometimes been introduced to increase forage availability and sportfish production, but such introductions have potential for negative as well as positive effects. In 2010, non-native blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) were found in Lewis Smith Lake, Alabama, due to illegal stocking. Our objective was to quantify food habits and determine potential impacts of blueback herring introduction on body condition and growth of important sportfishes in Lewis Smith Lake. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), Alabama bass (Micropterus henshalli...

Monitoring changes in occupancy (i.e., probability a site has at least one individual of a species) across time is considered an inexpensive alternative to monitoring changes in abundance and can be used to monitor multiple species simultaneously across a watershed. Occupancy can be measured as the proportion of sites where a species is detected during surveys (i.e., naïve occupancy), but is more commonly modeled by surveying sites multiple times to estimate detection probability and address false-positive survey errors (sites that are occupied but with no survey detections of the species...

Accurate age estimates are critical in the development, implementation, and assessment of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) management plans. Lapilli otoliths are the most commonly used calcified structures for silver carp age estimation, but studies on the precision of two established preparation methods [i.e., grind-and-burn (GB), thin-section (TS)] are lacking. Therefore, we assessed within-reader, between-reader, and between-method precision for 125 silver carp collected from six rivers throughout the Lower Mississippi River Basin (Arkansas, Cache, Mississippi, St....

An economic valuation of the recreational sport fishery of Lake Fork in northeast Texas was completed in 2014 and 2015, finding that angler direct expenditures totaled US$18.8 million annually on fishing trips to the reservoir. Although some largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) tournament anglers were included in that study, it did not assess economic impacts of six large (>200 participants) tournaments during the study period. Since 2006, largemouth bass tournament effort at Lake Fork has generally increased to comprise half of all fishing activity in the reservoir and is...

Lake Austin, in central Texas, supported a popular trophy largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fishery concomitant with conservative hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) management during the period 2002–2011. However, a change from this conservative approach to an aggressive stocking rate of triploid grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in response to excessive hydrilla growth between 2011–2013 subsequently resulted in the eradication of all submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The loss of SAV quickly changed the angling dynamics of the reservoir, resulting in a...

Biotelemetry via surgical implantation of an electronic tag is a common way to examine fish behavior and movement. Previous studies suggest higher post-operative survival should be expected when implanting tags at colder water temperatures. However, during the initial part of our study, all 26 adult largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) we implanted with transmitters at water temperatures from 14 to 17 C at Toledo Bend Reservoir, Texas, died within 4 wk post-surgery. To further investigate this phenomenon, we conducted two tagging trials at 13 C, observing post-operative...

Fisheries

Lynn D. Wright, Timothy J. Bister

1    Examining Hybrid Striped Bass Stocking Rates in Texas Reservoirs: A Trade-off between Abundance and Stocking Efficiency

M. Todd Driscoll, Jacob D. Norman

7    High Mortality of Largemouth Bass Implanted with Transmitters at Colder Water Temperatures

Brent J. Bellinger, Marcos J. De Jesús

14   ...

Hybrid striped bass (HSB), which includes palmetto bass (female striped bass Morone saxatilis × male white bass M. chrysops) or its reciprocal sunshine bass (female white bass × male striped bass) support popular fisheries in many Texas reservoirs. Data from 41 reservoirs sampled using gill nets from 1996–2021 (total of 255 reservoir-yr) were used to develop stock-recruit models where fingerling stocking rates were used to predict CPUE of adults in gill nets. Adult relative abundance was described using two size classes based on the statewide 458-mm minimum length limit,...

Stream fishing for black bass (Micropterus spp.) is a popular outdoor recreational activity in northern Arkansas. After construction of a new access area on Crooked Creek, Arkansas in 2017, anglers expressed concerns about increased fishing pressure and possible overharvest of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). In 2019, we conducted a creel survey (60 sample days over six months) at five public accesses, including the new access, on a 35-km section of Crooked Creek. We also tagged 195 fish in an associated one-year exploitation study...

