Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Forty-four hatchery-raised rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were implanted with ultrasonic tags and stocked into Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee, and tracked at least once per week for eight weeks to describe post-stocking dispersal rates, movements, and habitat use. Dispersal followed a three-stage pattern characterized by rapid movement away from each stocking site during the first week, relatively little dispersal during the next three weeks, and further dispersion during the final four weeks that fish were tracked. Rainbow trout exhibited a strong affinity for coves and were rarely encountered in the main channel. Tagged fish stocked in March exhibited lower mortality (Zweekly = 0.027) than those stocked in January (Zweekly = 0.062) during the first eight weeks post-stocking. Diets of potential predators in Dale Hollow Lake were examined. Walleye (Sander vitreus), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), largemouth bass (M.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has developed fishery management plans for sharks that require delineation of nursery areas, monitoring of relative abundance of juveniles in these areas, and identification of habitat relationships between juvenile sharks and the nursery environment. Netting surveys conducted during 2008 and 2009 in the Altamaha River Estuary suggested that the estuary served as both a primary and secondary nursery for bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in 2008 and limited use as a secondary nursery in 2009. Variation in spatial distribution also suggested that bull sharks in the Altamaha River Estuary partitioned habitat based on size. This study represents the first documentation of a bull shark nursery in Georgia waters, but further monitoring is needed to determine the importance of this nursery and to identify factors influencing its use through time.

This case study examines the development of an overcrowded largemouth bass population following initial stocking in a tropical reservoir and efforts to correct crowding with a protected slot length limit. Cerrillos Reservoir is a relatively new impoundment (filled 1996) in Puerto Rico and is one of only two reservoirs that have been stocked exclusively with pure Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus). Largemouth bass were first stocked in Cerrillos Reservoir in 1997 and the population quickly expanded. Within three years, relative weight declined from above 100 to about 80 and the population displayed characteristics of overcrowding, with much of the population composed of fish ≤ 350 mm. This condition was most likely the result of limited harvest, as angling was not allowed during the first three years of the fishery. In 2000, the reservoir was opened to angling, but access remained limited and unpredictable.

Fish-habitat associations in streams have been widely studied; however, temporal considerations have been neglected, particularly during the winter. We quantitatively sampled perennial headwater streams in the Missouri Ozarks during the summer (n = 13) and winter (n = 4) to evaluate possible habitat shifts by three benthic fishes at two spatial scales: channel unit and microhabitat. Density of all three headwater species in streams was generally lower in winter than summer, with some species being ubiquitous in channel units of streams during the summer and almost entirely absent from the same streams during winter. Presence of each of three species during the summer varied by stream and channel unit, but patterns of channelunit use did not change depending on stream sampled. Ozark sculpin (Cottus hypselurus) was more likely to be present (> 50% probability) in riffles and runs, but not pools.

Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) were first detected in the Altamaha River, Georgia, during an access creel survey in 2005 and subsequently in 2006 during annual ictalurid sampling. Introduction of this species in the Altamaha River is believed to have occurred via escape from normal upstream reservoir releases from Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee. Relative abundance, as indexed by electrofishing catch rate (fish per hour), has increased from 2.9 ± 1.0 SE in 2006 to 38.8 ± 8.2 SE in 2011. The size of blue catfish captured ranged from 56 to 820 mm total length and 0.001 to 7.7 kg. Using otoliths obtained in 2010 (n = 214), age of fish ranged from 0 to 6 yrs, which indicated a relatively young population. The catch-curve analysis resulted in an instantaneous mortality rate (Z) of 0.75.

While the downstream effects of dams on fish habitat have long been recognized, broad-scale assessments of tailwater fish habitat have rarely been conducted. In this paper, I report on the status of tailwater fisheries in Oklahoma as determined through a web-based survey of fisheries biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation conducted in July 2010. Respondents addressed 38 tailwaters, encompassing all major areas of the state. The majority of fish species comprising these fisheries included blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), followed by white bass (Morone chrysops), channel catfish (I. punctatus) and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris). Most respondents indicated no or low concerns with fish habitat in tailwaters under their management supervision; only two tailwaters (Tenkiller Ferry and Fort Gibson) had the majority of concerns with fish habitat identified as high to moderately high.

