Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Food habits of the coastal marsh raccoon, Procyon lotor megalodous Lowery, in Louisiana were studied from June 1973 to August 1974. The raccoon's role as predator of the eggs and hatchlings of the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, was also evaluated. Eight hundred and sixty-six raccoon scats were collected from the fresh, intermediate and brackish marsh types, an average of 24 scats per month per habitat type. Crustaceans (crawfish, fiddler crabs (Uca spp.), blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) were the major food item consumed and comprised 49 percent of the yearly diets of raccoons. Fruits were important fall foods. Although not utilized in great quantities, insects were also important, particularly during periods ofprolonged marsh flooding. A marked difference occurred between years in the incidence of raccoon predation on alligator nests ranging from no predation in the 1973 nesting season to 45 percent in 1974.

Accounts of reported alligator attacks in Florida are summarized and examined for evidence of patterns that might explain the causes ofalligator attacks. Twenty-two such incidents were found. Three were provoked, circumstances surrounding 3 were unclear, and the other 16 appeared to be unprovoked attacks. Attacks occurred during the warmer months, usually during late afternoon. Most victims were Florida residents between 9 and 16 years old, most were standing in water or swimming, and none were feeding the alligators at the time ofattack. All except one victim were unaware of the alligator's presence at the time of the attack.

A telemetric study was conducted on immature alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in two north Louisiana lakes, Black Bayou Lake and Wham Brake Reservoir, from 10 April, 1975, through 4 December, 1975. Twenty-three alligators, 11 native and 12 introduced from a coastal marsh habitat were fitted with color-coded neck-collar radio transmitters and their daily movements followed with a directional receiver. Minimum home range sizes varied from 0.8 to 321 hectares for all animals with no significant difference being found between range sizes oflocal and introduced alligators.

A literature review revealed that little data-based information on the breeding potential of the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is available. A nine-year study in which the emphasis was on nesting attempted to supply some of this information. We observed 155 nests and found that most hens, including yearlings, attempted to nest each spring and most adult hens renested if they lost their first clutch early in incubation. Clutch sizes and hatchability were not greatly different in first and second nests or between age classes, but yearling hens did not as often attempt to renest as did adults. The incubation period was less than 27 days. It is concluded that the breeding potential of the wild turkey. in respect to laying, is probably greater than generally supposed.

Loss rates of the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris Vieillot) from the Saugahatchee Wildlife Research Area (SRA) in central Alabama. increased with increased turkey population levels. After the expanding population stabilized, winter losses of adult and young turkeys aproximated 50 percent of the fall population. Poults captured as brood flocks in 1971, dispersed up to 6.44 km from their first summer range by the fall of 1972. Juvenile hens exhibited greater dispersal and variation in dispersal from their first summer range than did juvenile gobblers. Observation of turkeys in areas adjacent to the SRA indicated that dispersal resulting in emigration was a substantial factor contributing to the loss of turkeys from the SRA. Emigration from the SRA occurred during the fall break-up of brood flocks. Ten of 15 radio-equipped turkey poults were lost from the SRA. Four of the losses were attributed to emigration, two observed mortality and four to illegal kill.

Reproductive characteristics of110 woodchucks (Marmota monax) were examined between 13 March and 30 November in 1974 and 1975. Ovulation rates averaged 4.73 in adult females examined between March to June. Less than 50 percent of yearlings ovulated during this period compared to 100 percent of adults. Preimplantation loss of embryos averaged 0.5 per pregnancy. Corpora lutea persisted until August in one female but was a reliable indicator of ovulation only until July. Placental scars persisted until September in one female. The peak of spermatogenesis seemed to occur earlier in adult males than in yearlings. Spermatogenesis were ceased in all males before June.

During the winters of 1974-75 and 1975-76, the regional distribution patterns ofAmerican woodcock (Philohela minor) in North Carolina were determined from harvest and banding surveys. Woodcock were common transients in all regions ofNorth Carolina but were common winter residents only in the central and eastern regions. Immatures were more abundant among birds collected in coastal counties than in interior counties, and males were disproportionately common in western counties. Woodcock were numerous in the vicinity ofNew Holland, Hyde County, and 341 were banded in 17 night-lighting trips. It appears that woodcock abundance patterns vary from western counties to eastern counties and that a split season may be needed to equitably distribute hunting opportunity. Excellent opportunities for wintering ground banding exist in northeastern North Carolina.

Five hundred and thirty-two hunters from 58 hunting areas throughout Tennessee completed questionnaires probing their views on quality dove hunting. Three types of hunting areas were examined: private areas which charged a fee; state-leased areas, no fee; and state-owned management areas which charged a fee. There was no significant difference in the criteria for determining hunt quality between types of hunting areas. Hunters' opinions were related to the number ofshells fired, the number of doves killed, and the number of hours hunted. Hunters' opinions became more favorable with an increase in the number of doves seen, shells expended, doves killed, and hours hunted. Crowded conditions resulted in decreased satisfaction. Hunters within 22 m of each other felt crowded and had a poorer opinion. A spacing of39 m between hunters was favorable. Hunters thought paying a fee was fair. Hunters on state-leased fields where no fee was charged thought $2.25 would be a reasonable fee.

