George A. Hurst

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) forage was greatly increased in 2 loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations after they were control burned and commercially thinned at age 13 years. Forage averaged 26 kg/ha in August 1979 (age 12) before treatment and 326 kg/ha in August 1980 (age 13),1 growing season after treatment, and 429 kg/ha in August 1981 (age 14). Deer forage averaged 31 kg/ha in February 1981 and 52 kg/ha in February 1982, which exceeded the 4.5 kg/ha average in 12-year-old untreated plantations. A 46% decline of deer forage in 1 plantation and a 26% decline in the other...

Seventy-four nest attempts by the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) were made from 1977 - 80 in nesting boxes in 2 loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations, age 1 - 4 years in east-central Mississippi. Of the 303 bluebird eggs laid, 245 (81%) hatched and 232 (77%) produced fledglings. Mean number of young fledged per successful nest averaged 3.87, with an average clutch size of 4.42. The largest number of nest attempts, eggs laid, and number fledged occurred at plantation age 3 years. The 1st nest attempts began in March and the latest were in August, with most young fledging in May, June,...

Total deer (Odocoileus virginianus) forage (grass, forb, vine, woody) in August was significantly (P < 0.05) greater on burned (481 kg/ha) and burned-thinned (554 kg/ha) than on untreated plots (141 kg/ha) in an 8-9 year old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation. Total deer forage also was significantly greater on burned (57 kg/ha) and burned-thinned (53 kg/ha) than untreated plots (26 kg/ha) in February, 1979 and 1980. Total deer forage on burned plots declined 52 percent in August and 50 percent in February in the second year after treatment. The decline was only 18 percent (August)...

Significal1t (P<0.05) correlation coefficients were obtained by relating various forest characteristics to amounts of selected (succulent, new-growth) forage from plants utilized by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus I'ir!{inianus) in mixed pine-hardwood forests. Forage from forbs and grasses was inversely related to most characteristics pertaining to basal area, age, dbh, height, and number of layers. Forage from vines was not significantly correlated with any forest characteristic. Forage from woody plants was directly related to hardwood density, age, dbh, and basal area. Stepwise...

Food habits of pen-raised wild turkey poults (Meleagris gallopavo silverstris), age 4-14 days, were studied for a 3-yr. period (1975-1977) in the loblolly pine-shortleaf pine (Pinus taeda, P. echinata, forest type in eastcentral Mississippi. Crop and gizzard contents of poults that fed on recently burned subplots (0.65 hal were compared to the contents of poults that fed on 3- and 4-yr.-old "roughs" or unburned subplots. Total animal food eaten (insects, spiders, snails, etc.) was significantly (P < 0.01) higher on burned subplots. Mean oven.dry weight of selected animal food eaten (...