No information existed on the recreational snag fishery for paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) in Cherokee Lake in eastern Tennessee, purportedly the largest such fishery in the state. Therefore, a roving creel survey was conducted during the 15-day season in March 2008, 2009, and 2010. The fishery could be characterized as a a destination fishery in that 448 anglers in 239 parties drove an average of 80 km one-way (± 2.43 SE; range: 2-352) to participate. Most (67%) anglers were Tennesseans, followed by residents of Virginia (26%) and three other states. Most (80%) anglers had fished previously for paddlefish; they averaged 6.8 (± 0.3 SE) years of paddlefish snagging experience. Annual fishing pressure ranged from 1,674 to 1,838 h each year. Pooled harvest rates were low in 2008 (0.088 fish/h) and declined further in 2009 and 2010 (0.020 and 0.021 fish/h, respectively). Thus, fewer paddlefish were harvested in 2009 (41-42) and 2010 (39-60) than in 2008 (169-237).

Brown trout (Salmo trutta) were first introduced as part of a put-and-take fishery in the Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam in the 1960s. Wild, young-of-year (YOY) brown trout were observed in the river in the 1990s and annually in subsequent years. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources implemented a stocking moratorium on brown trout between Buford Dam and Morgan Falls Dam beginning in 2005 and this study evaluated existing population monitoring data before and after implementation of the moratorium to better understand the potential of a completely wild brown trout fishery. Electrofishing catch per unit effort for adult brown trout did not decrease following the moratorium, YOY brown trout were observed in every year of the survey, and population size structure did not appear to shift. Brown trout were the most common trout species both before and after implementation of the moratorium.

Because of growing angler concern regarding excessive crappie (Pomoxis spp.) harvest in Poverty Point Reservoir, Louisiana, exploitation rate of white crappie (P. annularis) was estimated from 1 January to 31 May 2009, and data were collected on angler characteristics throughout the year at this relatively new reservoir. A reward-tag approach was utilized to assess exploitation, while angler characteristics were determined through a stratified, random, access-point creel survey. White crappie (n = 243) were tagged from January-March 2009 with Floy T-bar anchor tags labeled with REWARD and a sequential tag number. A total of 135 tagged crappie were harvested and reported by anglers by 31 May 2009. Exploitation was estimated at 59.3% based on the assumption of a 10% non-reporting rate and no tagging mortality, but could have exceeded 70% if mortality or non-reporting were higher than estimated.

More than 90,000 state-endangered lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) have been stocked into the French Broad River, Holston River, and Fort Loudoun Lake in the upper Tennessee River system. Although incidental reports of anglers catching these fish have increased, little is known about their fate after stocking. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate lake sturgeon dispersal throughout the system. Seven submersible ultrasonic receivers were deployed in the upper Tennessee River system and 37 juvenile fish (mean fork length = 660 mm) were surgically implanted with ultrasonic transmitters in the fall of 2007. These fish were stocked at two sites in the headwaters of Fort Loudoun Lake. The receivers logged 1,345 detections of tagged fish and manual tracking located 32 of the 37 tagged lake sturgeon over 21 months.

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) on the Arkansas River have been regulated by a 381-mm minimum-length limit (MLL) regulation since 1 January 1998; however, little evaluation of this regulation has been conducted. During 2004-2005 and 2010, largemouth bass populations were sampled from throughout all navigation pools in the Arkansas River. All bass were aged using sagittal otoliths, and population metrics were calculated to conduct simulation modeling using the Fisheries Analyses and Simulation Tools (FAST) software. Composite model parameters were developed using data from all 3 yrs of sampling. Model predictions of fishery yield, average size of harvested fish, and number of preferred-sized (≥381-mm TL) fish in the population were compared among the current MLL and three alternative limits: 430 mm (higher than the current MLL), 330 mm (lower than the current MLL), and 255 mm (representing no MLL).

In Georgia, where this study was conducted, the size of the fine a violator pays for a wildlife citation is dependent on the county and the specific court in which he or she is sentenced. A highly politicized court system and complex intergovernmental relationships have led to uneven enforcement of game and fish laws in the state. This lack of uniform enforcement reduces the deterrent effect of the work of conservation rangers. Data from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and interviews with stakeholders in the system confirm greatly enhanced power in local courts, where convictions and fines are often a matter of politics and personal opinion rather than law. Even the perpetrator's chances of getting caught are linked to the ability of the conservation ranger to effectively perform the work due to the politics that surround enforcement of hunting and fishing laws.

