Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) nests suffer high predation rates exceeding 65%, which may limit recruitment. We evaluated post‐nesting movements of reproductively active female Rio Grande wild turkeys. We monitored 194 nesting attempts between 2005 and 2010 and documented 17% and 32% overall apparent nest success for the Edwards Plateau and Central Rio Grande Plains study regions, respectively. Rio Grande wild turkey hens move approximately 1.2 km (SD = 0.7) between nesting attempts within a nesting season and approximately 1.4 km (SD = 1.6) between initial nesting attempts among years. Rio Grande wild turkey hens selected open areas with moderate woody cover for nesting (${\bar {x}}$ = 37.7%; range = 3.0–88.2%). Patchiness of vegetation in the nesting landscape also was borne out by typically low edge‐to‐area ratios (${\bar {x}}$ = 0.20; range = 0.040–0.732). We found no clear pattern in movement distance and either landscape composition or edge‐to‐area ratio for within or between breeding season nest site selection for either the Edwards Plateau or Central Rio Grande Plains study region. Based on our results, movement distances post‐nest failure do not seem to influence habitat selection. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
High white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) densities in urban areas typically result in human-wildlife conflicts (e.g., deervehicle collisions, transmission of disease to humans, and vegetation damage). Controlling deer densities via fertility control generally is more acceptable than lethal removal in many urban areas and can reduce conflicts by stabilizing deer numbers. Contraceptive vaccines that use PZP (porcine zona pellucida) proteins as antigens have been used for many years and generally are regarded as safe and effective. Side effects of immunocontraception may be repeated estruses, an extension of the breeding season, and increased movements and ranges of immunized deer. We evaluated the effects of SpayVace, a long-lasting, singledose PZP vaccine on ranges and movements of female white-tailed deer at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center near Houston, Texas, USA. We captured, treated, and radiomarked 38 female deer with SpayVac (treatment) and injected 11 deer with a placebo (control). Fawning rates for treated and control deer were 0% and 78%, respectively. We observed no difference in the movements and ranges of SpayVac-versus placebo-treated deer: annual ranges (95% probability area) between treated (x ¼ 82 6 7 ha) and control (x ¼ 77 6 14 ha) deer, core areas (50% probability area) between treated (x ¼ 11 6 1 ha) and control (x ¼ 11 6 3 ha) deer, and daily movements treated (x ¼ 430 6 1.5 m) and control (x ¼ 403 6 3.6 m) deer. However, we did not evaluate the potential effect of immunized females on ranges and movements of male white-tailed deer. Increased ranges and movements may be more pronounced for males than for females. (WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN 34(5):
ABSTRACT:Overabundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations have been reported in many urban and suburban communities across the United States. Large populations of deer can potentially increase the risk of human-wildlife conflicts, such as deer-vehicle collisions, transmission of disease to humans, and vegetation damage. In 2003, efforts to control white-tailed deer numbers were initiated at the National Aeronautical and Space Agency's (NASA) Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, using the longlasting, single-dose contraceptive SpayVacH. Our objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness of SpayVacH for reducing white-tailed deer fertility and determine the partial cost for treatment. Between 2003 and 2004, we monitored 45 adult female deer (34 treated with SpayVacH, 11 controls treated with a placebo). Fawning rate over 2 yr for deer treated with SpayVacH .30 days prior to the rut was 0% (n531), whereas the fawning rate for control deer was 78% (n511). Inoculation 1 mo prior to the breeding season was sufficient time to achieve fertility control. We conclude that SpayVacH can effectively reduce the fertility of urban white-tailed deer.
