Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Analyses of movement patterns of free-ranging animals derived via radiotelemetry assumes that capture has no effect on the parameters of interest. To mitigate against potential biases, many researchers will censor locational data for an arbitrary post-capture duration (e.g., 2 weeks). To investigate validity of this assumption, we compared home range size, average inter-location distance, dispersion, and total distance moved between hens captured in a given interval to those captured in previous intervals. Data were from winter-captured hens in Kemper County, Mississippi, 1986-1992. No significant differences were found in any movement parameter. We concluded that, for hens not suffering acute capture-related stress, no substantial bias in movement data occurred within 30 days post-capture.

Numbers of wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and turkey hunters have increased greatly in the Southeast during the last 3 decades, and administrators and managers should be aware of hunter attitudes toward potential hunting regulation changes. Our objective was to determine attitudes of turkey hunters regarding regulations on use of hunter orange, baiting, and a fall either-sex harvest. We conducted a mail survey of turkey hunters (N = 4,026) who hunted turkeys in Mississippi during the 1994 spring gobblers-only season. An initial mailout was followed by a second request, and a total response rate of 51 % was attained. Logistic regression analyses were used in 3 models— 1 for each potential regulation. Twenty-five hunting and demographic variables were entered into each model based on forward stepwise variable selection. Most (89%) of the respondents disagreed that turkey hunters should have to wear blaze orange.

We studied availability of natural cavities for wood ducks (Aix sponsa) on 5 areas in 3 southeastern states in 1988-1990 because of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) guidelines that called for the reduction of nest boxes on National Wildlife Refuges. Selected forested wetlands dominated by bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) or tupelo gum {Nyssa aquatica) were randomly sampled using 0.5-ha plots to estimate the density of cavities suitable for wood duck nesting. Density of suitable natural cavities in live, mature (≥28 cm dbh, ˉx age = 117.6 years) bald cypress-tupelo gum stands averaged 0.08/ha (SE = 0.03) and ranged from 0.00 to 0.29/ha. Bucket cavities were deemed unsuitable because of their tendency to retain moisture in dry periods. The mean cavity density for all areas in this study was among the lowest densities reported for timber stands in North America.

Nearctic dabbling ducks (Anatini) use varied wintering habitats. Spatial and structural variability among these may translate into differing capabilities of habitats to meet behavioral and physiological requirements of ducks. Our study was conducted on the Santee River Delta (SRD) in South Carolina, an important wintering area for dabbling ducks in the Atlantic Flyway. Our objectives were to determine (1) activities of dabbling ducks wintering on the SRD, (2) if different habitats within managed wetlands had differing functional values (intra-and interspecific), based on dabbling duck behavioral usage, and (3) if there were intraspecific differences in activity patterns between those observed in this study and those reported for other continental wintering locations. We quantified activities of northern pintail (Anas acuta), American green-winged teal (A. crecca carolinensis), American wigeon (A. americana), gadwall (A. strepera), northern shoveler, (A.

We estimated total harvest, hunter participation, hunter success, and age-sex composition of the wood duck (Aix sponsa) harvest during Florida's special September duck seasons, 1989-1995. We sent mail questionnaires to a sample of Florida's duck hunters to estimate harvest and hunter participation, and collected wings to estimate age-sex composition of the wood duck harvest. An average of 3,555 (SE =178) hunters participated annually, and hunter-days averaged 8,082 (SE = 473). During years when teal (Anas discors,A. crecca) were included in the season, hunter participation and wood duck harvest remained similar to levels in years when the season was restricted to wood ducks; however, on average, teal harvest nearly doubled the total duck harvest. Mean number of wood ducks harvested each year (1989-1995) was 6,391 (SE = 296), and mean teal harvest (1992-1995) was 5,924 (SE = 1,095).

We used mark-resight methods to estimate sighting proportions of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) during night-light and aerial helicopter surveys. Alligators ≥122 cm were captured during 5- to 12-day periods on Orange Lake and Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, and marked with paint on the dorsal neck area. Replicate helicopter surveys were subsequently flown on each area to record marked and unmarked individuals. Population estimates were calculated and compared with night-light and aerial counts of alligators ≥122 cm. Estimated mean proportion of alligators ≥122 cm sighted during May-June night-light surveys was 0.189 for Orange Lake and 0.090 for Lake Woodruff NWR. Mean sighting proportions during May aerial surveys were 0.106 for Orange Lake and 0.172 for Lake Woodruff NWR.