Wildlife management areas (WMAs) provide opportunity for both traditional hunting and fishing recreation as well as non-consumptive wildlife-related recreation. Although declining participation in traditional wildlife recreation is well documented, little information exists regarding non-traditional stakeholders who recreate on public hunting and fishing lands; non-consumptive use is perceived to be increasing. Our purpose was to characterize recreational users on WMAs owned by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) and estimate how much use these areas receive. We conducted >4,000 visitor interviews at 10 selected WMAs from September 2009 through August 2010. We obtained information about stakeholders' use (e.g., type of activity, frequency of visits) of the WMA, satisfaction, and opinions regarding common management practices and imposition of a WMA user fee. We developed overall use estimates, by activity, at each of the 10 WMAs.

The use of detection dogs in ecological research and management continues to grow. Two years ago, a collaborative effort was formed at Auburn University with the goal of training detection dogs for use in ecological research. Here we provide details about the projects for which we have used dogs, measures of success for those projects, and lessons learned. We have successfully used dogs in the field to find scat from black bear (Ursus americanus), bobcat (Lynx rufus), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and coyote (Canis latrans). We have also used dogs to locate live pythons (Python sp.) as well as root fungi (Leptographium sp. and Ophiostoma sp.) responsible for pine decline. Typically, sampling for scat using detection dogs has provided us with larger sample sizes than more traditional methods.

Despite a long history of research on northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhites), there has not been a comprehensive assessment of how bobwhite productivity varies across a landscape in relation to environmental factors such as weather. Due to concerns of global climate change and range-wide decline of the bobwhite, further understanding the relationship between weather and bobwhite population dynamics is needed. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) how do among-year bobwhite masses, age ratios, and sex ratios change at the landscape scale, 2) can fall age ratios be predicted by breeding season (April-August) precipitation at the south Texas landscape scale, 3) what is the impact of summer mean maximum temperature on fall age ratios? We based our investigation on data collected from 31 private ranches located on south Texas plains.

Rice fields are important agricultural habitats for waterbirds (waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds) worldwide. In the Texas Mid-Coast (TMC) and Louisiana Chenier Plain (LCP), >167,458 ha of rice are cultivated annually. Precise estimates of abundance of waste grain and natural seeds in harvested and idle rice fields are needed to guide conservation of waterbird habitat in this region, which is part of the Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Our objectives were to estimate and compare waste rice and moist-soil seed abundance among rice production systems, geographic regions, and time-periods relevant to waterfowl conservation planning, as well as to estimate waterbird density during autumn-winter on rice fields in the Gulf Coastal Prairies of Louisiana and Texas. We collected 2,000 soil cores from harvested and idle rice fields in the TMC and LCP during summer-fall 2010.

Habitat loss, habitat degradation, and agricultural intensification are primary factors contributing to the decline of many birds that use grasslands, including the endangered grasshopper sparrow and the northern bobwhite. Current grazing practices in the Mid-South focus on getting high yields from dense, monotypic stands of non-native forages, which provide no bare ground, little vertical structure, and poor plant species richness. Few studies have examined the vegetative response of native warm-season forages to various grazing systems with respect to bird habitat, and none have been conducted in the Mid-South. We measured vegetative, invertebrate, and animal performance response to two grazing strategies on three native warm-season grass forages at three Research and Education Centers across Tennessee, May-July 2010.

The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) was listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as Threatened in 1992. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cites loss of habitat as the primary cause of population decline, along with human-related mortality as a secondary cause. One of the delisting criteria in the Recovery Plan for the Louisiana black bear is that two of the three subpopulations must be viable, one in the Tensas River Basin and one of the two in the Atchafalaya River Basin. To determine population viability, accurate estimates of basic population parameters including abundance, growth rate, density, and apparent survival are necessary. My study will assess the status of the subpopulation located in the Upper Atchafalaya River Basin based on non-invasive DNA mark-recapture techniques. Hair samples were collected beginning in summer 2006, and I will continue to collect data annually through 2011 using barbed-wire sampling sites.

