Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Our study attached a monetary value to marine resources associated with fishing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In 2001, we conducted on-site surveys (N = 475) to collect expenditures of marine onshore anglers and marine fishing tournament participants in the Mississippi Gulf Coast three-county region. We then determined the extent and economic impacts of these activities and integrated marine onshore angler economic impacts and attendances into a Geographic Information System (GIS) for the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our survey response rate was 86%. Total sales impacts generated from fishing-related expenditures totaled approximately $2.6 million in the three-county Mississippi Gulf Coast region and $2.9 million statewide. We also determined whether onshore fishing locations attendances were affected by their proximity to a casino.

This paper demonstrates the applicability of human dimensions research to the development of programmatic priorities and strategies for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Freshwater Fisheries (FWF) Section. Responsive Management (RM), a Virginia-based research firm specializing in public attitudes toward natural resources, conducted telephone surveys in 1998, 2002, and 2004 of South Carolina residents and licensed anglers to examine their attitudes and opinions toward fishing, fisheries management, aquatic resources, and various programs of the SCDNR. Survey results showed that South Carolina residents valued the State's aquatic resources and wanted more emphasis and education on aquatic resource programs rather than fishing-specific programs. Furthermore, research revealed public support for a shift from the FWF?Section's primary mission of sport fishery management to a more broad-based aquatic resources program.

We evaluated voluntarily completed catch cards as an alternative to access point surveys at intensively managed state-owned fishing lakes in Mississippi. Catch cards, with signs encouraging participation and completion, were conspicuously available to anglers. Five percent of anglers voluntarily completed catch cards; response rate increased to 13% when agency personnel verbally requested participation in the catch card program from those anglers they encountered on-site. Anglers who voluntarily obtained and completed cards (respondents) were older, fished more often, and caught more fish on the day they completed the catch card than non-respondent anglers. Fish harvest reported on the catch cards did not differ from observed harvest. However, considering the response bias and low precision of estimates resulting from low response, voluntarily completed catch cards are not a viable substitute for creel surveys at Mississippi State lakes.

Urban fishing programs in Arkansas rely primarily on put-take stockings of channel catfish and rainbow trout. We evaluated hybrid striped bass as a potential addition to urban fisheries by stocking this fish at densities of 95 and 96 fish/ha in two urban fishing ponds. Angler surveys were conducted three times daily for five weeks following stocking to determine angler demographics, fishing success, and attitudes/preferences. We surveyed 320 anglers comprised primarily of local urban residents. They exerted 686 hours of fishing effort, catching 574 fish, including sunfish (38%), channel catfish (30%), and hybrid striped bass (22%). Of the anglers who caught hybrid striped bass, over 90% said that it added to their fishing experience and they were more likely to return to the lake to fish. Of all anglers surveyed, 90% said that the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission should begin stocking hybrid striped bass as part of urban fisheries management.

The Canoochee River originates in the Southern Coastal Plain of Georgia and flows through the Coastal Flatwoods to terminate at the Ogeechee River. The Canoochee Drainage is the largest tributary of the Ogeechee River and is a fifth-order woodland stream. Investigators surveyed 83 sites for freshwater bivalve presence, noting species and counting individuals. We analyzed water chemistry parameters including nitrate nitrogen, total inorganic nitrogen, total dissolved phosphate, and total dissolved copper. Multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis indicated mussel densities and catch per unit of effort to be positively correlated with nitrate nitrogen concentrations and pH even though mussel densities are low on the Canoochee River Drainage. We found highest densities of mussels in the Canoochee River as well as in Wolfe Creek.

The Okefenokee Swamp is the largest freshwater wetland in the United States; however, population dynamics of the fish assemblage within the swamp are poorly understood. Fish surveys from 1992-2001 indicate that two species, bowfin (Amia calva) and flier (Centrarchus macropterus), are the numerically dominant taxa of the eastern portion of the swamp, representing over 88% of all fishes collected. Results indicated that the fish assemblage was persistent and stable in terms of constancy of dominant species presence and their abundances. The four most abundant species, bowfin, flier, chain pickerel (Esox niger), and warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), had high relative conditions in all years. When combined with high catch-per-unit-effort and angler-preferable sizes, these results suggest that the eastern swamp has the potential to support an excellent flier and bowfin fishery, as well as a lesser fishery for chain pickerel and warmouth.

