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The toxic effects on wildlife of lead ingested from spent hunting ammunition have long posed a conservation challenge for wildlife biologists, managers, and hunters. We got commitments for 7 papers that address the issue of lead hunting ammunition from a number of perspectives. The focus of the symposium and this special section was on lead from spent hunting ammunition, not lead ammunition associated with all forms of shooting. [Extracted from the article]

Although wild turkey conservation efforts largely are in a post-restoration phase, there is still much to be learned and shared, both among turkey biologists and researchers and with the greater wildlife conservation community. Beginning in 1959, wild turkey researchers and managers have come together every few years from across the United States to share their experiences, present monitoring data and research results, and address novel or timely turkey conservation issues. The other invited paper summarized the potential effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on turkey hunting during spring 2020; the authors surveyed the primary wildlife biologist tasked with wild turkey management for each state to document wild turkey hunter and hunting dynamics before and during the spring 2020 turkey season. [Extracted from the article]

The green anole (Anolis carolinensis) has been introduced to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, and has adversely affected native fauna through predation and competition. To eradicate green anoles, adhesive traps for capture and Teflon™‐sheet fencing to restrict movement have been used, however, their efficiency needs to be improved. Using behavioral experiments, we evaluated colors that would attract green anoles to traps and repel them from fences. We also conducted similar experiments on the native snake‐eyed skink (Cryptoblepharus nigropunctatus) to establish color preferences in an effort to reduce bycatch. We presented choices of 2 out of 6 colored papers (blue, brown, green, purple, red, yellow) to green anoles and 3 colored papers (blue, brown, red) to snake‐eyed skinks to observe which color of paper the animals walked on first. Both species chose blue significantly less often than the other colors (blue was chosen only in 29% of runs). Green anoles demonstrated a preference for brown, whereas snake‐eyed skinks favored red. Our results suggested that using blue Teflon™‐sheet fence might reduce the transborder crossing rate of green anoles. Furthermore, bycatch of native snake‐eyed skinks may be reduced by changing the adhesive trap color to brown, from the currently used red. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonnative, invasive ants, and especially the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, are a widespread threat to ground‐nesting wildlife. In this paper I describe a method of controlling fire ants using hot water. The hot water approach was applied to reduce fire ant impacts on sea turtles and ground‐nesting songbirds and to demonstrate its utility in protection of different ground‐nesting species in different habitats. Fire ant controls using hot water provided 90% or greater control, significantly improving survival of both turtle and bird hatchlings, without the use of pesticides. The success of the method and the availability of necessary equipment shows that hot water control of fire ant populations should be considered as a tool for wildlife affected by fire ants and is useful for a wide variety of scenarios where fire ant controls are desirable or necessary. The method does require that 1) wildlife nest locations are known and that 2) nearby fire ant colonies can be found and treated with hot water. The method can be used as a complement to broadcast or bait‐station baiting strategies or as a stand‐alone method for managing fire ants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within academia and research, publishing peer‐reviewed articles is expected for dissemination of knowledge and is used as a measure of professional performance. However, few papers have been published on professionals' and graduate students' perceptions of student publication performance, how professionals encourage student publishing, and what types of publication barriers exist for graduate students to publish. In 2019, we emailed a survey to professional and student attendees of the 2013 and 2016 North American Duck symposia as a representative cadre of waterfowl and wildlife biologists. We surveyed 469 professionals and 98 students who attended the symposia. Response rates were 42% and 45% for professionals and students, respectively, and deemed reliable as response rates approached 50%. Fifty percent and 69% of professional respondents indicated they felt frustration motivating their Ph.D. and M.S. students to publish, respectively. Of strategies used to motivate graduate student publishing, 79% of students ranked providing congenial encouragement most effective, while 60% of professionals ranked playing a major role in drafting and editing as most effective. Both professionals and students considered lack of time during and outside work hours as barriers to publishing graduate work. Professionals and students agreed that asking students to sign a contract at time of their initial matriculation may be an effective strategy to publish. Information from this study adds to knowledge on graduate student publishing practices and can be used to improve methods to increase graduate student publication rates in wildlife science and conservation. Similar surveys can be conducted face‐to‐face or remotely at international wildlife and other ecological conferences to broaden application of our results. We encourage students to generate publications from their research by writing separate thesis/dissertation chapters to expedite the publication process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Big data pose specific problems whether they are the result of remotely sensed instruments (Signer and Balkenhol 2015) or are compilations of data collected by one or many sources over generally long time periods (Adler et al. 2011). This set of steps may be very different than is common practice with big data sets, and I propose that this procedure be the standard foundational principle for handling big data studies. I "The truth is beyond the perception of the truth" K. Yasuda i In an opinion piece in Wildlife Society Bulletin, Lewis et al. (2018) addressed the complexity involved in big data studies, specifically the practices involved in data management and processing, exploratory data analyses, statistical analyses, and data-sharing on websites, maps, and in manuscripts. GLO:WLS/01sep21:wsb1201-fig-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 1 Big data in wildlife studies pose serious problems, especially with how exploratory data analyses are handled. [Extracted from the article]