Common mid-rotation forest management practices in intensively-managed pine (Pinus spp.) stands include thinning, fertilization, herbicide use, and prescribed burning. However, greater herbicide use and less prescribed fire have generated questions regarding treatment effects on biological diversity within these systems. Therefore, we determined biodiversity response (songbirds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians, carabid beetles, understory vegetation) to factorial combinations of dormant season prescribed fire and imazapyr herbicide in thinned and fertilized, mid-rotation intensively managed pine stands in Kemper County, Mississippi. We used a randomized complete block design with six pine stands (blocks) divided into four 10-ha experimental units to which we applied randomly one of four treatments (burn only, herbicide only, burn + herbicide, control).

Many studies have reported that imported fire ants can have negative impacts to property, wildlife, and ecosystem integrity. Depredation by fire ants can reduce native insect diversity and survival of hatchling birds and reptiles, including gopher tortoises. Because of the potential impacts of fire ants on gopher tortoise recruitment, we assessed infestation levels of red imported fire ants on public and private forest lands in south Mississippi. Our study design focused on surveys for estimation of densities of fire ant mounds on suitable and priority soils for gopher tortoises. We surveyed 16 land bases and five forest cover types during summer 2010. Forest cover types included in our study were planted longleaf and loblolly pine ≤5 years of age, planted longleaf pine >5 to ≤15 years of age, longleaf and loblolly pine forests >15 years of age, and mixed pine hardwood forests >15 years of age.

In some regions used by nonbreeding waterfowl, conservation planners assume that food may be a limiting factor for waterfowl populations, and carrying capacity estimates are based on food availability. Conservation planners require precise estimates of parameters used in carrying capacity models, including characterizations of waterfowl diets, temporal trends in food availability in response to management actions, and estimation of a food availability threshold (FAT; i.e., food density when foraging becomes unprofitable because energy expended during or risk of continued searching exceed potential benefits gained from obtaining foods). We experimentally estimated FAT and identified factors that likely affect foraging thresholds and food depletion in moist-soil wetlands.

Conservation easements provide an important tool for agencies and organizations to protect environmentally sensitive areas and improve environmental quality. The Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (i.e., Farm Bill) established the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) with goals to “protect, restore, and enhance the functions and values of wetland ecosystems.” Since 1990, WRP objectives have expanded to include 1) provision of habitat for migratory birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife, 2) protection and improvement of water quality, and 3) floodwater attenuation and groundwater recharge. Currently, WRP includes approximately 1.9 million acres of permanent easements and 0.4 million acres of longterm contracts that protect wetlands and associated upland habitats, making WRP the largest USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) easement program.

In recent decades, coyote have greatly expanded their range and numbers in the eastern United States. Increasing populations of coyotes can affect ecological communities directly by predation or through competition with other carnivores, making their impact a potentially significant one that must be understood for effective management. Identifying and quantifying items in coyote diets is an important part of understanding the role of coyotes in newly inhabited ecosystems, such as the Central Appalachian region. Our objective was to determine the diets of coyotes in West Virginia. We examined stomachs (n = 326) and scat (n = 693) from throughout West Virginia from November 2009 to May 2011. Preliminary findings indicated that deer, at 61%, was the most commonly occurring item in samples followed by plant material (39%), small mammals (19%), and fruit and seeds (16%).

Harvest vulnerability is an important consideration for the proper management of a black bear population. To assess harvest vulnerability, we must first understand black bear and bear hunter spatial characteristics. Global positioning system (GPS) technology allows us to record this information with more accuracy and efficiency than previous methods used by researchers. We used GPS and a geographic information system (GIS) to examine the spatial characteristics of bears and bear hunters in Garrett County, Maryland during the 2005-2007 bear hunting seasons. We fitted 94 hunters and 8 female bears with GPS transmitters during the three hunting seasons. We examined data from these transmitters using GIS to compare the following variables for bears and hunters: distance to roads, distance to streams, elevation, habitat type, and slope. We also calculated total distance traveled and maximum distance traveled from starting points for hunters.