Fish communities were sampled from macrotopographical features found in created wetlands of different ages (termed young, old, and reference) designed by the Wetland Reserve Program in three counties in east-central Arkansas. Wetlands were sampled from March-June 2003 using mini modified-fyke nets and experimental gill nets in pool and ditch habitats. A total of 8,952 fishes representing 49 species was collected. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant differences in fish diversity or evenness between different-aged wetlands in pool habitats; a significant pattern of greater fish species richness in pools associated with reference wetlands occurred relative to young and old created wetlands. In ditch habitats, fish diversity and evenness tended to increase significantly through time in reference wetlands compared to created wetlands, whether young or old, though overall means were not significantly different among the three different-aged wetlands.

From April 1999 through February 2000, we electrofished fixed transects in two freshwater tidal wetlands of the Cooper River, South Carolina, to examine how spatial and temporal variation in these habitats influenced fish community composition. The Dean Hall site consisted of a collection of tidal creeks with intertidal, emergent vegetation and large fluctuations in submersed habitat due to tide. The Bonneau Ferry site was lacustrine, dominated by submergent vegetation, and fluctuated very little with the tide. We found 34 total species. Most were a species of Centrarchidae (41%) or an estuarine migrant (27%). Abundance and species richness varied among months, with a peak in April and June. Differences in fish community structures were noted between wetlands with Dean Hall generally containing a more specious, but variable, community whereas Bonneau Ferry contained a more stable fish community with slightly fewer species.

In 2004, the Southeastern Cooperative Fish Disease Project completed 40 years of research, education, and disease diagnosis in support of the fisheries management goals of the members of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA). This project has been possible because of the cooperation of biologists and support from the Southeastern states. Major areas of research included parasites of warmwater sport fish, bacterial and viral diseases of fish, and environmental effects on fish health. These research topics arose from problems identified because of the disease diagnostic activities of this cooperative project. Continuing education courses provided basic instruction about fish diseases and also transferred new research information to biologists in the SEAFWA states. In addition, the training of fish disease specialists increased the availability of personnel to assist SEAFWA members.

Several diseases of fish present challenges to both fishery managers and aquaculturists in the Southeast. Emerging diseases along with a suite of known and persistent diseases can present management challenges for native species and biodiversity, can cause loss of recreational fishing opportunities, and can affect local economies or reduce profitability in commercial aquaculture. Emerging diseases such as mycobacteriosis in striped bass, epizootic ulcerative syndrome in menhaden, and spring viremia of carp present some new challenges to fishery managers. Likewise, recurring epizootics resulting from such etiologic agents as Streptococcus and Vibrio in estuarine fishes or Aeromonas and Edwardsiella in freshwater fishes have challenged managers for decades. Pathogens including Photobacterium damselae piscicida and several of the Mycobacterium species may represent health risks to managers, anglers, or fish culturists.

Cages as tools for in situ bioassays have a proven track record in monitoring the effects of effluent and sediment toxicity. Application to biomonitoring, however, has received comparably little attention. With the increasing threat of harmful algal blooms to both humans and aquatic organisms, their use as sentinels for early warning and for the examination of organism response in situ is evident. During efforts to monitor and describe the response of juvenile menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) to the reportedly toxic dinoflagellates of the genus Pfiesteria, we devised a simple, inexpensive cage for the conduct of in situ bioassays. This design, in combination with fish husbandry and transport techniques specific for menhaden, allows for rapid, inexpensive deployment of cages in at least a 4-h radius of the holding facility with an acceptable level of mortality and minimal caging effects.

The anesthetic properties of clove oil and tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) were tested in a laboratory setting on the southern redbelly dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster), a small cyprinid common to upland streams of the Mississippi River basin. We used southern redbelly dace as a surrogate species to indicate the lowest, most effective anesthetic level for our work with the closely related blackside dace (Phoxinus cumberlandensis), a federally protected species. Concentrations of 20, 40, and 60 mg L-1 clove oil and 20, 40, and 60 mg L-1 MS-222 were used to anesthetize southern redbelly dace at water temperatures of 11, 17, and 21 C, representing a natural range of temperatures encountered in research streams from spring through autumn. For clove oil, induction rates were dependent on dose, temperature, and the interaction between these two variables. Recovery rates, on the other hand, were dependent only on temperature (quicker recovery at warmer temperatures).

