Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

The technique of sampling fish in coves by the application of rotenone ("covesampling") was evaluated in Barkley Lake, Kentucky, 26-28 September 1978. In 85 ha Crooked Creek Bay (which was subdivided into 24 coves and other subareas), 776 kg/ ha of fish were recovered; the total adjusted for non-recovery of marked fish was 865 kg/ ha. The numbers and biomass of fish in various coves within the Bay did not closely approximate the standing crop in the total area. Most major species of fish were either overrepresented or underrepresented in the cove samples. Larger coves (mean area, 4.9 ha) produced a more representative sample of the 85-ha Bay with respect to species composition, abundance, standing crop and length distribution. Results of the Barkley Lake study and those of a similar study in Douglas Lake, Tennessee, in 1965 indicated that many adjustment factors are required to equate small-cove standing crop estimates to those of a large bay or an entire reservoir.

Population growth differences were demonstrated for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) and freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) from mainstream bays of Barkley Lake, as well as between these bays and adjoining subimpoundments. Growth in Crooked Creek Bay fish was atypical, with those fish exhibiting overall superior growth. Subimpoundments contained viable fish populations, but those fish were generally in poorer condition than mainstream fish. Great heterogeneity in growth existed within a large flood control reservoir.

Methods proposed in Pollution Committee Guidelines for estimating numbers and values of dead fish in open water are practical under field trial.

Large deposits of recoverable lignite (> 16 billion tons) occur in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Commercial surface mining of these reserves has occurred only in eastern Texas, but additional mining has been proposed for Texas and the other states during the 1980's. Almost all of the new mining would occur in the Southeastern Mixed Forest· (Pineywoods) ecoregion, and the Prairie Parkland ecoregion of eastern Texas. Potential impacts on fish and wildlife will be lessened because of the enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (P.L. 95·87) and the permanent program regulations. However, major impacts on fish. and wildlife may still occur as a result of habitat destruction and inadequate reclamation strategies.

This report summarizes information on approaches by states to educating future licensed drivers to handle problems created by free roaming animals on highways.

Fisheries and wildlife education is plagued by the impossibility of giving students the extensive field experience which future employers desire. A practical solution is the creation of specially prepared videotape programs illustrating actual field techniques. A series of approximately 10 programs in each discipline would provide a standardized instructional unit for undergraduate training at more than 500 colleges and universities and for in-service training in state and federal agencies. Such programs offer several advantages over traditional lectures or slide programs. Video-tape programs can be used in both auto-tutorial and standard format classes. Slide programs and films can be put in video-tape format, eliminating technical and theft problems. Current cost of professional services and materials for producing a 10-20 minute program, including field taping, editing, narration, aDd special effects is approximately $4,500.

Declining license sales and unchecked inflation are causing severe financial problems for most state fish and wildlife agencies. One of the methods used by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to help balance the budget is to increase the number of fishing and hunting license buyers. A promotional campaign by the Information Section was begun in 1977 to increase the number of resident and non-resident license buyers. Emphasis has been placed on promoting warm water fishing, where the agency planning process has identified that the supply is greater than the demand. The results of this campaign cannot yet be fully analyzed, but early license sales indicate that a continuous 3 year decline in license sales has been reversed. There are many problems associated with treating hunting and fishing as marketable commodities, but a well planned promotional campaign can be very beneficial.

With the increase in illegal commercial fishing, there is a need for better and faster means of detecting nets in our reservoirs. With the improvements in Sonar depth finders for fishermen came the idea to use electronics, especially the Graph Recorder in the detection of nets. Its use makes law enforcement personnel more effective.

Woodcock (Philohela minor) singing grounds were located in 39 counties in Tennessee. Harvest records indicated that the Great Valley and the Central Basin were the most productive hunting areas during 1966-1976. During 1977 and 1978 February hunting seasons, western Tennessee hunters, contributed about one-third of all woodcock. Spring migration through Tennessee occurred from mid February to mid March both years of the study. Testes of males shot during February averaged 9.2 mm in length both years (n =20, 1977, n =46, 1978). Follicle measurements offemales collected during February showed a wide variation in degree of sexual maturation. Clutch and brood observations in 1978 indicated that peak nesting occurred during the second and third wks. in March.

Increased commercial demand for wild furs had substantial influence on various aspects of Missouri's furbearer harvest system. Significant (P < .05) positive correlations existed between inflated market values and fur trader numbers, trapper numbers, raccoon (Procyon 1010r) hunter numbers, raccoon hunter individual efforts and harvests of high demand furbearers and certain other species. Little correlation existed following transformation of inflated values to inflation-adjusted standards. Trapper recruitment during active market periods concentrated heavily on young individuals. Mean trapper efforts and total catch were lower in 1977-78 than 1972-73 despite increased market demand and increased mean trapper expenditures.