The relation between natural nest temperatures and hatchling sex ratios of American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) has not been determined adequately. The few studies to date have been limited by study design, low sample size, and inadequate equipment. We investigated this relationship in 20 nests in impoundment habitat in South Carolina during 1995. Actual sex ratios were highly correlated (r = 0.971, P < 0.001) with sex ratios predicted from laboratory results, on the basis of mean nest temperatures between days 30-45 of incubation (temperature-sensitive period (TSP)). Mean nest temperatures during the TSP ranged between 29.1 to 33.8 C, with daily fluctuations within a nest ranging from 0.4 to 1.9 C. Rainfall appeared to have the greatest effect on nest temperatures. While nest temperatures provided a useful estimate of hatchling sex ratios, we recommend that researchers monitor hatchling sex ratios directly.

Environmental factors such as flooding, drought, and predation can adversely affect alligator nesting success. No prior studies have documented the effects of wildfires on alligator nesting ecology. In July 1995, wildfires burned over 1,300 ha of alligator nesting habitat on Rockefeller Refuge in southern Louisiana. Although most alligator eggs from nests in the burned area had previously been removed by staff biologists, the burned area was searched to evaluate fire damage to remaining nests and eggs. Twentynine (46.0%) of 63 nests located were not damaged by the wildfires, due probably to water and moist vegetation adjacent to the nest site. Fourteen nests (22.2%) were deeply burned, with the nest cavity exposed and damaged. Uncontrolled summer wildfires can limit alligator nesting success. Management implications for alligator egg ranching programs are discussed.

We monitored white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) use of riparian zones (RZs) and adjacent pine plantations of 3 age classes (young, 1 -3 years old; intermediate, 5-7 years old; and older, 9-13 years old) using radio telemetry for 2 years on a 1,300- ha study area near Alto, Texas. Riparian zones comprised 22.0% of the area; young, intermediate, and older pine plantations comprised 19.1%, 45.7%, and 13.2%, respectively. Based on data from 4 to 9 deer the first year and 12 to 17 deer the second year, home ranges averaged 103, 71, 95, and 114 ha during spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively, and were composed primarily of intermediate-age plantations and RZs. Deer showed significant preferences for intermediate-age pine plantations during all seasons and for RZs during fall and winter. Older plantations produced little forage due to canopy closure, and were generally avoided throughout the year.

We studied the effects of 3 planting dates (Sep, Oct, Nov) and 2 fertilization rates (the recommended nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P], and potassium [K] based on soil testing and twice the recommended N, with P and K) on rye (Secale cereale), oats (Avena sativa), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) planted for white-tailed deer {Odocoileus virginianus) from 1991 to 1993. Forage plantings established early (September) in the cool season produced the most forage during the season and maximized production during hunting season. Doubling the recommended rate of N fertilization increased forage production and maintained higher crude protein (CP) content throughout forage growth compared to forages fertilized according to soil test recommendations. Calcium (Ca) and P levels generally were unaffected by additional N fertilization.

We conducted a 10-year study in oak-hickory stands in the Arkansas Ozarks to investigate the effects of intermediate thinning and nitrogen (N) fertilization on the annual production of understory vegetation. A total of 101 experimental plots was thinned to residual overstory densities of 40%, 60%, 80%, or 100% of full stocking. Nitrogen fertilizer (336 kg N/ha) was applied to a subset of plots in each thinning treatment. Understory species composition and biomass were estimated 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 years after treatment. Thinning and fertilizing increased (P < 0.01) the total biomass of understory plants and production of preferred browse species through the first 5 years after treatments. Fertilized plots thinned to 40% of full stocking produced 392 kg/ha of preferred browse, a 5-fold increase over control plots. Peak understory production occurred in the third year after thinning and the second year after fertilization.

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is a common shrub in the southeastern United States, but no studies have examined white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) use of privet. We investigated the seasonality of deer use of privet browse and the effect of deer browsing on privet twig growth. We tagged and repeatedly measured about 200 privet twig clusters in forest and field-edge habitats at Chickamauga Battlefield Park (CBP) in northwestern Georgia during 2 consecutive years. Twig clusters were examined bimonthly for signs of recent browsing and measured in November, January, March, and July during both years. Deer browsing on privet was highly concentrated in the winter months when percent use reached >60% in both habitats. Twig cluster length was reduced during the winter browsing period by <5.0 cm and the reduction was exceeded 4- to 6-fold by regrowth.