Fisheries

Graham F. Montague, Richard A. Snow, Douglas L. Zentner, Austin D. Griffin

1    Comparing Precision of Otolith and Pectoral Spine Age Assessments for Black and Yellow Bullheads

Joseph V. Siegel, Stuart Welsh, Nate Taylor, Quinton Phelps

10   Size Structure, Age, Growth, and Mortality of Flathead Catfish in the Robert C. Byrd Pool of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers

Steven J. Rider, Travis R. Powell

17    Characteristics of Commercial...

Achieving a target population size is often the first goal of species restorations. From 2012 to 2014, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources released 75 elk (Cervus canadensis) originating from Kentucky into Buchanan County in southwestern Virginia. These individuals were ear tagged with unique numbers upon release with an additional 33 elk tagged within the Virginia Elk Management Zone (VEMZ) from 2019 through early 2022. To assess post-release population size, we conducted visual driving surveys throughout Buchanan County from January through mid-April...

Hierarchical conservation and management of Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) habitat may benefit from use of species distribution models. White-nose syndrome has caused additional declines for this endangered bat, requiring use of historical presence locations for habitat-related analy- ses. We created random forest presence/pseudo-absence models to assess the distribution and availability of Indiana bat habitat across the 670,000-ha Monongahela National Forest (MNF), West Virginia, USA. We collated historical roost and capture locations, both individually and in...

Species distribution models enable resource managers to avoid and mitigate impacts to, or enhance habitat of, target species at the landscape level. Persistent declines of northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) due to white-nose syndrome have made acquisition of contemporary data difficult. Therefore, use of legacy data may be necessary for creation of species distribution models. We used historical roost and capture records, both individually and in combination, to assess the distribution and availability of northern long-eared bat habitat across the 670,000-ha...

The gray bat (Myotis grisescens) is a cave-obligate species that has been listed as federally endangered since 1976, following population declines from human disturbance at hibernation and maternity caves. However, with cave protection, most gray bat populations have increased. As part of a project examining bat use of transportation structures as day-roosts, we continuously acoustically monitored 12 riparian sites within the Clinch River Watershed of southwest Virginia from March through November, 2018–2020. We used 15 different landscape and weather-related variables in...

Understanding walleye (Sander vitreus) spawning behavior is important for managing walleye fisheries, but such information is limited for Appalachian reservoirs. We assessed spawning movements and spawning locations for a reestablished walleye population in Cheat Lake, West Virginia. We tagged fifty-two walleye with acoustic telemetry transmitters to evaluate environmental correlates associated with pre-spawn movements and to deter- mine spawning locations. Using an information-theoretic approach, we compared candidate logistic regression models to determine...

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) have been extirpated from many karst-geology streams in West Virginia; however, the causes are not fully understood. Specifically, the impact of calcareous precipitate (marl), which is common in hard-water environments, has not been evaluated as an im- pediment to juvenile survival. Accordingly, two lab-based studies were conducted to determine if brook trout egg and alevin survival is inhibited by marl. In the first study, three aeration treatments were applied to water from a limestone spring source (13–14 C; ~300 mg L–1...

Due to overharvest of paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) throughout Alabama, the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (ADWFF) approved a moratorium prohibiting the recreational and commercial catch, possession, and harvest of paddlefish beginning November 1988. However, due to increased demand for paddlefish eggs, a provisional fishery for commercial paddlefish harvest was approved beginning March 2013 in the Alabama River, Mobile River Basin, Alabama. As part of this provisional fishery, a new reporting form was required of all commercial...

Catching a state record fish is a significant accomplishment in the life of any angler. The need to have a state agency biologist present to verify the record fish can delay the certification of the fish, possibly leading to changes in the fish’s weight. Few published studies have directly investigated the impact of preservation method on weight change of fish following capture. We examined four fish species: black crappie (Pomoxis nigromacula- tus), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris),...