Opportunities for wildlife undergraduates to engage in land conservation planning can bridge the gap between formal academic training and professional wildlife experiences. Land conservation plans are an important component in managing wildlife habitat. In 1995 state legislation offered Texas landowners the opportunity to remain under agricultural valuation (Texas House Bill 1358, Proposition 11, 1-d-1) by designating wildlife management activities as qualifying agricultural practices. To obtain a wildlife management tax valuation, a landowner must have an active, written wildlife management plan. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists often provide technical guidance to landowners in this process. Allowing wildlife undergraduates to have an active role in this process offers a unique opportunity for them to gain practical ''hands-on'' experiences while improving their writing skills. Students enrolled in Wildlife Habitat Management and Conservation (WFSC 406) work in groups (3-4 students) to develop a management plan for 3 local landowners. In addition to writing an actual management plan, students gain experience in land surveying, vegetation sampling, GIS/GPS technology, and public speaking. Landowners receive 3 peer-reviewed management plans they can select from to implement on their property. Students assist TPWD biologists and Texas Cooperative Extension staff in providing technical guidance to local landowners. Wildlife education can be enhanced by integrating land conservation planning in the classroom via partnerships with natural resource agencies and landowners. (WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN 34(1): 223-228; 2005)
Observing nocturnal, cryptic, highly mobile, or elusive wildlife in the field is difficult. Precise abundance estimates are necessary to make management decisions. Numerous methods have been examined to estimate wild turkey abundance with limited success. The use of forward‐looking infrared (FLIR) technology has increased and may improve the detection of wildlife. We sought to estimate Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) abundance using FLIR surveys and to assess the accuracy of these estimates by comparing them with independent estimates from ground surveys. We conducted 8 ground and aerial FLIR surveys of roost sites in 3 distinct ecological regions of Texas, USA. We were unable to aerially detect roosting turkeys using the portable FLIR camera because of altitudinal restrictions required for safe helicopter flight and lack of thermal contrast. Flight altitude was a principal obstacle because topography and aerial obstructions (i.e., utility poles, towers, and wires) often required higher‐altitude flights than ideal for turkey observation. From an aerial perspective, wild turkey thermal signatures were camouflaged by their surroundings. The external temperatures of turkeys, tree branches, and other background objects (e.g., rocks, bare ground) were within 1.5°C of each other despite ambient temperatures or other weather variables (i.e., wind speed, humidity, and cloud cover). Therefore, there was not sufficient difference in radiant temperature of a turkey and its background to permit adequate detection from an aerial perspective.
Passive and active infrared camera systems and, more recently, videography have been used in wildlife research to assist in data collection. Traditional camera systems can be expensive and labor‐intensive, and are limited in operation time by film length and battery life. Current camera systems are neither computer‐ nor network‐oriented and do not allow for near real‐time retrieval and storage of data. We describe a web‐based, digital camera system for monitoring wildlife in remote, inaccessible environments. Between February 2002 and December 2003, our web‐based camera system collected 486 digital photographs of west Texas wildlife. The key advantage of our camera system is that it allows for unobtrusive monitoring of secretive and often unobservable species in their natural habitat. Because our system is web‐based, high‐resolution photographs of wildlife can be posted on a web page for viewing, offering a unique teaching tool for grade school and university students who may not have the opportunity to visit these remote, inaccessible areas. Although our camera system was expensive ($12,000 U.S.), it offers a self‐sustaining technique for monitoring wildlife in remote regions that allows for easy data retrieval and storage.
Increasing white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) numbers in urban environments is a management problem for both natural resource agencies and urban residents because of economic (e.g., deer‐vehicle collisions) and ecological (e.g., ornamental and native vegetation damage) issues associated with deer “overabundance.” Reducing deer numbers using nonlethal control procedures often requires the safe (i.e., low mortality) capture of urban white‐tailed deer. We describe the use of a portable drive‐net to capture urban white‐tailed deer. We attached nylon drive‐nets of various lengths, heights, and mesh sizes to an anchor (e.g., fencepost, T‐post, tree) and placed them neatly on the ground. Persons on foot would drive deer toward the drive‐net while one person would pull the net vertically to coincide with deer arrival. From June 1998‐October 2003, we captured 76 white‐tailed deer (25 M, 51 F) in Texas and Florida using the portable drivenet. No deer mortalities were recorded, and ≤10 deer suffered small cuts and scrapes. The major advantages of our drive‐net (i.e., simplicity, portability, selectivity, low cost, quietness, and non‐invasiveness) make the technique useful for capturing urban white‐tailed deer.
Introduction:The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic disrupted the current practices for teaching and learning in medical and health professions education, creating challenges and opportunities for rapid transition. The authors describe how McMaster University's Program for Faculty Development (MacPFD) responded to this disruption by engaging in a digital transformation. Methods: The digital transformation process of MacPFD was mapped to the conceptual framework of digital transformation: Vial's building blocks of the framework. A new website was launched to host and disseminate the content. Subsequently, both the website and the content were promoted using social media tools. Content generation, Google Analytics, event registrations, and Zoom webinar attendance records were data sources for the results. Analysis of the data was based on the reach component of the RE-AIM framework.Results: Six-month data range results were reported as producer-centered and user-centered outcomes. The former consisted of 54 resources from diverse content authors, whereas the latter received 33,045 page views from 26,031 unique users from 89 countries. Live webinar events had 1484 registrants, with 312 (21%) being guests from external institutions. Before the coronavirus disease 2019 disruption, MacPFD was a local program to support its faculty. Discussion: The MacPFD's digital transformation shows a clear transition to a new "glocal" approach: an expanded global reach while still tending to our local development needs of the home institution's faculty members.
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