Food habits of pen-raised wild turkey poults (Meleagris gallopavo silverstris), age 4-14 days, were studied for a 3-yr. period (1975-1977) in the loblolly pine-shortleaf pine (Pinus taeda, P. echinata, forest type in eastcentral Mississippi. Crop and gizzard contents of poults that fed on recently burned subplots (0.65 hal were compared to the contents of poults that fed on 3- and 4-yr.-old "roughs" or unburned subplots. Total animal food eaten (insects, spiders, snails, etc.) was significantly (P < 0.01) higher on burned subplots. Mean oven.dry weight of selected animal food eaten (insects and spiders), was not significantly different when recently burned areas werecompared to 3yr.- old "roughs." However, a highly significant (P < 0.01) difference was detected for recently burned subplots compared to 4-yr.-old "roughs" for selected animal food. Total plant food, mostly seeds of dewberry (Rubus trivialis) , was significantly (P <0.01) greater on unburned subplots. A 3-yr.

Total forage yield (TFY) on a pine-hardwood forest site in east Texas was sampled before and I growing season after clearcutting (1972 and 1973), also I and 3 growing seasons after planting site preparation by burning, choping, or KG blading (1974 and 1976). Total forage yield was only 359 kg/ ha in the uncut forest, but 2217 kg/ ha after clearcutting. On control plots (no site preparation), TFY peaked in the first growing season after clearcutting with 2917 kg/ ha, but by 1976 decreased to 1983 kg/ ha. On burned plots, TFY peaked the first growing season after burning (3540 kg/ ha) and remained steady till 1976. On chopped plots, TFY rose from 3053 kg/ ha in 1974 to 3619 by 1976, and on KG-bladed plots from 2935 to 3774 kg/ha, because browse growth increased.

Distributions of game animals in relation to a four-lane, limited-access highway were monitored before, during, and after highway construction along Appalachian Highway 48 in northern West Virginia from 1971 to 1975. All game species monitored were affected as a result of habitat loss due to the highway itself occupying land but none exhibited a chance in distribution due to highway construction. Only the wild turkey (Meleagris gal!opavo) seemed to avoid the highway.

Home range and activity patterns were determined for one male and one female radio-collared bobcat (Lynx rulus) in an eastern Tennessee hardwood forest. Home range of the male was calculated to be approximately 3076 ha while the female utilized 1416 ha. Both bobcats' ranges were larger than previously reported values for the southeast. Measurements of both average net distance traveled per day showed the male moved a statistically significant greater distance than the female. The larger home ranges may be primarily the result of relatively low prey populations in the mountainous terrain of eastern Tennessee as compared to upper coastal plains areas where most of the previous research on southeastern bobcats has been carried out.

Waterfowl food production, availability, and use in brackish impoundments were studied in South Carolina. Widgeongrass (Ruppia maritima), dwarf spikerush (Eleocharis parvula), and seeds of saltmarsh bulrush (Scirpus robustus) were sampled each month. Standing crop of widgeongrass vegetation declined from 241.11 kg/ ha in August to nearly none in December, due mainly to competition from filamentous algae (Cladophora spp.) Widgeongrass seed production was estimated at 6.16 kg/ ha. Although waterfowl fed intensively on widgeongrass seeds, no depletion was detected, and seeds apparently accumulated from year to year. Standing crop of dwarf spikerush declined from 856.20 kg/ ha in September to 363.46 kg/ ha in February, apparently because of waterfowl use. Saltmarsh bulrush seed production was estimated at 464.60 kg/ ha.

Basic physical parameters and health characteristics are presented on raccoons (Procyon lotor) representative of animals offered for sale to raccoon hunting clubs in the southeastern United States. Comparisons were made with similar data on samples of wild raccoons live-trapped by noncommercial wildlife agencies. Raccoons from animal dealers had more fresh bite wounds and fracture calluses, significantly greater numbers of infected soft tissue lesions (P <.05), and generally were in poorer physical condition than animals live-trapped by game biologists. Bite wounds, and infected soft tissue injuries which may have originated as bite wounds, were considered as an enhancement factor for possible rabies transmission. The generally poor physical condition of the raccoons offered to hunters for purchase was viewed as a possible factor contributing to the low survival previous authorities have reported in translocated raccoons.

Two field techniques were developed to detect and evaluate crop gland activity in live mourning doves (Zenaida macroura). An inexpensive, commercially-produced "inspection light" was successfully used as a crop examination device (CEO). Crops of 45 adult and 40 juvenile doves of both sexes were examined by palpation and CEO. There was a significant (P <0.00 I) dependence of test score upon crop phase; a significant (P < 0.00 I) difference also occurred between test procedures used. Best results were obtained when palpation and the CEO were used together. Under these circumstances, active, inactive, and developing or regressing crops were classified correctly 100,96.5, and 77.8% of the time, respectively.