SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

ISSN
2330-5142
SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016 cover

Using GPS Telemetry to Determine Roadways Most Susceptible to Deer-vehicle Collisions

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

More than 1 million wildlife-vehicle collisions occur annually in the United States. The majority of these accidents involve white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and result in >US $4.6 billion in damage and >200 human fatalities. Prior research has used collision locations to assess sitespecific as well as landscape features that contribute to risk of deer-vehicle collisions. As an alternative approach, we calculated road-crossing locations from 25 GPS-instrumented white-tailed deer near Madison, Georgia (n = 154,131 hourly locations). We identified crossing locations by...

Using Changes in Naive Occupancy to Detect Population Declines in Aquatic Species; Case Study: Stability of Greenhead Shiner in North Carolina

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

Determining population trends for many aquatic species is problematic for most resource agencies because little or no historical information is available on population size nor are resources available for contemporary population estimates. Managers often only have available to them presenceabsence data collected by qualitative surveys conducted at intermittent intervals. Changes in naïve occupancy can be used to detect population trends. Naïve occupancy is the ratio of number of sites where a species is detected to total number of sites surveyed, without correcting for imperfect detection...

Use of Trail Cameras to Assess Angler Use of Two Remote Trout Streams in North Carolina

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) manages approximately 6400 km of self-sustaining, wild trout streams, and recent trout angler opinion data indicated that most trout anglers fish these waters. Given the popularity of wild trout angling, increasing understanding of angler use of these resources would benefit NCWRC. However, gathering this information can be labor intensive and costly, and as a result, very little is known about angler usage of wild trout resources in North Carolina. Recent advances in digital camera and motion detection technology provide a potential low...

Use of a Female-only Stocking Strategy to Establish a Trophy Largemouth Bass Fishery in a Georgia Small Impoundment

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

Anglers have become increasingly interested in pursuing trophy largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), but creating and maintaining such fisheries are often challenging. We used a low-density stocking of female-only largemouth bass in combination with forage species stocking and a catch-and-release regulation to create a trophy fishery in a 43-ha Georgia impoundment. Initial stocking of age-1 female largemouth bass occurred in spring 2005, and the population was dominated by fish ≥457 mm total length (TL) within four years. A total of 180 largemouth bass were collected in 2012; 34.4 %...

Trout Population and Temperature Monitoring within Nantahala River Bypass Reach, North Carolina, in Response to Recreational Flow Releases

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

Recreational flow releases were established within the Nantahala Bypass Reach through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing of Duke Energyâ??s Nantahala Project. In 2012-2013, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, in conjunction with other resource managers, attempted to monitor the influence of recreational flow events on wild rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations within Nantahala Bypass Reach and Nantahala Tailwater. Monitoring included temperature loggers and fish population sampling. Temperature effects of release...

Time-activity Budgets of Yellowlegs in Managed Tidal Impoundments and Adjacent Tidal Marshes

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

Managed tidal impoundments are man-made wetlands constructed from natural tidal marshes and swamps with embankments and water control structures that manage water levels using tidal cycles. In South Carolina, 28,000 ha of managed tidal impoundments potentially provide important habitat for migrating and resident wildlife. The importance of traditionally-managed tidal impoundments relative to natural tidal marsh to migratory birds is poorly understood. Examining how birds allocate their time on managed tidal impoundments and natural tidal marshes can provide insight into whether birds are...

The Effects of Tillage on Shot Concentrations in Dove Fields

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

Despite the research on lead (Pb) shot deposition and ingestion by mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), there has been no research to determine how management practices may be used to effectively reduce Pb shot concentrations in fields managed for dove hunting. For instance, no-till cropping systems could potentially lead to accumulation of lead shot in upper soil layers compared to conventional tillage practices. We measured shot concentrations in five publicly managed mourning dove fields in North Carolina to determine if concentration levels were significantly affected by tillage...

Temporal Patterns of Angler Use and Abundance of Stocked 229-mm Channel Catfish in Twenty Small Texas Impoundments

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

Sub-adult channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are stocked into community fishing lakes in Texas to provide anglers with the opportunity to catch fish close to home. Survival of these stocked fish is unknown, and this study was initiated to provide some information and guidance for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department channel catfish stocking program. This study was conducted on 20 lakes in Texas between 0.4 and 4.0 ha with 10 located in urban environments and the other 10 in rural locations. Lakes were stocked one time with adipose fin-clipped channel catfish and surveyed monthly with...

Stocking Contributions of Black Crappie Fingerlings in Lake Hickory, North Carolina

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

Lake Hickory is a 1660-ha impoundment in western North Carolina with a historically popular black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) fishery. Beginning in 2000, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) trapnet-survey data suggested a decline in black crappie catch rates which was also associated with increased angler complaints. In an effort to improve the black crappie population, the NCWRC began an experimental stocking program in 2007. From 2007 to 2012, black crappie fingerlings were marked with oxytetracycline (OTC) and stocked annually into Lake Hickory. Annual assessments...

Stocking Contribution of Fingerling Largemouth Bass in Three Aquatic Vegetation Types in Toledo Bend Reservoir, Texas-Louisiana

SEAFWA Journal Volume 3, March 2016

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocks Toledo Bend Reservoir annually with fingerling Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus). Studies suggest that largemouth bass stockings often result in variable and low contributions to cohort abundance. We explored effects of aquatic vegetation on stocking success of fingerling Florida largemouth bass marked with a pelvic fin clip in three species of aquatic vegetation (hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata, coontail Ceratophyllum demersum, and Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum) in Toledo Bend Reservoir. Stocking sites...