Although fire is recognized as an important disturbance in longleaf pine uplands of the southeastern United States, less is known about the importance of fire or other disturbances in the wetlands embedded in this system. Reticulated flatwoods salamanders (Ambystoma bishopi), a federally endangered species, breed in the grassy understory of ephemeral pine flatwoods wetlands. These areas contain water in the winter, but are dry by April or May in most years, making it possible for them to burn during the summer lightning season. Years of fire suppression allowed a dense mid-story of shrubs to develop in these wetlands, and the disappearance of a grassy understory not only removed a component of larval salamander habitat, but removed the fine fuels important for carrying a fire through the dry wetland in summer. Prescribed burns applied in winter rarely burn through ponds because of the presence of standing water at this time of year.

The American black duck (Anas rubripes) has been declining throughout its range since the 1950s, especially in the Mississippi Flyway. Loss of quality wintering habitat and competition and hybridization with mallards (A. platyrhynchos) have been suggested as factors contributing to black duck decline. Tennessee and Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) are two primary wintering areas for midcontinent black ducks recording long-term population declines. To better understand habitat selection and habitat-related survival of black ducks at Tennessee NWR (TNWR), we radio marked 64 female black ducks with harness-type, VHF transmitters on the Duck River Unit (DRU) of TNWR in winter 2010-2011. From December-March 2010-2011, we located radio marked ducks 1345 times on the DRU: moist soil (44.7%), open water (33.5%), forested/scrub-shrub (14.0%), agriculture (6.5%), and other (1.2%) habitats.

Hatchery-tagged rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss, n = 3,867) were stocked from March to November 2009 in the Toccoa River tailwater, Georgia. Data from electrofishing and angler recaptures were used to assess mortality, growth, condition, and dispersal of stocked rainbow trout. Total annual mortality (A) as calculated using catch-curve regression was high (A = 96.7%). Annual angler catch rate was moderate (34.1%), but release rate was high (62.8%). As a result, angler harvest was only 12.7%. Growth of stocked trout was slow in terms of both length (5.0 mm/mo) and weight (4.6 g/mo), and stocked trout remained close to their stocking site. Body condition declined significantly between stocking and recapture. Slow growth and poor condition of stocked trout suggest that the Toccoa tail water's trout community is at or above carrying capacity. The apparent high density of stocked trout likely contributes to low survival over the first year post-stocking.

Lewis Smith Lake is an 8,853-ha recreational fishery within the Black Warrior River basin near Jasper, Alabama. A recent study found that striped bass Morone saxatilis do not significantly impact largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and Alabama bass M. henshalli through competition and predation, though many anglers still believe this to be true. Costs incurred by the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries annual striped bass stocking efforts on Lewis Smith Lake are compared with the regional economic gain from the existence of this fishery. The objectives of this study were to: 1) estimate total fishing effort and trip expenditures by target species; 2) estimate distribution of striped bass expenditures and tax revenue into local communities; and 3) understand the socioeconomic characteristics of striped bass anglers. Effort was estimated at 233,756.31 hours for all species.

In 2001, a cooperative effort was begun to restore native fish populations to the Pigeon River, once so polluted that all mollusks and many fish species were extirpated. Volunteers from federal and state agencies, industry, and private organizations created the Pigeon River Recovery Project to begin re-introduction of fish and other aquatic species. Early successes in Tennessee led to the expansion of the project into western North Carolina. More than 29,000 individuals representing 20 species of fish and 220,000 snails (six species) collected from the French Broad basin and the upper reaches of the Pigeon River have been re-introduced into the Pigeon River at selected sites in the two states. The first three candidates were the gilt, bluebreast and blueside darters, followed by the stripetail darter in 2003. Reproduction was first documented in gilt darters in 2003.

Historically, many Kentucky rivers had native walleye populations with fish that grew to impressive sizes and supported popular sport fisheries. Due in part to reservoir constructions and a variety of other factors, these populations gradually declined. By the 1970s, the huge spring walleye runs in these rivers had disappeared, so the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) began stocking walleye from northern origins in some of these same rivers and the new reservoirs. In 1995, after learning of anglers still catching large walleye in the Rockcastle River, KDFWR biologists collected eight walleye from this Cumberland River drainage tributary. The fish were later confirmed as a different genetic strain than walleye that had been stocked by the KDFWR around the state. The fish from this population would thus serve as broodstock for a native walleye restoration program in the state.

