North Carolina

Despite the research on lead (Pb) shot deposition and ingestion by mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), there has been no research to determine how management practices may be used to effectively reduce Pb shot concentrations in fields managed for dove hunting. For instance, no-till cropping systems could potentially lead to accumulation of lead shot in upper soil layers compared to conventional tillage practices. We measured shot concentrations in five publicly managed mourning dove fields in North Carolina to determine if concentration levels were significantly affected by tillage...

We used camera traps to estimate detection and occupancy of radio-collared and non-collared red wolves, coyotes, and red wolf-coyote hybrids (Canis rufus, C. latrans, and C. rufus x C. latrans) in Hyde County, North Carolina. This pilot study was to determine these variables among species and compare them between private and public lands. Large canids occurred throughout the public lands sampled, but occupancy of radio-collared individuals was low (0.41). Estimated occupancy of large canids throughout the study area was 0.74 with an estimated detection of 0.05. Occupancy of non-collared...

Elk were introduced in 2001 to the Cataloochee Valley area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). In 2008, the National Park Service transferred responsibility for elk management outside GRSM to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). Expansion of elk outside of GRSM boundaries presents recreational opportunities for residents and tourists but also increases human-elk conflict and associated property damage, cost of preventive action, and administrative burden for NCWRC staff. Therefore, NCWRC commissioned an integrated biological, economic, and social assessment...

Although eastern elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) were extirpated from the eastern United States in the 19th century, they were successfully reintroduced in the North Carolina portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the early 2000s. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is evaluating the prospect of reintroducing the species in other locations in the state to augment recreational opportunities. As a first step in the process, we created a state-wide elk habitat suitability map. We used medium-scale data sets and a two-component approach to iden- tify areas...

We attempted to quantify hunter use in five publicly managed mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) fields during the 2007 and 2008 dove hunting seasons on Conoho Farms (CF) in Martin County, North Carolina. Self-administered diary surveys (n=845) were mailed to every individual receiving a special hunt (SH) and point-of-sale (PS) permit during both dove hunting seasons on CF. We used the modified Tailored Design method to collect hunter effort and harvest data for each hunting season. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test to determine differences in hunter effort and harvest between...