M. Keith Causey

The Yearling Disadvantage in Alabama Deer: Effect of Birth Date on Development

Male white-tailed deer are subjected to a variety of factors that influence body and antler development when they are yearlings. Nutrition and genetics have received considerable attention as factors that influence this development; however, date of birth has yet to be adequately investigated and theoretically could dramatically influence development in later years. To determine how date of birth influences development of antler and body characteristics at 1.5 years of age, we collected data from yearling male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested on 23 Alabama Wildlife...

Seasonal Diets of Coyotes in Western Central Alabama

Year-round diet of coyotes (Canis latrans) was assessed from 292 fecal samples using frequency of occurrence of prey types and relative percent volume of prey types. By both measures, the most important food item for each season was rodents, except in the fall when volume of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianust in scats exceeded the volume of rodents. In most cases the 2 methods ranked prey groups identically. Five of the 7 differences between adjacent seasons identified by frequency of occurrence were corroborated by differences in volume. Lagomorphs also were important, and their...

Fawning Date and Growth of Male Alabama White-tailed Deer

Male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns were collected from the wild at random in Alabama during the springs and summers of 1986 and 1987. Average body weight at 16 months of age was 58.3 kg (5004 to 68.2 kg) and antler weight averaged 150.1 g (25 to 339 g). Yearling weight and date of birth were not related (r = -0.36; P = 0.078) nor were antler mass and date of birth (r = -0.17; P = 00411). Racks averaged 4.2 points (range 2 to 8 points). Point number and date of birth were not related (r = 0.02; P = 0.914).

Breeding Activity of American Woodcock in Alabama as Related to Temperature

Nests and broods of American woodcock (Scolopax minor) were located during late winter and early spring in Alabama from 1976 through 1985 using trained pointing dogs. The number of hours of search effort required to locate a nest or brood decreased linearly with an increase in the number of days in January with mean temperatures ≥4.4°C. Generally, warmer Januarys resulted in increased nesting activity by American woodcock in Alabama.

Armadillo Depredanon of "Dummy" Bobwhite Quail Nests in Southwest Alabama

To explore the potential of armadillos as bobwhite quail nest predators, 75 "dummy" quail nests, containing four to six eggs each, were constructed in an area of recent armadillo activity in Clarke County, Alabama during June and July of 1973. During 300 nest nights, armadillos accounted for 25 of 96 destroyed nests. Seventeen other nests contained armadillo signs, but the eggs were not broken. Eighteen of the 25 destroyed nests were located in one small area which might indicate that one armadillo was responsible for most of the nests being destroyed. One armadillo was observed eating...