The importance of floodplain habitats to biotic communities has long been acknowledged. Many large river systems, however, are heavily regulated by dams that alter natural flood pulses and restrict large volumes of water from entering floodplains. We were interested in determining how alterations in flow regime may affect communities of fishes and invertebrates in floodplains along the Savannah River. To do so, we monitored floodplain fish and invertebrate community responses across three flow regimes: 1.) unregulated pulses (in the adjacent and free-flowing Altamaha River); 2.) controlled, released pulses in the Savannah from 2005-2006, and; 3.) the lack of released flood pulses in the Savannah from 2007-2009. We hypothesized that fish and invertebrate communities of the non-pulsed Savannah floodplains would be distinct from communities within the Altamaha floodplains, and that the pulsed Savannah floodplains would host intermediate communities.

Adaptive management is a form of structured decision-making designed to guide management of natural resource systems when their behaviors are uncertain. The basic elements of adaptive management include a setting in which a recurring decision is to be made, a stated objective of management, a set of predictive models that represent competing hypotheses about system behavior, and a program of monitoring to repeatedly assess relative credibility of the models. Thus, management itself is used to inform future management and to consequently improve conservation delivery through time. Where decision-making can be replicated across units of a landscape, learning can be accelerated, and biological processes can be understood in a larger spatial context. Cooperative conservation endeavors, where multiple partners collaborate to develop the decision making design and execute the elements, can be ideal vehicles for implementing such strategies.

The problem we addressed was how to design a national policy that provides for effective management of Double-crested Cormorant (DCCO) populations within the United States. Primary management objectives surrounding DCCOs are at times in conflict and include protecting DCCO populations as required under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act while resolving DCCO conflicts with impacts to private property, the aquaculture industry, and natural resources. Ultimately, the USFWS will decide on a national management strategy by 30 June 2014, at which time existing regulations expire. We developed a framework to characterize decisions at the national scale, with explicit consideration of the process by which such decisions are linked hierarchically to those made at other scales. We identified a list of fundamental objectives, the potential means for achieving each objective, and attributes with which to measure progress.

In recent years, Florida's pine flatwoods, which provide habitat for numerous Lepidopteran species (butterflies and moths), have exhibited considerable declines in quantity and quality. These declines are primarily attributed to changes in historic fire regimes which have resulted in excessive shrub growth and loss of herbaceous vegetation. Prescribed burning and roller chopping are being promoted as a means to improve these areas of degraded pine flatwoods. However, impacts of these practices on pine flatwoods-associated Lepidopterans, many of which are important herbivores and pollinators, are largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to 1) compare diurnal Lepidopteran species richness and abundance on treated (management activities such as prescribed burning implemented) and untreated (no management activities implemented) pine flatwoods sites and 2) compare species richness and abundance of nectar-producing forbs and shrubs on treated and untreated sites.

Longleaf pine forests have declined precipitously throughout the southeastern United States, partially because of reductions in prescribed burning. Populations of species associated with longleaf forests, such as Bachman's sparrow (Aimophila aestivalis), also have declined at alarming rates. Efforts to restore longleaf systems are ongoing throughout the region, and involve varying fire-return intervals. We assessed whether Bachman's sparrow detection probabilities and site occupancy were associated with differences in microhabitat caused by variations in fire regimes. The fire regimes we assessed were conducted within stands that averaged 3.5 ha. Our occupancy models suggested that the most suitable habitat for Bachman's sparrows in longleaf pine stands included a monoculture of longleaf pine overstory with limited intrusion of hardwood species and greater herbaceous layers for nesting cover.

The two most common methods for determining home ranges, minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel analyses, can be affected by sampling intensity. Despite prior research, it remains unclear how high-intensity sampling regimes affect home range estimations. We used datasets from 14 GPS-collared, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to describe the size and location accuracy of home range estimates calculated from different sampling regimes. We compared monthly home range estimates from seven sub-samples (480, 360, 180, 90, 60, 30, and 15 locations) to the home range estimates of the complete datasets (720 locations). Minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range size estimates calculated from datasets with > 180 locations were not statistically different. Areas calculated with 60-90 locations may underestimate MCP size by 50% or more. As demonstrated in past studies, we found that kernel home range analyses accurately estimated home range size for all sampling regimes.

