Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Assateague Island National Seashore supports approximately 150 non-native horses (Equus caballus) and it is important to ensure they do not adversely affect native species. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between feral horse activity and bacteria levels in ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa). Understanding this relationship is important because shellfish host bacterial pathogens, including those within the Vibrionaceae and Aeromonaceae families, can negatively affect the health of aquatic organisms and human health. We test two hypotheses: 1.) whether there is a difference in Vibrionaceae and Aeromonaceae levels in ribbed mussels along the Island and 2.) if there is a difference in Vibrionaceae and Aeromonaceae levels in ribbed mussels in regards to levels of horse activity, using horse distribution data. Bimonthly from May to November 2006, three replicates of 50 g of ribbed mussels were collected at each site.

On 18 September 2003, Hurricane Isabel inundated northeastern North Carolina with heavy winds, rain, and storm surge that flushed high BOD organic materials and anoxic water from the floodplains adjacent to the lower Roanoke River and its tributaries into the river proper. Dissolved oxygen levels rapidly decreased and remained at or near 0 mg L-1 for 12 days causing an extensive fish kill throughout 25 km of the lower Roanoke River. Using boat-mounted electrofishing gear, we had surveyed fish assemblages at three fixed sampling sites on the lower Roanoke River during the summers of 2001 and 2002 and at two of the three sites one week prior to the hurricane in 2003. We returned one month after the hurricane to examine the fish assemblages at those two sites following the fish kill. We assessed recovery of the fish assemblages at the three lower Roanoke River sites by sampling during the summers of 2004 and 2005.

Recovery of the federally endangered oyster mussel (Epioblasma capsaeformis) depends upon present efforts to successfully propagate and rear juveniles, and hold adults in a captive environment. An understanding of food quantity and food quality requirements for E. capsaeformis is vital to successful captive care. Neither an optimum food quantity nor specific food quality requirements have been identified for adults of this species. Oyster mussels were collected from Clinch River, Tennessee, and held at White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery, West Virginia, during spring, summer, and fall 2005 and 2006. An optimum feed ration for adults fed green-algae (Neochloris oleoabundans) was determined via measurements of filtration rate and absorption efficiency. Diet quality was examined by targeting protein demand of specimens, since protein is essential for all biosynthesis and serves as a secondary energy source. Seasonal protein demand was examined by feeding mussels diets of N.

Turbidity and sediments in hatchery ponds can adversely impact water quality and fish production. To reduce turbidity, hatchery managers use chemical coagulants, chopped hay, or cottonseed meal. However, the turbidity-causing substances removed from the water column sink to pond bottoms as sediments which, when the pond is drained, can pollute receiving water bodies. For hatcheries to operate within effluent discharge limits, total suspended solids (TSS), total settleable solids, total ammonia nitrogen, pH and carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD) must be effectively managed. We tested the effects of the probiotic, the Liquid Live Micro-Organisms System (LLMO), on sediment accumulation, selected water quality variables (turbidity, Secchi disk transparency, CBOD, chlorophyll a, TSS, and pH), and koi carp production in plastic-lined ponds for 148 days (June-November 2004).

Faced with declining license sales in the last quarter of the twentieth century, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recognized that it needed to take a new approach to traditional fisheries management. Research, fishery surveys, and fish stocking were no longer enough. Education and outreach were also needed to help sustain the high quality of Texas recreational sport fishing in the new millennium by maintaining the existing customerbase while building interest in fishing among a population that was increasingly urban, multi-ethnic and exposed to a wide variety of potential recreational activities. Fishing now has to compete for consumers' limited time and money with a plethora of school activities, organized sports leagues, the Internet and a host of other recreational activities. The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC), opened in November 1996, was constructed to facilitate two top-priority needs: sportfish production and outreach.

The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) has been described as one of North America's most widely distributed and underutilized fishery resource. This resource has been largely ignored by the majority of anglers in the United States because of the reputation of carp as an undesirable species. In contrast, carp are highly esteemed as a sport fish and food fish in many other countries of the world. In recent years, the negative perception of carp in the United States has been challenged by a small but growing number of anglers who view carp as a sport fish. The Carp Anglers Group has held the annual Austin Team Championship (ATC) carp tournament at Town Lake in Austin, Texas, since 2002. The lake is a world-renowned trophy carp fishery. Anglers competing at the fifth ATC (24-25 March 2006) were surveyed to gauge the status of carp fishing in Texas. A maximum of 45 two-person teams were permitted to compete at the event.

The creation of lentic habitats in Texas by reservoir construction provided the impetus for the establishment and management of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fisheries. Concurrently, many underlying societal factors and advancement in fishing technology helped focus the utilization of these fisheries. Just as Texas was experiencing a boom in new reservoir construction and angling opportunities, the population was becoming urbanized with more free time and money and better baits, boats, rods, reels and electronics were being developed. Competitive bass angling became well established, Florida largemouth bass (M. s. floridanus) stocking programs expanded, and bass management philosophy changed from being focused on harvest to catch-and-release. Presentation summarized information on how these factors combined to create a renowned recreational fishery which has a huge impact on the Texas economy.

