Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

The response of gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) to chopper-type forest site preparation was investigated. Of 5 burrows presumed to have been occupied prior to treatment, 2 were reopened by tortoises following chopping, and the other 3 showed various signs of tortoise emergence. Three additional radio-instrumented tortoises emerged from their collapsed burrows during the eighth week following site preparation. Also, several hatchling tortoises apparently survived the treatment.

Winter birds were censured on snag and snagless transects during 3 winters from 1977 to 1980 in a clearcut in east Texas to assess the impact of snag retention on the bird community. For the cavity user group there was greater bird abundance, species diversity, and number of species on snag than on snagless transects. The cavity user group included: eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis), loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), Carolina chickadee (Parus carolinensis), red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), red-headed woodpecker (M. erythrocephalus), and red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

Wildlife mortality resulting from aerial ignition prescribed burning was evaluated in the Lower Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Observers took census of animals leaving the burn to confirm that representative species and densities were present in the study area. Based on the low mortality observed during a systematic post-fire survey, it was concluded that aerial ignition prescribed burning did not cause significant direct mortality to wildlife.

Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) seedlings of unknown provenance were planted on International Paper Company's Southlands Experiment Forest, Bainbridge, Georgia, on 2 sites, an old-field and a wild-land site. Treatments consisted of all oak, oak and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), all pine, cultivation, and fertilization. After 9 years, pine was significantly larger (P < 0.05) than oak on both sites. On the old-field site neither cultivation nor fertilization showed a significant influence on the growth of either species. However, on the wild-land site cultivation significantly increased diameter, height, and volume of both oak and pine and survival of oak. Fertilization significantly increased diameter and volume of both oak and pine. Acorn production at age 9 appeared to be influenced only by spacing. Fertilization increased acorn crude fat and protein and decreased crude fiber.

A Statistical Analysis System (SAS) program has been developed for analysis of data gathered from radio-telemetry studies of animal movement. The program requires as input data from each observation (1) a pair of directional readings, one from each of 2 known reference points to an animal location, (2) animal identification number and (3) time of observation. From these inputs, x-y coordinates of each animal location are computed relative to a specified origin. A number of animal movement statistics are computed and displayed graphically. Boundary points for the home range (convex polygon method) are determined and plots of home range with or without interior locations are generated as well as a measure of the enclosed area. Any of these outputs may be displayed for an individual animal or for a group of animals by sex, age, season, or other subgrouping.

Directions for construction and attachment of a device for weighing large animals in the field and cost estimations are presented. The device described was developed by the author so that it could be easily transported, mounted and a scale attached whenever a tree, or telephone pole was available.

Recaptures of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) banded with spiral plastic leg bands revealed these bands were constricting and resulting in loss or severe damage to the legs of doves. Analysis of data from an experiment to determine the effects of color, environmental exposure, and treatment with acetone on the shrinkage of bands indicated that all 3 variables affected (P < 0.01) band shrinkage. Black bands experienced the greatest shrinkage of the 8 colors tested. Bands exposed to the environment shrank more (P <0.01) than bands kept at room temperature or in a freezer. Acetonetreated bands shrank less (P < 0.01) than those without acetone treatment. We recommend that all spiral plastic leg bands used on mourning doves be treated with acetone.

The age structure of 227 bobcats (Lynx rufus) collected from hunters and trappers in West Virginia during the 1977-78 season was dominated by young animals. Juveniles and yearlings constituted 46.7% and 23.3% of the sample respectively. All females> 1 year old had ovulated and had 4.0 ± 0.2 (X ± SE) current year luteal bodies. Yearlings had 1.75 ± 0.27 placental scars, which was significantly less (P <0.05) than the 3.4 ± 0.4 of 2-year-olds or the 2.63 ± 0.27 of bobcats ≥3 years old. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and lagomorphs comprised 45% and 19% of the stomach contents by weight, respectively.

Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) behavior, habitat use, and food habits were studied in southwestern Oklahoma during faIl-winter. Birds present during the September-October hunting season were summer residents and migrants. They formed large feeding flocks containing up to 1,000 birds, flew 3-12 km from night roosts to feeding sites, and fed in morning and late afternoon. These doves fed in wheatfields when waste grain was available; otherwise, they fed on haygrazer (sorghum x sudan grass), sunflower (Hetianthus sp.), and weed seeds. Doves day-roosted in ravines or uplands near the stock ponds where they drank at midday. At evening they drank at other stock ponds before night-roosting in river bottom or upland trees and thickets. Winter residents in smaller flocks (15-300) roosted and watered close to their feeding fields, and at the roosts they perched low in the trees or sat on the ground.

Controlled hunting (9-night season) and livetrapping of raccoons (Procyon lotor) on the Chuck Swan Wildlife Management Area was assessed in relation to total harvest, age and sex characteristics, reproductive parameters, and density estimates. From 1976 to 1978 hunting pressure and hunting success remained relatively constant while the total harvest decreased at an average of 23% annually from 175 (1975) to 80 (1978). Seventy-five, 69 and 69% of the 1976, 1977, and 1978 harvests were juveniles suggesting a greater vulnerability compared to adults; this occurrence also may be related to dispersal or other factors. Reproductive data did not appear to compensate for high harvest and may be related to the quality of the upland hardwood habitat areas of the southern Appalachians. Tag return ratios in the harvest (Lincoln Index) yielded an estimated density of 1 raccoon per 23.1-27.5 ha. Thirty-four (30.4%) of the trapped raccoons (112) were harvested in 1976, 11 in 1977 and 4 in 1978.

This paper is an effort to demonstrate the importance of being prepared for retirement in the career planning of a wildlife officer. It also expresses the author's contention that the morale (hence productivity) of the enforcement officer is closely related to his perception of the concern of his administrators for his welfare, and it describes certain steps that a wildlife officer contemplating retirement should carefully consider.

Effectiveness of the routine, public cooperation, group, and airplane patrol methods in apprehending closed-season deer violators was determined through questionnaires. Missouri conservation agents submitted 3,551 monthly questionnaires during the 2-year investigation. The mean arrest rates for the public cooperation, group, and airplane patrol methods were not significantly different; however, the mean arrest rate for routine patrols was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower than those for the other methods. Public cooperation patrols produced the highest rates of arrests; nearly 55% of the deer violator arrests were the direct result of citizens' complaints about deer violations.

The conservation officer's job should be to mold favorable public opinion while enforcing the conservation and boating laws. Those laws that are biologically sound ensure the public safety, and applied uniformly form the core of a sound enforcement program. Laws for the convenience of the officer or the administration have no place in the program. The power to invoke the criminal process carries with it the power for leniency. If the objective of all laws is voluntary compliance, then reasonable laws applied with the discretion of good common sense will accomplish that objective.

The United States is an important producer nation of wildlife and is one of the world's largest consumers of wildlife. The United States wildlife trade is briefly reviewed, primarily live birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and their products. This multi-million dollar business is growing larger each year causing greater demand for native wildlife and creating the need for each state to more closely monitor these commercial activities.

The stressful nature of law enforcement requires specialized selection and training for those who seek to make it a career. In recent years, psychological testing has been used by psychologists and law enforcement administrators as an aid in selecting successful candidates. An additional use for such testing might be to improve training in social interaction through selfunderstanding.

Occupational stress exists in all jobs. Wildlife conservation officers are, by nature of their jobs, subjected to job-related stressors. In order to better understand occupational stress, it is necessary to identify those events that occur in the professional lives, or as a result of the professional lives, of conservation officers. In response to this, all 160 conservation agents of the Missouri Department of Conservation were questioned by 2 separate mail surveys. These questionnaires allowed Missouri's wildlife officers to tell what was stressfUl to them in their jobs and evaluate these stressful events. Missouri's conservation agents identified and rated 95 events which produced stress in their occupation. These represent the Occupation Critical Life Events Scale for conservation officers in Missouri.

During the study period of 1 May 1981 through 30 April 1982, compliance rates (game arrests! 100 hunters checked) for individual hunting cases were computed for 2 groups of Tennessee wildlife officers. One group of 35 officers was driving high visibility, state-owned vehicles. The other group of 35 officers was driving low visibility, personally-owned vehicles. No significant difference was found between the compliance rates of the 2 groups.