Georgia's Bobwhite Quail Initiative (BQI) has been a proactive effort to restore, improve and maintain habitat for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) on private lands across 15 counties of Georgia's Upper Coastal Plain. Secondary objectives included improving habitat for certain songbirds and improved bobwhite hunting and wildlife viewing. Funding was provided through state appropriations, the sale of BQI vehicle license plates (tags) and matching grants. Landowners received over US$1.7 million of financial incentives, and technical assistance was provided to 1646 landowners on 264,395 ha. Incentive cost was $78.90/ha directly managed and $31.88/ha impacted. Research, monitoring, and incidental observations showed positive response of bobwhites and songbirds to BQI practices at the farm scale.

We captured 60 wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hens from 1998-2001 on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina to assess nesting success, identify characteristics of successful and unsuccessful nests, and determine survival rates and mortality factors of hens. Hen nesting success varied greatly among years, ranging from 0-80% and was strongly correlated (r = 0.998) with the number of poults per hen observed during brood surveys. Woody stem densities (F30 = 5.1; P = 0.03) and nest concealment (F30 = 4.69; P = 0.04) both were greater at successful than at unsuccessful nest sites. The mean annual survival rate for hens on SRS was 0.74 ± (0.02), and bobcats (Lynx rufus) were the primary predator of marked hens. The dynamics of the long-established, unhunted population at SRS were apparently similar to those of recently established or hunted populations elsewhere.

Graduates from fisheries and wildlife programs in the Southeast need to know what qualifications are necessary to successfully attain entrylevel biologist positions with state agencies, and state agencies and university programs share a responsibility for preparing students for these positions. Despite much literature devoted to the discussion of what should be included in academic curricula, little work has been done to identify how agencies are communicating with students and what types of experiences will best prepare potential applicants for employment with these agencies. We used Internet survey responses from professionals in 15 member agencies of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) to determine their recruiting and hiring processes.

The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population on Bald Head Island has increased, threatening a unique maritime forest in southeastern North Carolina. Bald Head Island is ~620 ha and is characterized by live oak (Quercus virginiana) maritime forest, dunes, tidal marsh, and urban development. Preservation of maritime forest is important for barrier island conservation. Maritime forests are important coastal habitats that are under significant threat from development, and in the absence of reproductive controls, white-tailed deer can negatively impact ecosystems through over-browsing. Therefore, our objectives were to determine emigration, home range, cover type use and selection, and population density of whitetailed deer on Bald Head Island to provide baseline information which could impact deer management decisions.

Capture and relocation is commonly used to reintroduce Rio Grande wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia). However, isotonic muscle contraction during the capture and restraint process reduces blood flow to muscles and may induce the stress related disease, capture myopathy. The goal of this study was to determine if intramuscular injections of vitamin E and selenium could be an effective treatment for capture myopathy. Survival rates and enzyme levels did not differ between the control and treatment group. Results suggest that vitamin E and selenium injections do not significantly improve survival of wild turkeys when trapped and relocated under conditions experienced in this study. Factors such as handling time relative to rate of enzyme secretion, trapping techniques employed, and possible nutrient deficiencies may have influenced the results of this study.

Limited information is available regarding wildlife responses to hurricane-related disturbances. We monitored white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) by spotlight counts on NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) during fall-winter periods from 2002-2004 before Hurricane Katrina's landfall and from 2006-2008 post-hurricane to index changes in relative population size. Comparisons of survey results during pre- and post-hurricane periods indicated that deer numbers were stable in years following hurricane landfall. Average number of deer recorded during spotlight counts was 26.7 deer/night pre-hurricane (31 survey nights) and 47.2 deer/night post-hurricane (20 survey nights), and average number of young-of-year/night (YOY) increased from 2.8 pre-hurricane to 14.7 post-hurricane. Herd health evaluations by Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks on SSC revealed increased body weights and kidney fat levels for adult females following Hurricane Katrina.

Nest predation can limit avian recruitment and may be a proximate source of population declines in many avian populations. Because nest predation may be affected by availability of alternative foods and nest density, we used artificial nests and track counts to evaluate effects of supplemental food and nest density on nest success of artificial ground nests. Nest success was lower at 7 of 9 nest density classes when a supplemental food source was present. In the absence of supplemental food, nest success was inversely related to nest density, but when supplemental food was present, there was no relationship between nest density and nest success. Increased predation rates associated with supplemental food and a lack of a nest density effect suggested that impacts of nest density on nest success were minimized by the supplemental food. Moreover, supplemental food affected nest success for ≥255 m, the maximum distance a nest was placed from a feeder.