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are ecological generalists that use a variety of landscape and habitat types. Although space and habitat use are well understood for raccoons throughout the southeastern United States, relationships between space use and landscape characteristics are not. We examined relationships between space use and landscape characteristics for 95 radio-marked raccoons monitored during 1996-1997 on two adjacent forested landscapes that differed in forest management strategies. We noted relationships between space use and patch richness, proportion and size of riparian habitats on the landscape, and size of patches providing soft mast resources. Raccoons within an intensively-managed forest maintained spaces with reduced patch richness and less of the landscape in riparian habitats, likely attributable to forest management strategies that optimize wood fiber production.

An understanding of spatial and temporal dynamics of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations is essential in setting management goals. In central Texas, raccoon (Procyon lotor) populations have increased in recent years, causing concern that they may be limiting Rio Grande wild turkey (M. g. intermedia) production. We used two long-term data sets in central Texas to explore the relationship between raccoon abundance and Rio Grande wild turkey production at the regional, county, and local scale. We found no evidence that natural variation in raccoon abundance was associated with Rio Grande wild turkey production. Although further research is warranted, we suggest that raccoons may influence broad-scale Rio Grande wild turkey production in central Texas less than expected.

Annual recruitment of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) should be closely monitored to regulate fall turkey seasons and reduce risk of over-harvest. However, previous studies have not encompassed the spatial or temporal scales needed to produce models that can consistently predict recruitment over a large region. Our objective was to assess the ability of using long-term data sets of sex-age ratios, oak (Quercus spp.) mast, and weather variables to forecast annual wild turkey recruitment in western Virginia. We conducted a thorough literature search on factors believed to be limiting reproduction and developed a series of 14 a priori models and 1 a posteriori model to predict recruitment.

Cost-effectiveness of various planting options is an important consideration in selecting planting strategies for mourning dove (Zenaida macroura, hereafter ‘dove') fields. We documented costs and seed yields of three cultivated and three wild dove foods, and tested effects of fertilization rate, row-spacing, and seeding rate on seed yield of highly-preferred dove foods. Browntop millet generally had the greatest seed yield and lowest cost/kg of seed produced. Broadleaf signalgrass (Brachiaria platyphylla) generally was the second highest-yielding species, but high seed cost limited cost/kg of seed produced for wild species. White proso millet, dove proso millet, and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) produced little seed and had low cost-efficiency. Fertilization rate did not affect seed yield of the species we tested. Effects of row spacing and seeding rate on yield of browntop millet and dove proso millet varied between study sites.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has used auditory call counts annually since 1949 to monitor white-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica) populations in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Recently, white-winged doves have been expanding their distribution, and now the largest populations occur in urban areas north of their historic south Texas range. It has become necessary to develop an urban survey method to better monitor these populations. We compared two call count sampling methods for surveying white-winged doves in urban environments (i.e., transects vs. grid-points in Austin during 1999-2002 and San Antonio during 2001-2002). We also determined the percent annual population change we were able to detect for each year with the current sample size using the grid-point survey method. Estimates of white-winged dove breeding density were higher using the transect method compared to the grid method each year.

Managers and biologists have long relied on relatively inexpensive and easily collected data from hunter-harvested deer to provide information for making harvest management decisions. We sought to better understand the influence of time lags and population segment (i.e., total adult and total herd density) on the density-physical parameter relationship. Nine long-term harvest data sets (15-31 years duration, median = 26 years) were acquired from populations located across the Southeastern United States which spanned several physiographic provinces and a wide range of densities (1-32 deer/km2). Population densities were derived from a combination of Downing and Wisconsin reconstructions. These densities were correlated to commonly used physical parameters in the current year and with one- and two-year lags. Time lags proved to be useful in identifying the relationship between physical parameters and density for both the total and adult segments of the herd.

