Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Selected characteristics of forest industry hunt lease programs in the southern United States were evaluated for the 1994 calendar year. Results were compared with earlier similar surveys. Respondents owned 9,198,217 ha and leased 5,935,935 ha (64.5%) to hunt clubs and individuals. Estimated revenues generated from lease fees were about $40 million based on an average annual fee of $6.82 per hectare. Ninety-one percent of the respondents reported that they considered income from leases in their economic analyses and investment decisions which indicates an increasing awareness of the economic value of leasing. Utilization of the leased lands by lessees has increased over the last 5 years.

We examined aspects of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter quail) population dynamics in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests on the Vernon Ranger District, Kisatchie National Forest, located in west central Louisiana. We used sex, age, and weight data from 246 birds captured a total of 404 times during 9 February-20 June 1991-1993 in baited traps to describe population characteristics. We used data from 128 (106 F:22 M) birds trapped, radio tagged, and monitored during 3 field seasons to describe productivity and survival of these birds during March through August. The best-fit linear-logistic model (G2 = 7.42, 5 df, P = 0.1912) indicated that proportions of second year (SY) birds captured during spring depended on year; but sex ratios of captured birds were independent of year. Thus, we estimated that the breeding population contained 42.4 ± 3 .

A preliminary survey was conducted to determine fee-hunting and wildlife management activities of private landowners in Mississippi. A total of 613 respondents reported ownership of land in parcels of ≥ 16.4 ha. Four hundred and forty-five respondents allowed hunting on their land, whereas 71 landowners collected fees for hunting privileges. Game species pursued on fee hunting lands included deer, waterfowl, turkey, quail, dove, and “other” game. Respondents reported expenditures of overhead items (e.g., manager/caretaker, liability insurance, hunter access) on fee hunting lands. Wildlife management activities reported by landowners included vegetation management, such as mowing, disking and burning; establishment of food and cover plantings, blind and tree stand installation and maintenance; and waterfowl management. Annual expenditures for wildlife management activities averaged $2,057 per respondent.

The introductory level fish and wildlife conservation course at Mississippi State University has an enrollment of over 100 students each semester. Students in the class generally exhibit a diversity of attitudes about fish and wildlife conservation that range from anti-hunting to consumptive and extractive use advocates. Finding common ground among these students is challenging, but essential for the creation of an interactive, learning environment that focuses on sustainable use of natural resources. Ecological principles of fish and wildlife conservation are linked to current issues through class discussions. The class offers a setting in which wildlife and fisheries science majors can discover the diversity of stakeholders and issues that influence natural resource conservation while learning basic ecological and conservation principles. Discussion topics and methods used in this class are presented.

Amid the phenomenal population growth taking place in Florida and other southeastern states, an increase in human encounters with wild alligators is inevitable. Unfortunately, such encounters have yielded a proportional increase in confrontations between humans and alligators and, during the past 11 years, a dramatic increase in human injuries and fatalities inflicted by alligators. In partnership with a nonprofit organization and a public relations firm, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission addressed the problem with extremely limited funds.

This report summarizes results from Phase One of an on-going evaluation of the Aquatic Resource Education Programs (AREPs) in the Southeastern United States, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands (for the purposes of the comparative analyses of this study, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will be referred to as a “state”). This phase, which concluded in July 1998, involved performing an evaluability assessment of the program, including the generation of sub-components for each of 3 AREP goals (awareness, appreciation, participation). There were 4 activities in this phase: collecting and reading each of the state proposals, generating a matrix that identifies program subcomponents for each state and relates them to the 3 AREP goals, identifying commonalities across the state program sub-components, and defining generic sub-components for the AREP goals.

The Wildlife Conservation Workshop was developed by the South Carolina Chapter of The Wildlife Society to provide K-12 teachers with hands on experiences and research results related to wildlife management. Because education programs such as this workshop generally have limited resources, prioritization of curriculum improvement efforts is essential. This paper demonstrates how to improve an on-going program based on open-ended critiques.

The value of tracking and foot impression evidence has been highly underrated during investigations in the past. This oversight has been due to the lack of training in finding and following tracks and knowing the value of foot impressions as conclusive evidence. Today, however, there exist instruction and technological advances which can promote the use of foot impressions to the forefront of investigative concerns. Foot impression evidence may be as conclusive as DNA and finger prints when processed properly. The ability to find, age, and follow tracks are skills all of us are capable of performing to some degree. Where there are people, there are tracks, both indoors and out. Tracking knowledge will enhance an officer's awareness, investigation, search and rescue abilities, and self confidence, and can be as conclusive as any other evidence available today.

The Internet has become a global communication tool with immense potential. The power and capabilities of the Internet are now available and being used by the wildlife law enforcement officers of the world. Wildlife law enforcement personnel can share information and cooperate in interstate investigations. Features such as a Game Warden List help individuals keep in touch and discuss issues among themselves. The Game Warden's Place website offers a number of services useful to-the profession, including links to other sites. Wildlife agencies and personnel can and should use this new technology to its fullest potential as they enter the 21st century

Continued urban development and concurrent increases in population have created new challenges and opportunities for conservation agencies. These challenges stretch the traditional role of conservation agencies and their respective enforcement staff. To meet these challenges, agencies must develop innovative programs that generate new customers and public support for their mission while meeting the needs of their traditional customers. One such approach is developing partnerships with community groups. In May 1997, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission's Division of Law Enforcement embarked on a project to evaluate the possibilities of community-oriented policing work. The project, entitled “Water Watch,” is a partnership designed to benefit both the community and the agency.