The establishment of a green-tree reservoir on private land in eastern Texas was economically successful for a timber company. The initial investment was recouped within two years from hunter fees. Hunter success averaged 1.07 and 1.51 ducks per day, respectively, for the first and second seasons. Questionnaires indicated the hunters were pleased with the project and would like to see the project continued and expanded.

A telephone survey of 201 hunters was conducted in 1972 in Taylor County in West Central Texas. Most respondents were between 30 and 60 years old, had been introduced to hunting at an early age by a relative, and preferred the aesthetic benefits ofhunting to the pursuit of trophies or meat.

The relationship between fire ants (Solenopsis spp.) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) was investigated in Louisiana coastal marshes because of persistent reports of ant depredation on young muskrats. Two different marsh types in southwestern and southcentral Louisiana were selected for study. During May-June of 1974 and 1975, 50 muskrat houses were opened on each study area; 50 additional houses were examined during January 1976 on the western study area. There were no significant year or area differences in the proportion of houses which were active or which contained ants. A significantly higher (P<0.10J proportion of houses contained young in May-June than in January. Ofthe houses examined in May-June, there was no significant overall relationship between the absence and presence of ants and whether or not a house was either active or contained young. No antogonistic behavior between fire ants and muskrats was observed.

A series of replicated field experiments in which two important upland cover types were exposed to solid rocket motor fuel emissions did not reveal any immediate impact on the vegetation. Soil pH and Cl- concentrations remained unchanged. Root biomass one year after exposures was not significantly different among the treatments. Likewise, twig growth of two browse species, dwarf live oak (Quercus minima) and myrtle oak (Q. myrtifolia), was unimpaired. Flower and fruit formation by the oaks, saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites) appeared normal one year after exposure. Litter fractions (twigs, leaves, and fine material) were not significantly different among treatment groups.

An ecowgical study of the bobcat (Lynx rufus) was conducted in bottomland hardwood habitats in Louisiana over a 2-year period to evaluate movement and activity patterns. Six bobcats, trapped in spring and summer of 1973, were equipped with radio-transmitting collars and their movements subsequently.monitored with portable receiving equipment. Three adult male bobcats had an average minimum home range of 494.1 ha and 3 females limited their movements to an average of 97.1 ha. Diel movements averaged 4.4 km for males and 2.9 km for females, but straight line movement averaged only 2.2 and 1.3 km respectively. Monitored animals were crepuscular in their activities, becoming quiescent around noon and midnight. In bottomland hardwood habitat the mid successional seral stages were important in providing security and prey for bobcats.

The seasonal structure of avian communities associated with beaver pond habitats was studied by examination of bird species diversity. Beaver pond avifaunas were highly diverse during every season but reached maximal values during the spring and summer. The importance of beaver ponds as wildlife habitat is due to a series of factors related to their structural complexity. As a result, they attract birds which are normally not associated with wetland habitats and provide excellent opportunities for multiuse wildlife management.

In 1975, a postal survey of4,500 landowners was conducted in South Carolina concerning the presence of beavers (Castor canadensis carolinensis) on their property. Ofthe 956 questionnaires returned, 239 (25 percent) confirmed the presence of beaver activity. During the past 10 years beaver populations have increased significantly in the Savannah and Pee Dee River drainages and currently they are distributed in 28 of the 46 counties in the state. Beavers inhabit 747 kilameters of stream and/or lake shoreline and affect a minimum of 7,138 hectares of bottomland. Total estimated damage loss to forestry and agricultural interests in 1974 exceeded benefits by $225,000. Coordinated efforts by the S. C. Wildlife & Marine Resources Department, the S. C. Forestry Commission, and Clemson University to Ilevelop a beaver management program are currently in progress. The overall objective of this program will be oriented towards total utilization of the beaver resource.

Eight types of guards, designed to prevent plugging of restricted flow risers by beaver, were tested on Soil Conservation Service flood control impoundments. The effectiveness of these guards was studied between August 1975 and September 1976. Four guard types were unsuccessful in preventing plugging of risers by beaver. Risers protected by the other four guard types were not plugged, although some had been plugged prior to the installation of the guards. A guard similar to type 5 showed the most promise for preventing plugging.

Sixteen beauer (Castor canadensis) were liue trapped, marked, and orally administered the chemosterilants 17 a-ethynylestradiol-3-cyclopentyl ether and SC-24674 ofSearle Laboratories. Treated beauer were released at the point of capture and retrapped near the end of the breeding season. Fiue treated breeding age males showed significant reduction in both testes weight (P<1J.01) and seminal uesicle weight (P<0.05) as compared to untreated males. Histological examination of testes of treated males indicated suppression of spermatogenesis and disruption of the cells of the seminiferous tubules. Fiue treated breeding age females showed significant reduction in both ouulation (P<0.005) and pregnancy (P<0.05) when compared to 25 untreated females.