The various benefits from a correctly timed drawdown on reservoir fisheries have been well documented; however, little has been written on the public relations aspect. An extreme (2.7 m -9 foot) drawdown on the most heavily populated lake in Arkansas is discussed, focusing on the procedures and problems involved with "selling" such a management technique to the public. By discussing the public relations work involved with the project, the problems that can arise and recommendations based on this experience, it is hoped that other management biologists planning similar operations will receive some insight into situations they may encounter.

One hundred and seventeen solutions to endangered species problems were presented by gifted students participating in the Georgia Future Problem Solving Bowl, a competition which encourages students to develop solutions to problems they will encounter in the future. The Nongame/ Endangered Wildlife Staff subjectively evaluated the students' attiutdes on endangerment based on their responses to Bowl questions. Solution responses overemphasized the impact of hunting on endangerment while demonstrating little knowledge of the impact of habitat degradation. Attitudes expressed by students strongly suggest serious deficiencies in wildlife education in Georgia schools. A well-developed endangered wildlife educational program in schools would help students assume their future role as land stewards. If wildlife is to remain an important part of the environment, wildlife professionals must ensure that Georgians understand the conservation of our natural resources.

To acquaint young people with fishing, and to provide an initial fishing opportunity, the Missouri Department of Conservation promoted "Kids Fishing Day" and a series of statewide fishing clinics as an expansion of its urban fishing program. Special emphasis is given to selecting clinic participants with little or no fishing experience, and particularly to disadvantaged or handicapped youngsters. Clinics are limited to 25 children to ensure individualized attention. Community organizations are solicited as co-sponsors to foster local involvement and to provide instructional assistance. The Department stocks fish, provides all fishing equipment, and a variety of fish and fishing literature. Fishing tackle companies provided a variety of items as gifts for all participants. In 1982, more than 2,000 children attended Kids Fishing Day programs, and another 900 attendsd the 36 clinics.

Representing the land grant institutions, extension fisheries and wildlife specialists contribute to management of fish and wildlife resources through education. In a telephone survey, 17 state specialists ranked their audiences by time spent working with each and ranked 10 communication methods by frequency of use in reaching each audience. In order of priority, the audiences served were extension agents, commercial interests, private landowners, youth, general public, faculty and students, natural resource agencies, and conservation organizations. The most frequently used communication means was the telephone call. Other heavily-used methods were personal letters, extension publications, on-site visits, workshops, and conferences. Least used were magazine articles and research publications. Moderate use was reported for newsletters, and radio and television programs.

With the creation of a waterfowl stamp in 1981, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department opted for a bid procedure rather than an art contest and established stringent specifications to select a successful bidder. The procedure paid off, and Texas made $1.2 million from the sale of stamps and art prints with its first year stamp. All revenue from stamp sale receipts may be spent only for research, management and protection of waterfowl; for the acquisition, lease, or development of waterfowl habitats in the state; or for grants as provided by the enabling legislation.

Although Mississippi currently has a hunter education program, there is no mandatory requirement. Therefore questions evaluating attitudes toward mandatory hunter education and hunter safety training backgrounds were included in a mail survey to a sample of 1981-82 Mississippi hunters. The majority (65.7%) of hunters would favor a mandatory hunter education program for new hunters. Graduates of a safety training course were significantly more in favor of mandatory training than non-graduates. Hunters with children had the same attitudes toward mandatory hunter education training as hunters without children. Approximately 18% of the 1981-82 Mississippi hunters had received hunter safety training.

In 1982, the Missouri Department of Conservation surveyed 370 volunteers for their experiences, perceptions, and opinions related to use of "hunter orange" during spring hunting of eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). Results showed that gobblers can indeed be called and taken while a hunter orange item is being displayed, but hunters were ambivalent as to the effects of the band on heightening the alertness of turkeys. Subjects generally agreed that hunter orange served to alert other hunters to their presence, but were hesitant to say they "liked" the idea of using an item of hunter orange during spring turkey season.