Law enforcement special response dive teams have been utilized for many reasons in the past such as body recovery, underwater investigations, and evidence recovery. Arkansas's Search and Recovery Dive Team has increased emphasis on the sport of spearfishing in large impoundments of water in response to expansion of the sport's popularity, survey results, violations, and sportsmen contacts. Complaints consisted of taking fish species protected by slot limits, spearfishing activities before season, wasting wildlife (leaving illegally taken fish on the bottom), taking over the legal limit, and spearfishing beyond the legal distance from a dive flag. Past enforcement efforts have been limited to the use of conventional boating patrols and long hours of surveillance, but these efforts are time consuming and labor intensive for the number of sportsmen contacted.

Many states share bordering waters often separated by an invisible state line. This line is viewed by some residents of each state as a way to elude the game wardens of each respective state. As law enforcement officers, we had to terminate pursuit or watch helplessly as a drunken boater or game law violator operated just across the line on the opposite bank. Lack of law enforcement created a dangerous environment for all persons. Frustration among law enforcement officers and lawlessness among boaters are often the case on bordering waters. Such was the case on the bordering waters of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana prior to May 1996, when Operation Bordersafe was instituted. The method used by Texas and Louisiana will be explained, followed by a description of the planning process, and a discussion pertaining to the important role that the press and public relations plays in the success of such a project.

In October 1996, investigators of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission confirmed the existence of a major black market operation dealing in protected wildlife in South Florida. The suspects conducting this operation were dependent on local poachers to supply illegally taken game. The animals purchased by the suspects were resold at highly inflated prices to outlets in Florida and New York. Covert investigators, in an operation dubbed Operation Brooklyn, infiltrated the enterprise and identified the suppliers and retail buyers of wildlife. The suspects came to trust the investigators so much that investigators accompanied the suspects in a business trip to New York to sell Florida wildlife. After 14 months of investigation, Operation Brooklyn was brought to closure with the arrests of 9 suspects on 40 charges: 14 felonies and 26 misdemeanors.

Past research has shown that feelings of shame and embarrassment act as deterrents to criminal activity such as drunk driving. This research compares responses of 2 groups of hunters to questions about shame, embarrassment, the certainty of getting caught in a wildlife violation, and the impact of legal sanctions for wildlife violations. Oklahoma hunters who reported they would experience high levels of shame and embarrassment if they committed a hunting violation said they would be less likely to commit a hunting violation in the future (P < 0.01). There was no significant relationship between any of 5 traditional legal sanctions and hunters' likelihood of committing a future violation.

Trace metal analysis of commercially produced broadheads was conducted to determine the background level of copper and lead contained on the surface of the broadhead following manufacturing. The level of copper and lead from these broadheads was then compared to known copper and lead values from white-tailed deer to determine if inserting a broadhead into the wound tract would influence the quantitative analysis of the wound tract. Although inserting a broadhead into a firearm wound orifice post-mortem changes the morphological appearance of the wound orifice, it does not influence the analysis of the wound tract when analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Firearm wounds can be differentiated from arrow wounds quantitatively, using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, without concern of broadhead interference affecting the results.

Blood “in flight” produces bloodstains in a predictable, consistent, and reproducible manner. At crime scenes investigators or analysts able to read bloodstains can with a high degree of certainty, reconstruct those forceful actions which caused the stain. Thus, those in specialized investigations trained in bloodstain pattern analysis can deduce the particulars of a crime perpetrated against humans or wildlife. Death investigators around the world—whether homicide detectives, law enforcement officers evaluating hunting accidents, or game wardens investigating wildlife crimes—may enhance the probability for success if they employ the established forensic discipline of bloodstain pattern analysis. Currently, only elite investigators drawing on every available means to crack a case implement this forensic discipline.

Traditionally family and/or friends spent time together in the outdoors fishing. It was healthy, provided fine table fare, and provided a catalyst for communication. Good conservationists emerged from their understanding of the natural world, and anglers have been leaders. Anglers paid, and continued to pay, for conservation through license fees and excise taxes. The natural affinity between fishing and the traditional family experience provided a steady pool of new angling recruits. No marketing was required. Today the trend is quite different from that traditional experience. Fishing participation growth has ceased. Anglers and professional fisheries managers must continue investing time, money, and energy in aquatic resource conservation. We must market and promote fishing within the culture of our citizenry.

This paper has 3 major sections. The first is an overview of marketing. The second section focuses on some key finding on fishing participation and anglers' attitudes toward fishing, while the third section presents the implications of this research to marketing and promoting fishing. Marketing is a deliberate and orderly step-by-step process that begins with people (markets) and ends with products, services, programs, and strategies. Several major variables related to fishing participation are explored, including lack of time and competing interests, angler demographics, single-parent households and participation by gender. The paper concludes with specific recommendations to promote fishing and increase fishing participation.

Marketing yesterday involved delivering products to customers. Today the world is changing rapidly and the way we market to consumers has changed dramatically as well. Now, we sell fun. Zebco and Quantum have begun marketing fishing as fun in order to compete with the many choices available for spending leisure time and money. Market survey information suggest the Baby Boomers are prime candidates for marketing fishing. We can be successful, not in selling the fish, but in selling the splash—fun of fishing.