Roosting blackbirds and starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) caused extensive damage to a 4-hectare, 14-year old loblally pine (Pinus taeda) stand near Shannon, Georgia. Over a 4-year period, a one million-bird roosting population killed 96 percent of the pines on a 2-hectare area, which resulted in a loss of $51.80 per hectare. Black and white panchromatic and infrared film exposed from 150 to 250 meters altitude effectively delineated areas of tree stress and mortality. Approximately 1 hectare of the roost site treated with surfactant solution at the rate of 61.2 liters per hectare during a test in 1969 showed no adverse effect on roost vegetation.

Relationships between heart girth and body weight were determined in 545 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) killed in South Carolina during the period September 1965 to December 1966. Data for heart girth, total body weight, and "hog-dressed" weight were recorded for 102 male fawns. 127 female fawns. 113 adult males, and 203 adult females. Data for males and females were pooled. Prediction equations developed for hog-dressed weight. (W, lb.) based on heart girth, (H, in.) were: W = 3.9499H - 55.6158 (R' = 0.71) for fawns; and W = 5.6037H - 94.0982 (R' ~ 0.74) for adults. Prediction equations developed for total body weight were: W = 5.3003H - 74.1489 (R' = 0.69) for fawns; and W = 6.5520H -95.0128 (R' =0.74) for adults.

The frequency of chronic debilitation of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) due to traumatic injuries was estimated from necropsy records on 1,002 animals collected for scientific purposes throughout the southeastern United States. Evidence of previous injury was present in 76 deer (7.6 percent). Percentages of injured deer did not vary significantly according to sex, physical condition, or six-month periods associated with high or low hunting pressure. Incidence of injury increased with age for both sexes but was statistically significant only for does. The cause of most injuries was not determined although 30 percent were related to gunshot or arrow wound. It appears that traumatic injuries due to gunshot or highway collision usually are fatal and result in very little chronic debilitation in the few deer that survive.

Repellents were tested in 1970 in an effort to control white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianusl damage to plantea loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) seedlings on areas converted from mature pine with hardwood understory to large even-aged pine plantations. Test sites represented various site preparation methods that, after planting, were receiving extensive deer damage in Sumter County, Alabama. The most promising chemical deer repellents, according to previous studies, and two non-chemical deterrents (plastic bags and clipped seedlings) were tested In this study, Arasan, Z.I.P., andZAC were found to be effective treatments. Plastic bags and copper carbonate were even more effective, but the labor involved in the use of plastic bags were prohibitive and copper carbonate had a toxic effect on young pine seedlings. The clipped seedling treatment prevented deer from pulling these seedlings out of the ground.

Allele frequency data for the b-hemoglobin locus from 452 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from the Savannah River Plant were examined for spatial subdivision of the herd. The usefulness of electrophoretic techniques to gather genetic information for analysis of spatial subdivision is demonstrated. Significant spatial heterogeneity was found; thus, the herd probably consists of more than one functional population. The potential use of these populations as independent management units is discussed.

Thirty-five white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns 1 to 28 days of age were captured in 1974 and 1975. Survival and causes of mortality were determined by radio telemetry. Average annual mortality was 87.9 percent, based on a 63 percent mortality rate in 1974 and a 96 percent mortality rate in 1975. Predation by coyotes (Canis latrans) and bobcats (Lynx rufus) was involved in 96.6 percent of the observed mortality. Salmonellosis was detected in three 1975 fawns at capture but clinical symptoms of the disease were not noted during the study. Coyote and bobcat predation combined to exert long-term postnatal pressure (up to 16 weeks) on the fawn segment of the deer herd. Study results suggest the experimental use of short-term seasonal predator control to allow fawn survival to increase on those portions of the county open to deer hunting, but compensatory natural mortality may offset this anticipated gain.

An east Texas pine-hardwood forest was clearcut in 1972, and selected sites were burned, chopped, KG bladed, or left untreated in the winter of 1973-1974. Crude protein, calcium, and phosphorus content in leaves and twigs of four browse species were measured in April, September, and November after site preparation. Among site treatments, burning usually resulted in highest nutrient contents, followed by chopping, control, and KG blading. The levels of crude protein and phosphorus in all browse were highest in April, but declined in deciduous plants as the seasons advanced; evergreens held fairly constant levels through September and November. Calcium was low in spring but increased toward fall. Leaves contained more of the measured nutrients than twigs.

A study was made to determine the effects of site conversion on the production of forage for deer on industrial timberlands in an eastern North Carolina pond-pine pocosin. Natural as well as site prepared regenerated stands were sampled. The diversity of species was significantly greater on regenerated sites than either of the two types of natural sites. As a result of site conversion forage production was increased reaching a maximum of 728 kilograms per hectare during the fourth growing season compared to a maximum of ]00 kilograms per hectare for the natural sites. A decline in both species diversity and forage production occurred during the fifth growing season following site preparation. When compared to un-fertilized sites, fertilization with triple super-phosphate applied during site preparation increased forage production for several years without significantly increasing species diversity.