The ShareLunker program is a multifaceted angler recognition program that encourages anglers to donate largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) ≥5.9 kg to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). These fish and their offspring have been used to enhance trophy bass fishing in Texas. Data from the program have been used to evaluate Florida largemouth bass stocking success and restrictive harvest regulations, and to identify reservoir characteristics which produce trophy fisheries. In addition, the program has emphasized the importance of catch and release fishing. The mission of the program is to involve the public in the conservation and enhancement of trophy bass fishing in Texas. TPWD provides significant incentives for anglers to participate, and cooperation from anglers has been excellent. Since the program's inception in 1986, a total of 418 fish from 54 reservoirs and 13 private lakes have been donated to the program.

The Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) has taken a lead role in the development of a regional Aquatic Habitat Plan as part of the National Fish Habitat Initiative (NFHI). SARP has been working with its partners, including 13 southeastern states fisheries management agencies, Gulf and Atlantic marine councils and commissions, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other public and private stakeholders, in development of the Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan. A SARP Habitat Planning Team first met in March of 2006 to develop a vision and guidance for completing a regional plan during 2007. A workshop to draft the regional plan was set for October 2006. The Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan is on schedule to be the first regional plan associated with the NFHI, and may serve as a model for other areas of the country.

Schools across the nation are facing increasing challenges in addressing and meeting requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, standardized testing schedules, and increasingly stringent state curriculum standards. These challenges, coupled with traditionally-restrictive school district budgets and a mind-set that field trips are “vacations from school,” result in outdoor education programs being considered superfluous activities. Aligning outdoor education programs to state curriculum standards can be used to promote these programs as a tool in curriculum adherence as opposed to an unnecessary trip away from school. This session provided a basic introduction to curriculum standards and assessment and evaluation methods. Using Georgia Performance Standards as examples, the session also explored quick methods to align existing outdoor education programs with state learning standards.

Outdoor expositions (expos) are high visibility outreach and education events put on by fish and wildlife agencies and others as a way to thank supporters and to engage potential clients in conservation efforts by introducing them to fun, lifelong outdoor pursuits. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo is an annual education and outreach event coordinated and conducted by the agency as an open house to its statewide programs and efforts. Begun as a one-day event in 1992 to thank hunters for their contributions to conservation, Expo grew quickly into an annual two-day affair to recognize hunters, anglers, boaters, park goers, and others involved in conservation of the state's natural and cultural resources. Expo also has attracted a high percentage of non-traditional customers and families to Texas Parks and Wildlife's mission, people, programs, and places.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) offer a teacher education course that promotes awareness of Virginia's significant wildlife and fishery resources. Virginia Waters, Woods, and Wildlife focuses on middle- and high-school science teachers. The 40-hour, hands-on program introduces 20 teachers each year from across the Commonwealth to the wealth of Virginia's biodiversity, including birds, mammals, fishes, and invertebrates, and the principles and technologies used to manage and conserve these populations. Professional wildlife biologists and environmental scientists present the ecology and life histories of Virginia wildlife through field experiences as well as effective AV and IT technology.

A PowerPoint presentation is provided as an instructional supplement for the Virginia Basic Hunter Education Course. The PowerPoint slides were designed utilizing the public school competency-based and experiential learning models. It allows instructors to adequately cover the required instructional material in the allotted time frame for each topic and allows instructors to be creative in their delivery to students while addressing all styles of learning. The slides were designed to cover the three areas of instruction: 1.) informational slides provide specific information for the students; 2.) demonstration slides provide an opportunity for the students to view proper techniques and demonstrate them; and 3.) cognitive slides are designed to promote active participation through topic discussion between instructors and students.

While falls from treestands when hunting may cause serious or fatal injuries, little is known about such accidents because they are not usually reported to natural resource department officials. The limited data that is obtained is helpful, but does not fully represent the exposure factors experienced by hunters involved in treestand accidents. This presentation summarized the findings of a study of treestand-related injuries occurring over the period 1993 to 2005. Since 1993, there have been 13 fatal injuries involving Virginia hunters. The presentation highlighted data related to these incidents and gives examples of how they could have been prevented. Falls from treestands are a serious and growing concern for Virginia hunters, particularly among older hunters.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries incorporated various training components and opportunities for local agencies to expand adult and youth interest and exposure to their local natural resources. Workshop participants developed skills and obtained knowledge to enhance their programs and services along with expanding their own personal interests. These training sessions supported a statewide training requirement for many agencies and increased interest to a wider market for the development of a connected and committed audience for the preservation of natural resources. Funding support for collaboration equipment purchase assisted local partners in meeting their needs and developing expanded program offerings to serve larger populations.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) Outdoor Education Program offers several species-specific youth educational hunting workshops designed to offer youth continuing skill sets needed to successfully go afield and engage in successful hunting endeavors. In 2004, the Outdoor Education Program designed a template for these youth hunting workshops enabling staff and volunteers a simple plan to follow for planning and managing youth hunting workshops. DGIF youth educational hunting workshops promote: youth the opportunity to develop and hone skills related to hunting; ethics relating to the principles of fair chase, and stewardship; habitat, ecology, and game biology education; marksmanship and range safety; and game laws review and an opportunity to meet and question a Virginia game warden.

Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) offers a Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Workshop at four sites around the country during the summers. School teachers and other interested adult educators seeking outdoor education skills and techniques can attend one of six eight-day workshops at the American Wilderness Leadership School (AWLS) at the West site near Jackson, Wyoming. Additional sites are also used on an annual basis for five- and eight-day workshops at the Maine Conservation School, Bryant Pond, Maine; Springbrook Conservation Center, Guthrie Center, Iowa; and Laurentian Environmental Center, Britt, Minnesota. Graduate credit is available as an option at all AWLS sites. This presentation focused on the Jackson, Wyoming, location. A course outline, tentative summer 2007 schedule, and program brochure were available to all participants in this session. Sample curriculum resources will also be available for review.

Virginia was the 29th state to offer the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) to students in elementary, middle, and high schools. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries conducted its first training of Level I and Level II trainers in August 2005. Embracing NASP and conducting the educational training of the program provided an opportunity for trainers and school educators to be certified to instruct archery programs to youth in the schools. NASP provides training for educators in Olympic-style archery and promotes safety with standardized curriculum that is congruent with Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs). NASP promotes: youth the opportunity to develop archery skills; an opportunity to develop archery skills; learning of lifelong leisure skills in a structured setting; an avenue for youth to increase skills individually as opposed to team sports; and an opportunity for after-school programs.

Antler restrictions, intended to protect younger, male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from harvest and increase harvest of older bucks, are prevalent throughout the Southeast. Mississippi's statewide regulation, initiated in 1995, protects bucks with less than four antler points. We quantified the regulation's effects on age composition, harvest rate, and antler size by analyzing harvest data collected prior to (1991-1994) and after (1997-2001) the regulation was initiated on 22 public areas encompassing 240,000 ha. Relative composition of harvest shifted (P<0.001) from 59% 1.5-year males prior to the regulation to 83% 2.5- and ≥ 3.5-year males 3-8 years later, primarily due to a reduction in harvest of 1.5-year males. Harvest rate of 2.5-year males did not change and there was only a small increase (P<0.05) in harvest of ≥3.5-year males. Total harvest decreased (P< 0.01) from 3.1 to 1.8 males per 405 ha.

Loss of pine-grassland communities has contributed to declines in populations of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) and red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis; RCW). However, evolving land management priorities on publicly-owned lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) increasingly emphasize restoration of historic cover conditions and habitat for endangered species such as the RCW. These land use changes should benefit pine-grassland species, including bobwhite, but effects are not well understood. Therefore, we monitored abundance and distribution of breeding bobwhites on the Homochitto National Forest of southwestern Mississippi during 1994-1999. We quantified abundance of breeding bobwhites using call counts in three landscapes that differed in extent of land under management for RCWs (low = 7.5%, intermediate = 46.7%, and high = 66.2%). Bobwhite abundance was closely tied to intensity of management.

Changes in land use that reduce habitat availability and quality for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) are primarily responsible for a significant bobwhite population decline in the Southeast. Establishment of densely stocked pine plantations (Pinus spp.) on agricultural lands, encouraged by federal assistance programs of the 1980s, likely adversely affected northern bobwhite. To understand how bobwhite habitat my be improved on such land, we examined habitat selection by northern bobwhite (N = 61) during 1997-2000 in the Upper Coastal Plain of Georgia in a forest- and agriculture-dominated landscape. Selection of habitats (l = 0.35, P ≤ 0.001) indicated northern bobwhite preferred early-successional habitats within the study area. Northern bobwhite preferred open canopy planted pine and fallow field habitats over closed canopy planted pine and agricultural areas.

The declining bobwhite populations evident throughout the Southeast are cause for concern. Whereas habitat loss and/or intensified agriculture have been implicated as two potential causal mechanisms for these declines, few studies have directly compared bobwhite demographics between agricultural and managed bobwhite plantation landscapes. Therefore, we monitored northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) via radiotransmitters (N = 472) on a center-pivot irrigated agricul-tural landscape (N = 154) and an adjacent, intensively-managed bobwhite plantation (N = 318) to evaluate differences in home range, habitat use, survival, and nest survival between these two landscapes. Winter covey home ranges were larger during fall-winter 1998-99 on the agriculture site (P < 0.001). Coveys on the agricultural landscape used young planted pines (Pinus spp.) greater than expected (P < 0.05) during both years.

Conservation buffer practices implemented under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill programs offer opportunities for enhancing breeding season habitat for farmland birds. Recently, CP33 (Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds) was added as a new continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) practice designed to address habitat goals for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) under the Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. However, it is presumed that this practice will also benefit other birds. To evaluate potential benefits of CP33 field borders for farmland birds, we established a total of 89.0 km of experimental field borders (6.1-m wide) along agriculture field edges on three 405-ha farms in Clay and Lowndes counties, Mississippi. We used 200-m x 20-m strip transects to measure abundance and diversity of birds inhabiting bordered and non-bordered field edges.