To assess how white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd demographics influence reproductive behaviors, we examined 24-h diel movements of female white-tailed deer relative to parturition and breeding in a low-density population with a near even sex ratio at the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina. We conducted a series of intensive, 24-h radio-tracking periods of 13 females during spring and fall 2002. We compared daily range (ha), rate of travel (m/h), and distance between extreme daily locations (m), among the periods of pre-parturition and post-parturition and pre-, peak-, and post-rut. From pre-parturition to post-parturition, we observed decreases in diel range size (-38.2%), distance between extreme diel locations (-17.0%), and diel rate of travel (-18.2%). Diel range size, distance between extreme diel locations, and diel rate of travel during the pre-rut and rut exceeded those observed during post-rut.

Long-term declines in American woodcock (Scolopax minor) populations may be partially the result of low survival rates on wintering grounds especially in nocturnal habitats. We compared microhabitat characteristics of woodcock nocturnal roost sites to random sites in eastern Texas. We located woodcock roost points by nightlighting in winters of 2000-01 (45 points) and 2001-02 (74 points). Percentage bare soil, sapling-size tree canopy cover above 0.5 m, and sapling density were greater at roost than random sites. Conversely, shrub ground cover (i.e., below 0.5 m) was lower at roost than random sites. Woodcock roosted in mowed areas, unmowed bunchgrass, under saplings treated with herbicides the previous summer, and in areas where carpetgrass had been burned the previous winter. They did not roost in unburned carpetgrass.

We evaluated short-term effects of prescribed burning of clearcuts on potential ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) brood habitat in oak-hickory forests in western Virginia. We divided six <1-year-old clearcuts into two portions and designated one portion for prescribed burning during late fall or winter. Because of dry conditions, only four treatment areas were burned. We monitored habitat conditions on burned and unburned portions of clearcuts during the growing season preceding treatment and during the two subsequent growing seasons. Excessive coarse woody debris (CWD) can hinder movements of grouse chicks and inhibit growth of plant foods; prescribed burning reduced density of small-diameter CWD approximately 50%. Numbers of some early successional plants were greater on burned than control sites by the second growing season post-treatment, whereas some species associated with shaded sites, including red maple (Acer rubrum), declined after burning.

Hatching success of crocodilian eggs can be influenced by the age of the embryo at time of collection. We conducted an experiment to determine the amount of care necessary during egg collection to optimize embryo survival when alligators eggs at different stages of development were subjected to simulated field conditions of choppy vs. smooth water and cushioned vs. non-cushioned support. We also compared hatching success of rolled vs. non-rolled eggs at different stages of development. We found that transporting eggs in choppy water reduced hatch rates in the absence of cushioning (P < 0.001) and cushioning improved the likelihood of eggs hatching (P = 0.071). The hatch rate probability of eggs with 7-8 days of embryonic development was less than those of 12-14 or 17-18 days (P < 0.010). Rolling did not significantly affect the probability of eggs hatching (P > 0.89) for the ages 13-24 days. This study indicated that precautionary measures can reduce egg mortality.

Avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM), a disease of unknown etiology, was first diagnosed in 1994 (Thomas et al. 1998) as the cause of morbidity and death of American coots (Fulica americana) and bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the southeastern United States. The disease, now confirmed on 10 lakes in four southeastern states, also has been found in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris), bufflehead (Bucephala albeola),one great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), and a killdeer (Charadrius vociferous). Histological examination of the central nervous system (CNS) shows a striking diffuse, spongy degeneration of the white matter, especially in the optic tectum and cerebellum. However, assessments of epidemiology, histopathology, and environmental chemistry/toxicology have failed to determine the cause.

We conducted a survey of nonindustrial private (NIP) landowners in Mississippi during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 hunting seasons to determine revenues collected and expenditures incurred for fee hunting on their properties. We mailed the survey to random samples of landowners who owned $16.4 ha within statewide and Mississippi Delta counties during 1996-97 and statewide and Mississippi Gulf Coastal counties during 1997-98. Questionnaires mailed over the two hunting seasons totaled 6,966 and resulted in 2,283 respondents. Game species pursued on lands committed to fee hunting included deer, waterfowl, turkey, quail, dove, and “other” game. Respondents reported expenditures for overhead items and wildlife management activities related to fee hunting on their lands. Two hundred thirty-six respondents reported gross revenues from fee hunting ranging from US$2,964 to $5,254 on average per landowner or $7.50 to $14.28 per ha, depending upon the region.