In the southeastern United States, ongoing urbanization and associated environmental perturbations, such as water quality degradation, potentially affect foraging habitat of the federally endangered gray myotis (Myotis grisescens). Conserving foraging areas of gray myotis is critical to this species' recovery, especially as white nose syndrome (Geomyces destructans) recently has been documented in this species. From 2000 to 2001, we used acoustic monitoring and spatial models to determine foraging areas of gray myotis near four bachelor/maternity colonies in northwestern Georgia. We detected gray myotis at 34 of 213 sites over 5,100 km2 surveyed. Gray myotis foraged along major riparian corridors near their roost caves, and our landscape model included these streams and nearby tributaries up to a minimum third-order stream. The landscape model contained 82% of sites where gray myotis were detected and only 14% (1,235 km) of waterways in northwestern Georgia.

Hunting leases for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) occur across the United States and provide revenue to many landowners, including private forest industry. Hunting quality and revenue could potentially be enhanced through “cooperatives” and adherence to Quality Deer Management (QDM) principles. Formation of hunting club cooperatives (HCC), where adjoining hunting clubs collectively manage the deer herd, may also increase QDM program success and increase stakeholder interaction. We surveyed Mississippi hunters who leased land from Weyerhaeuser Company in 2009 to determine their attitudes and perceptions relative to QDM and an established HCC program, perceptions toward Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), opinions on adjusting lease fees according to habitat quality, and to examine marketability of the HCC concept.

Because numerous cave-roosting bat species are experiencing population declines, especially those affected by the white-nose syndrome epizootic, it is essential to establish rigorous monitoring protocols to accurately track population trends over time. We tested the efficacy of low-cost visual counts to effectively monitor population trends of southeastern myotis (Myotis austroriparius) at a maternity-roost in southwestern Georgia. We conducted visual counts during evening emergence events using white light illumination. Visual counts were made during a 1-minute period out of every 5-minute interval throughout the entire emergence duration on three consecutive nights during late-June and early-July 2008 and 2009. We simultaneously recorded emergences using a night-vision video camera to allow direct comparison of visual counts with actual bat emergence numbers.

Agricultural seed left in harvested fields is an important source of energy for migrating and wintering waterfowl. However, rates of seed loss from germination, decomposition or depredation have not been quantified for corn, soybean, or grain sorghum. Because seed loss rates directly influence habitat quality and management recommendations for waterfowl and other wildlife, we estimated rates of germination, decomposition, and depredation for scattered seed and aggregate seed heads in 98 harvested corn, soybean and grain sorghum study plots across Tennessee from September - January 2006-07 and 2007-08. Total seed loss in plots between harvest and January was more than 80%. Scattered corn seed was lost primarily (37%-68%) to depredation, whereas soybean and grain sorghum seed were lost mostly (≥35%) to decomposition. Rates of germination generally decreased and decomposition rates increased from October through January for scattered corn and grain sorghum.

Given the economic importance of fishing and hunting and the pervasive declines in these activities, it is essential that natural resource planners and managers understand factors influencing angler and hunter spending. We conducted a mail survey of a random sample (n = 844) of North Carolina fishing and hunting license holders. On average, anglers spent US$964 and hunters spent $1,437 annually. The model that best explained annual angler expenditures included gender, age, number of days spent fishing annually, total value of their equipment, income, whether someone in their household had lost a job due to the economy, and importance of fishing to the respondent.

Natural resource managers faced with resolving beaver damage may make decisions based on classic literature suggesting that beavers (Castor canadensis) are monogamous breeders that live in colonies composed of a breeding pair of adults, their offspring, and occasionally the offspring from the previous year; and that beavers typically breed during the winter months and bear their offspring in the spring. We analyzed colony composition at 89 damage sites in seven southeastern states and found deviations from these classic studies. Colony size ranged from 2 to 18 individuals (χ = 5.66, SE = 0.36). Eleven colonies contained one male and one female only, yet only five of those were breeding pairs. Colonies contained from 1 to 11 males, whereas the number of females among colonies ranged from 0 to 8. Mean age of beaver within a colony across all states was 3 years (SE = 0.2); age ranged from 1 to 20 years; but 30% of all individuals comprised the 1-year age class.