Over 40 species of parrots, members of order Psittaciformes, have established nonnative populations globally. Monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) are among the most invasive bird species worldwide. In their introduced range, populations of monk parakeets have caused negative impacts on native species, habitats, economies, and human safety. Lethal population management has been complicated by the intelligence of monk parakeets, as they quickly alter behavior to avoid risks. Further, lethal control programs have been halted due to public controversy, as parakeets are highly charismatic. The contraceptive DiazaCon has been demonstrated to effectively reduce fertility in monk parakeets and other psittacines. In field applications, chemical control agents (e.g., toxicants and contraceptives) must be delivered in a manner that prohibits access by nontarget species. We developed and tested a parakeet‐selective feeder. The feeder allows access by parakeets and limits access by nontarget bird species by lowering a wire exclusion curtain around the feeder, requiring a zygodactyl toe arrangement to access food. We tested the parakeet‐selective feeder in trials with captive and free‐ranging monk parakeets and nontarget species in Florida, USA. Monk parakeets successfully accessed food from the parakeet‐selective feeder throughout the study. The mean number of daily feeder uses by nontarget species decreased from a high of nearly 16 uses per day when the exclusion curtain was not implemented to <1 use per day when implemented. Our findings suggest the parakeet‐selective feeder is a promising tool for delivery of bait treated with chemical control agents to manage monk parakeets and other nonnative parakeet populations, but implementation success will likely vary by target species, location, local faunal diversity, and availability of alternative forage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declines in hunter numbers across the United States make hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) a high priority for wildlife management. As wildlife management agencies and nongovernmental organizations seek to reach new audiences, college campuses present a unique opportunity to cultivate nontraditional path hunters. Despite recent proliferation of R3 initiatives, little research has evaluated effects of hunting programs on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of new hunters. We designed and implemented Getting Started Outdoors: Hunting 101 workshops specifically targeting college students without previous hunting experience, and we assessed workshop efficacy with a theoretically‐grounded approach to workshop evaluation. Using quantitative and qualitative analysis of surveys conducted before, shortly after, and 12–18 months after workshops, we assessed impacts of R3 efforts at large public universities in 16 different U.S. states. Across all states, 19 workshops attracted 314 total participants, with 255 completing both pre‐ and post‐workshop assessments and 133 completing the follow‐up surveys. Workshops significantly increased participants' confidence in hunting, reduced barriers related to inadequate knowledge and skills, and fostered positive views of hunters and hunting. Immediately after workshops, most participants said they would definitely (50%) or probably (34%) hunt in the future; 82% said they would likely (or very likely) purchase a hunting license. Over one year after the workshops, 34% of workshop participants reported having hunted, and another 45% said they would probably hunt in the future. Overall, workshops attracted a diverse population of potential hunters, increased interest in future hunting, and created hunting advocates. Findings highlight the potentially powerful impact that R3 programs focused on diverse college students can have on the future of hunting across the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common understanding and clear process to apply the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to wildlife‐related activities is crucial to promote animal welfare when conducting wildlife research and for streamlining review by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Current interpretation of the AWA and United States government policies advise that wildlife research activities be reviewed for compliance by an IACUC; however, guidance regarding which wildlife activities are categorized as research and therefore subject to review and oversight is limited. In our opinion and experience, this lack of clarity creates a challenge, particularly for natural resource agencies that conduct a range of wildlife activities, to ensure that research is properly identified for IACUC review and differentiated from management activities that are exempt from review. To fill the gap in current guidance, we propose a decision‐making model that clarifies research and management activities. We apply our model to case studies involving wildlife to highlight nuanced differences between the 2 types of activities. Wildlife agencies conducting potentially regulated activities could use this adaptable model, which has been successfully employed by the National Park Service IACUC, to clarify when the AWA might apply, streamline IACUC reviews, and promote welfare of wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote cameras are used to study demographics, ecological processes, and