Richard M. Pace, III

Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus) are protected under the Endangered Species Act and live in 3 isolated geographic areas thought to encompass nearly all breeding individuals for that subspecies. Management strategies to recover these bears continue to evolve without knowledge of any differences in demographic patterns among these populations. We summarized data on Louisiana black bear deaths to see if any evidence existed for differences in mortality patterns among the 3 subpopulations. Since June 1992, 34 of 75 (45±6 [SE]%) verified losses (72 deaths plus 3 live removals)...

We examined relative body size and space use patterns of free-ranging coyote (Canis latrans)-like canids occupying a marsh complex known to have been one of the last refuges of red wolves (Canis rufus). Morphometric analysis indicated that these animals were larger than other Louisiana coyotes, but smaller than red wolves. We radio-tagged 25 (13 male and 12 female) animals during January-August 1996 and January-April 1997 at Sabine National wildlife Refuge, Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Based on 10 individuals (4 males and 6 females) for which we had adequate data, annual MCP (100% Minimum...

We examined aspects of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter quail) population dynamics in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests on the Vernon Ranger District, Kisatchie National Forest, located in west central Louisiana. We used sex, age, and weight data from 246 birds captured a total of 404 times during 9 February-20 June 1991-1993 in baited traps to describe population characteristics. We used data from 128 (106 F:22 M) birds trapped, radio tagged, and monitored during 3 field seasons to describe productivity and survival of these birds during March through August. The...

Existing landcover maps offer an inexpensive opportunity to conduct largescale habitat assessments for black bears (Ursus americanus), but because cover classes used in these maps may have been developed without consideration for bears, inferring bear food and cover distribution from these maps may be difficult. We evaluated the information content of a habitat map that we constructed using National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data for a composite home range of 21 radio-tagged adult black bears in coastal Louisiana. Habitat types having potentially different food and cover resources for bears...

To gain a better understanding of the roles of public and private hunting areas in the harvest dynamics of an eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopava var. sylvestris) population, we conducted a banding study in southeastern Louisiana from 1989-1997. Physical measurements were collected on birds at capture and harvest. During spring gobbler seasons, 137 of 199 banded gobblers were recovered through hunting. For the 1991-1994 seasons, we observed higher hunting pressure and more effort to bag a gobbler on public (0.22 hunter-days/ha and 40.7 hunter-days/bird) than on private land (0.13...

Winter populations of American woodcock ( Philohela minor) in coastal South Carolina were concentrated in cypress-gum (Taxodium-Nyssa) swamps and flood plains and along the margins of ponds in pine (Pinus) stands and clearcuts. Flushing rates varied from 0 to 6 flushes per man-hour in the field based on 303.4 man-hours of hunting. The winter population began to increase in mid-December, was highest in mid-January, and was low by late-February. Age and sex ratios were largely skewed towards the immature female segment of the population. Earthworms made up 64% of the aggreate volume of 122...