Thomas V. Dailey

Use of Habitat and Landowner Suitability Models as Tools for Selecting Large-scale Quail Habitat Restoration Areas on Private Land in Missouri

In response to dwindling populations of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative and the Missouri Department of Conservation's Strategic Guidance for Northern Bobwhite Restoration are guiding habitat restoration efforts in Missouri. Success of these programs is dependent on restoration of habitat on large tracts of private land. Efficacious selection of restoration areas requires a foundation of ecological and sociological information. Although we know much about bobwhite ecology, our success at engaging landowners in habitat restoration has...

Observer Group Accuracy in Plotting Locations of Northern Bobwhites when using Fall Covey Calls

Morning covey call counts are popular for estimating fall abundance of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). However, veracity of the technique's abundance estimates are questionable with numerous assumptions inherent to the technique. Therefore, we used captive bobwhites to test ability of three groups of observers to plot calling bobwhite locations on an aerial photo. We found no difference (P < 0.05) between observer groups when plotting calling bobwhites from within a grid cell. Accuracy was generally poor (x¯ = 75.0 m, SE = 10.9) regardless of where in the grid cell the calling...

Swamp Rabbit Distribution in Missouri

We determined the distribution of swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) and bottomland hardwood forests, potential swamp rabbit habitat, in Missouri during the 1991-92 winter. Presence of swamp rabbits was determined from information gathered from resource managers and by searching habitat for fecal pellets. Most potential swamp rabbit habitat in Missouri is located in the southeast, and we documented 45,218 ha of bottomland hardwood forest there by measuring tracts identified on aerial photos. The forest was highly fragmented in southeastern Missouri, especially on private land where 75% (...