behavior of wildlife populations. Cameras have also been used to measure snow depth with physical snow stakes. However, concerns that physical instruments at camera sites may influence animal behavior limit installation of instruments to facilitate collecting such data. Given that snow depth data are inherently contained within images, potential insights that could be made using these data are lost. To facilitate camera‐based snow depth observations without additional equipment installation, we developed a method implemented in an R package called edger to superimpose virtual measurement devices onto images. The virtual snow stakes can be used to derive snow depth measurements. We validated the method for snow depth estimation using camera data from Latah County, Idaho, USA in winter 2020–2021. Mean bias error between the virtual snow stake and a physical snow stake was 5.8 cm; the mean absolute bias error was 8.8 cm. The mean Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency score comparing the fit of the 2 sets of measurements within each camera was 0.748, indicating good agreement. The edger package provides researchers with a means to take critical measurements for ecological studies without the use of physical objects that could alter animal behavior, and snow data at finer scales can complement other snow data sources that have coarser spatial and temporal resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choosing and executing a wild pig management strategy is often a considerable challenge for wildlife managers due to the wide variety of potential strategies and stakeholder preferences. Our research aims to understand management preferences for and tolerance of wild pigs among Texas resident hunters within 8 managerial districts of Texas. We applied the Potential for Conflict Index (PCI2) to estimate potential management preference conflicts within each district. From 24,201 questionnaires completed in 2019, we found that, on average, 74% of respondents across all management actions in each district were found to be acceptable. Resident respondents were overall intolerant of wild pigs and were least tolerant in the San Angelo district. Study findings are useful in informing socially acceptable and contextually appropriate wild pig management plans. Our research serves as an approach that matches the units of analysis with the units of management for decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is increasingly involved in the contemporary management of natural resources. Tribal wildlife management programs in the United States may be uniquely positioned to effectively and ethically integrate their IK. While a narrow focus on the body of IK and a particular management activity may suffice for project‐level integration efforts, herein we consider how IK integration at the programmatic level may be best supported. We propose a holistic conceptual framework of preconditions including sovereignty, the North American Model management, funding, cultural resources, stakeholder support, and programmatic leadership. We assess the current status and common challenges with each precondition and illustrate their potential roles for a more lasting and pervasive integration of IK into tribal wildlife management programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates of body condition or body composition are useful metrics, and consistency among results determined by independent investigators enhances their utility. If concordant, albeit subjective, assessments of body condition can be achieved by personnel possessing differing levels of expertise, there are important implications for generating useful information that otherwise may not be obtained by investigators facing logistic or economic constraints, or difficult field conditions. We used a serendipitous opportunity to explore level of agreement among personnel with disparate levels of anatomical knowledge and familiarity with palpation to index body condition of 55 bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Our preliminary results—albeit affected by sample size—suggested the investigators interpreted and applied scoring criteria similarly, despite their differing backgrounds. Given the potential to gain meaningful information on body condition that otherwise may not be attainable, we encourage further evaluation of concordance among independent investigators whenever body condition of bighorn sheep can be rated independently by >1 individual and, further, that the information be shared widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, regulations to restrict the use of lead in ammunition have evolved at both the federal and state levels since lead shot was banned for hunting waterfowl nationwide by federal regulation in 1991. Prior to 1991, most of the effort and discussions were focused on reducing lead ingestion by wildlife from, and finding alternatives for, shotgun ammunition i.e., ammunition firing multiple small projectiles from one shell. Shotgun ammunition is often used for hunting small game mammals and birds. Since then, much, but not all, of the focus has shifted to reducing lead ingestion by wildlife from, and finding alternatives for, rifle ammunition i.e., ammunition firing a single projectile. Rifle ammunition is often, but not exclusively, used for hunting large game. Herein I will review the history of regulating lead in hunting ammunition in the U.S., and discuss some of the social, scientific, economic, and technological issues regarding switching from lead to nonlead alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human health impacts of lead have been known for millennia but the environmental impacts of lead ammunition have only received attention during the past 100 years. To a large extent the United States provided leadership in identifying and researching these effects and then spearheading campaigns to transition away from lead shotgun ammunition for waterfowl hunting. However, the appetite for further federal transition has largely stalled in the U.S. except for apparently limited action linked to individual states, charismatic species, and specific sites. Europe, on the other hand, though