Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Personnel of 6 National Wildlife Refuges in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee captured and neckbanded 1,462 Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) in 1977-80. Of these, 728 individuals were observed 1,430 times in the Mississippi Flyway. These observations and 44 hunting recoveries indicated that geese from the 6 refuges had varying degrees of association with both the Mississippi Valley Population and the Eastern Prairie Population. Geese banded at White River refuge tended to show greater affiliation with the Eastern Prairie Population than did geese banded at 3 other refuges.

New trends which effect state ma/!;azines can be seen in 4 major areas of printing: typesetting, paper production, press and fulfillment and color reproduction. As computers become more commonplace, in-house typesettin/!; is seen as a viable alternative for the smaller publication. Mill production and expansion schedules may force shorter run magazines to go to roll stock. This move can result in substantial savings if a partial groundwood coated stock is substituted for coated free sheets. The introduction of the mini web press makes this stock choice possible for the 25,000 to 100,000 run ma/!;azine. Innovation is finally reachin/!; the bindery with jet inking now in use in some plants for direct label application. Further developments indicate the possibility of the printer eventually handling fulfillment. Competition could allow these costs to become negotiable. Computerization is impacting color reproduction, too.

There has been an increased demand upon the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's Audio-visual Department to produce various types of title and graphic slides. Several inexpensive and efficient methods for making attractive and informative slide graphics have been developed. Using very simple techniques and equipment, it is possible to produce multi-colored slides from black and white art work; captioned slides that are professional and extremely informative, and several other variations of the same. Combined, these visual aids can create a slide presentation tbat will rival high-priced production companies.

RESPECT stands for Responsible Educated Sportsmen Promoting Ethical Conduct Together. Operation RESPECT is a cooperative program to combat unethical sportsman conduct in Virginia and offset the negative publicity generated by the antihunting advocates. It was founded in 1979 by joint agreement of the Virginia Division of the Izaak Walton League of America, the Virginia Wildlife Federation and the Virginia Commission ofGame and Inland Fisheries. General support for the program was achieved in September 1979 at a sportsmans leaders conference. Thirteen planning strategies employed to generate momentum for the program are outlined. The Operation RESPECT Council developed after the conference. In contrast to similar programs in other states, the Council of sportsman leaders sets policy and gives direction to programs.

It is very difficult for wildlife enforcement officers to navigate wilderness patrol areas without occasionally incurring damage to their patrol vehicles. This is especially true in pursuit situations. To respond to this need, the Training staff of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission developed a method to minimize vehicular accidents by directly increasing wildlife officer woods driving proficiency through a precision training program.

The responsibility for the motivation of conservation officers belongs primarily to the agency's management. If the agency is to have well motivated officers, supervisors must be aware of their role and be willing to accept this responsibility.

During 1975 the Division Of Wildlife in Ohio faced a legislative battle that would have ended all trapping in the Buckeye state. The division, with help from the sportsmen, prevailed and the bill died in committee. Anti-trapping forces, following their legislative defeat, gathered the 235,000 signatures necessary to place an amendment to the Ohio constitution that would have banned all trapping. This amendment, known as Issue 2 was defeated by nearly a 2 to 1 margin. However, nearly 1.2 million people voted for Issue 2 and wanted to stop all trapping. Subsequently the Division Of Wildlife initiated an educational campaign designed to inform the uninformed and non-consumptive wildlife user that regulated hunting, trapping and even fishing are all a part of wildlife management. A bill was introduced and subsequently passed which mandated that all first time hunters take a hunter safety course and all first time trappers take a trapper educational course.

The Ranger Corps has clearly demonstrated its value and effectiveness in improving the management of Puerto Rico's Natural Resources. It has provided a climate of security and inspired respect islandwide to the general public, communities, government agencies and the judiciary branch. As human beings, the Rangers understanding of the idiosincracy of our Island together with their impartial and objective actions, have heen able to gain the confidence of our citizens. We are aware that much more needs to be done and that more resources are necessary. Nevertheless we cannot but feel proud of our achievements in the 3 years of our existence.

Waterfowl use of 23 coal strip mine ponds in Alabama was investigated from January 1976 to December 1977. Nine of the ponds were 5 years old at the time of the study, 10 were 15 years old and 4 were 25 years old. Visual observations were made on a monthly or bi-weekly basis to determine waterfowl usage. Vegetation, cover, and food prod uction on 10 of the ponds (three 5-year-old ponds, four 15-year-old ponds, and three 25-year old ponds) were investigated to evaluate pond potential as waterfowl habitat. Older ponds were positively correlated (P<'O I) with increased waterfowl use. Species most frequently observed were wood duck (Aix sponsa), ring-necked duck (Aythya col/aris), and pied-billed grebe (Podilymhus podiceps). Lack of shoal waters, limited food resources, and lack of cover on younger ponds are believed to be limiting factors for waterfowl.

Data from the use of live traps in marking and recapturing nutria (Myocastor coypus) for an estimate of the population size showed a disproportionate level of recapture in adults and subadults. The use of radio transmitters to determine movement and the use of steel traps and shooting to obtain recaptures demonstrated that the adult and subadult nutria were avoiding the live traps. Population estimates by the Schnabel method and the Lincoln Index illustrated the error introduced by trap avoidance. The use of a different recapture technique eliminated this source of error.

Ambient temperature was significantly correlated with alligator (Alligator mississipiensis) nesting activity. Nesting occurred earliest when March-April-May ambient temperatures were highest. Rainfall had no significant relationship with time'of nesting activity although water levels did affect the degree of nesting. Egg deposition occurred when diurnal period was at its maximum. The bulk of egg laying took place within a 2-week period each year.

Habitat preference of cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus.f7oridanus) on a seeded and mechanically maintained. power line right-of-way was studied in 1974-76. Trap data and locations obtained by telemetry were used to determine habitat preference. Both techniques showed that cottontails avoided large honogenous stands of sericea (Lespedeza cuneata) and preferred areas dominated by native vegetation. Management techniques encouraging native vegetation and reducing the large stands of sericea should have a beneficial effect on rabbit populations.

Two hundred twelve white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were aged by tooth wear and replacement and by sectioning the incisors. Aging by cementum annuli placed 67.8% of the animals in an older age class, 7.2% in a younger age class, and 24.9% in the same age class as aging by wear and replacement. Of deer with 3 cuspid 3rd premolars aged by cementum annuli, 17.3% were aged as 1.5 years, 69.2% as 2.5 years, 9.6% as 3.5 years, and 3.8% as 4.5 years. Five fawns were aged as 1.5 years by the annuli technique. Aging by cementum annuli produced a significantly older age structure than that produced by wear and replacement aging (p

Reproductive data were collected from 774 female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) taken in Mississippi between 1976 and 1979. One- to 2-year old does and 2-year or older does had mean corpora lutea counts of 1.61 and I. 78 and mean fetus counts of 1.40 and 1.66 respectively. Fawn breeding was observed in 4 of 140 fawns and also was evidenced by the presence of lactation in 5 of 146 1-1/2 year old deer. Breeding occurred between November 20 and March 15. Over 80% of breeding occurred December 21 to January 21 with 50% of all breeding between January 7-21.

Foods consumed by 115 ducks and coots (Fulica americana) collected from 2 central Florida study sites were analyzed to assess the importance of the exotic pest species hydrilla (Hydril/a verticil/ata) as a food plant. Contents of esophagi or gizzards were identified and measured by volumetric displacement. Hydrilla was the most important identifiable food on both study sites in terms of mean of volumetric percentages (aggregate percentage) and frequency of occurrence. Implications of findings with respect to waterfowl habitat and aquatic weed control are discussed.