A vegetation and soil study was conducted on upland disposal sites of a 4,425- ha management area in Mississippi. This area comprised disposal sites managed for northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). The soil and subsoil materials of these disposal areas originated from vertical cuts of geological strata up to 54 m and contained acidic overburden. Soil samples were collected at 0- to 10-cm and >10- to 20-cm depths on 35 disposal areas. Soil pH values in 0- to 10-cm depths were not related to depths to overburden. Soil pH levels in >10- to 20-cm depths were related to overburden depths (P < 0.0001). Soil pH levels in 0- to 10-cm depths (range: 5.2-7.7) on vegetated disposal areas were higher (P < 0.0001) than pH levels (range: 3.2-7.7) at >10- to 20-cm depths. Soil pH values on sites where overburden was intermixed in the upper 40 cm of substrate ranged from 2.9 to 3.9.

We conducted an operational scale trial of the herbicides Sonar® (fluridone) and Rodeo® (glyphosate) to evaluate control of giant cutgrass (Zizaniopsis miliaceae) and effects on waterfowl food plants in moist-soil managed impoundments of the Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area, Darien, Georgia. Sonar and Rodeo reduced giant cutgrass frequencies both post-treatment years, although greater reduction occurred in the Rodeo-treated impoundment. Panic grass (Panicum spp.) frequency within the Rodeo- treated impoundment decreased the first year post-treatment. First-year frequency of flat sedges (Cyperus spp.) decreased in all impoundments when compared to pretreatment frequency. However, second-year frequency did not differ from pretreatment for the Sonar or Rodeo-treated impoundments. First-year smartweed (Polygonum spp.) frequency was lower in the Sonar-treated impoundment; second-year frequency was higher in the Rodeo-treated impoundment.

We captured 54 black bears (Ursus americanus) 91 times and equipped adult females with radio-transmitters in a managed forest in the mountains of South Carolina during the summers of 1991-1993 to determine population dynamics and female denning ecology. Ages of captured bears ranged from 1 to 10 years, averaging 3.3 + 0.3 (± 1 SE) for males and 3.7 ± 0.3 years for females. Litter size (N = 7, ˉx = 2.3), lactation rate (42.3 %), suspecting mean age at primiparity (4 years), and interbirth interval (2.2 years) were representative of a productive population and good-quality habitat. Eight female dens were visited and consisted of 3 ground nests, 2 root systems, 1 tree den, 1 brush pile, and 1 hollow log. Most dens (N = 5) were associated with early successional communities. Estimated population density for the 192-km2 study area was 0.31-0.34 bears/km2.

We estimated litter size and age of first reproduction of female black bears in Florida from the examination of 139 female reproductive tracts. Corpora lutea occurred in 81 of the tracts. The number of corpora lutea per tract, a close approximation of litter size, averaged 2.6 (range: 1-4). Most (75%) female bears bred initially when 2.5 years old, and the remainder at 3.5 years. Litter sizes and age of first breeding of female black bears in Florida are comparable to those found in other productive areas of eastern North America.

Expansion of the black bear (Ursus americanus) population outside White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas, has caused local citizens to request reduction of the population. An estimate of black bear population size is necessary before any management recommendations can be made. We used 2 census methods to estimate population size. Hunter surveys of bear sightings during the 2-day firearm deer hunt were used in 1994 to estimate population size with a Petersen-Lincoln estimator. The survey yielded a population estimate of 213 bears (95% CI = 129-297). We used cameras triggered by infrared monitors to photograph bears visiting bait sites over a 7-day period during August 1995. Infrared monitors recorded 176 events, resulting in 87 photographs of 23 different bears. We used 2 separate models to calculate population sizes using data from cameras. Program CAPTURE calculated a population size of 348 (95% CI = 300-396) bears for the refuge.

Habitat use occurs at several spatial scales; however, bobcat (Felis rufus) habitat use has not been investigated at multiple scales. Additionally, sex-specific differences in bobcat habitat use have been hypothesized but not tested. Therefore, we investigated habitat use of 30 bobcats (9 males, 21 females) from 1 January 1989 to 31 December 1993 on 2 study areas in east-central Mississippi. We investigated bobcat habitat use at 2 spatial scales: habitat use within the home range and habitat composition of the home range relative to habitat composition of the study area. We did not detect differences (P > 0.10) in bobcat habitat use among sexes or study areas for either spatial scale. An empirical example of the importance of assessing habitat use at different spatial scales was discovered. Sapling and pine stands were preferred (P < 0.10) habitats when habitat compositions of home ranges were compared to study area compositions.

During 1990-1992, 291 northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) were captured, radio-tagged, and relocated from southern and eastern Texas to an intensively managed 563-ha eastern Texas study area; 139 resident birds were also captured, radiotagged, and released at the point of capture. We examined macro- and micro-habitat selection by relocated and resident birds. At the macro-habitat level, all 3 groups of bobwhite were associated with food plots (P < 0.05), preferred stands of pure pines > 30 years old, and avoided stands of pure pines 6-15 years old, hardwoods > 30 years old, and mixed pine-hardwoods > 30 years. At the micro-level, bird locations had more dead grass and bare ground but less live grass than random locations (P < 0.05). Bobwhite were not associated with edges (P > 0.05).

Stress Survival Tactics is a program developed as part of an officer survival in-service program for Texas Game Wardens. This paper presents a training technique that works well when dealing with the emotion-laden issue of survival stress or critical incident stress. Hormones released in a survival situation have a tremendous effect on emotions, sensory perceptions, psychomotor skills, and on one's ability to process information. Stress Survival Tactics mentally, psychologically, and physically prepares officers to train for a survival situation such as a use-of-force situation. A critical incident can be any incident, personal or professional, that pushes one to the limit and challenges the ability to endure. Mental rehearsal and preparation is a technique that can be used to prepare for an incident before it occurs.

Over the past decade, Florida has undergone rapid suburbanization of its borderline wilderness areas. New airspace restrictions and low-level flight restriction over what are now populated areas have increasingly impeded aerial wildlife research and law enforcement patrol with fixed-winged aircraft. During the same decade, domestic marijuana cultivation in Florida's wilderness areas, especially Commission-maintained wildlife management areas, has increased dramatically. Enter now the federal government's plan to surplus over 3,000 helicopters, including parts and tools over a 5-year period. How to justify a transition from fixed-wing operations to a mix of fixed- and rotary-winged operations, how to acquire the helicopters, how to operate and maintain them, and how to make it all work within a limited budget are the foci of this paper.

Since the 1987 closure of Texas' Type II Public Hunting Lands to the hunting of deer with dogs and a subsequent statewide prohibition of the method in 1990, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has received numerous complaints about small bands of East Texas hunters who continue to use the method in open defiance of the prohibition. These complaints further allege that outlaw dog deer hunters have virtually taken over public hunting lands, intimidating lawful users and ignoring the rights of adjoining private landowners. Texas game wardens, operating in a covert capacity, infiltrated dog deer hunting groups in Jasper and Newton counties and took 25 defendants to the courts for violations of wildlife regulations.

This research project examines traditions and cultures in Florida supporting the rights of private property ownership and the harvest of game or fish, whose ownership is common to all. The conflicts which arise from these deeply held values will be identified and discussed. This study presents the results of a questionnaire administered to wildlife law enforcement officers and interviews conducted with property owners and wildlife resource users throughout the State of Florida. This study will examine, from a current and historical perspective, the steps taken by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (GFC) to resolve conflicts.

As a result of an increasing frequency of assaults on conservation agents performing their duties, administrators of the Protection Division of the Missouri Department of Conservation requested Conservation Agent Training Academy staff look at the current status of officer safety training offered to agents. The division also decided to complete an extensive assessment of all training provided for conservation agents. To satisfy immediate needs and prepare a way to meet long-term needs, a Safety Needs Assessment was completed. Results of the assessment revealed relatively small gaps in safety training as well as a viable method for evaluating any future training needs.

Fish and wildlife officers are trained in most aspects of law enforcement, arrest, search and seizure, all types of criminal investigations, fish and wildlife identification, firearms, drugs, interrogation, driving, and so on, but fewer may be trained in something they do just about every day and which could be life saving: tracking.