generally rather late to the table with regard to lead shotgun ammunition and waterfowl hunting, is now pushing ahead with several initiatives that are likely to see substantial partial, if not total, restrictions on the use of all lead ammunition (for shotguns and rifles) within 5 to 10 years. We discuss the policy drivers behind these moves, summarize the key attitudes and perceived constraints to transition, and provide (cautious) timetables and limited recommendations for future changes. Our discussion will include comparisons between efforts in the U.S. and those in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is negatively affected by lead poisoning from spent lead‐based hunting ammunition. Because lead poisoning is the primary mortality factor affecting condors, the California Fish and Game Commission banned lead hunting ammunition during 2008 in the southern California condor range followed by a statewide ban implemented in 2019. In contrast, the Arizona Game and Fish Department instituted an outreach and awareness program encouraging voluntary use of nonlead hunting ammunition in the northern portion of the state during 2005 and a similar program was launched in Utah during 2012. The juxtaposition of policy tools provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the intended efforts to mitigate lead exposure in condors and their respective positive and negative effects. Herein we reflect upon the effectiveness of lead policy actions in the 3‐state region on the basis of condor blood‐lead levels, population status, and hunter awareness of the issue and use of nonlead hunting ammunition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1970 and 2010, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) approved 7 resolutions and one position statement related to lead, alternative ammunition, and wildlife management. The resolutions and statement address the following topics: transitioning from lead to nonlead shot for waterfowl hunting; addressing concerns relating to lead mobility at outdoor shooting ranges; and developing guiding principles for the future regulation of lead ammunition. We provide a brief overview of AFWA's committee structure and decision‐making processes, and also note the presence of ongoing discussions about lead ammunition in the AFWA Fish and Wildlife Health Committee and the AFWA Lead and Fish and Wildlife Health Working Group. "We describe the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' perspectives on lead, alternative ammunition, and wildlife management. Resolutions adopted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies have addressed the following topics: transitioning from lead to non‐lead shot for waterfowl hunting; lead mobility at shooting ranges; and developing guiding principles for the future regulation of lead ammunition." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most pervasive invasive species in North America. Wild pigs pose a threat to crops, livestock, and the environment, but also provide recreational hunting opportunities. There are avenues for some stakeholder groups to generate income from wild pigs, however, stakeholders vary in attitudes towards wild pigs and their management. We investigated whether financial loss and income resulting from wild pigs influenced hunter stakeholder attitudes towards their management in Texas. We examined how land use influenced hunting landowner attitudes towards wild pigs. We analyzed 22,176 responses (8,707 landowners, 13,469 nonlandowners) from Texas hunters to the Texas A&M Human Dimensions of Wild Pigs Survey. Attitudes towards wild pigs varied significantly based on landownership status and whether land was used for agricultural practices. In addition, landowners who received income from wild pigs on their land considered government or agency hunting to be a less acceptable method of control than those who did not generate such income. However, effect sizes for all our results were small (η2 ≤ 0.05, Adj. R2 ≤ 0.09, and McFadden's R2 ≤ 0.07) and, across all groups, attitudes towards wild pigs were negative. Few respondents (3.91% of landowners, 0.56% of non‐landowners) reported generating income from wild pigs, and reported losses were approximately 4 times greater than income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human‐wildlife interactions are present wherever both humans and wildlife are found. Interactions can be positive or negative for humans and can include impacts that range from damage to property, agriculture, health and human safety, to emotional effects. Livestock‐wildlife interactions form a major component of human‐wildlife conflicts with foci often centered on the implications of livestock predation by wildlife. While most vulture species are obligate scavengers, several species, including the American black vulture (Coragyps atratus), may attack weak or newborn livestock. Black vulture populations and distributions are expanding in the Midwestern U.S., and attacks create a novel problem for livestock producers. We used online and printed surveys to determine the experiences and perceived losses of producers in Indiana and Kentucky. Surveys were distributed March–July 2021. Losses to black vultures were reported by 22% of goat producers, 24% of sheep producers, 38% of cattle producers, and 44% of mixed‐livestock producers. The criteria used to determine a perceived predation event were presence of vultures on the carcass, followed by missing eyes or tongue, damage to the perineal area, reported visual observation of the kill, or presence of feathers around the carcass. Sixty‐two percent of livestock producers employed at least one mitigation technique. Common mitigation techniques included the removal of carcasses and afterbirth, followed by nonlethal harassment of vultures, modifying farm management practices, use of guard animals, lethal control, and use of effigies. With the exception of nonlethal harassment, all mitigation techniques were rated as being effective by the majority of respondents. Fifty‐three percent of respondents indicated a willingness to acquire a lethal control permit from the federal government, 70% from the state government, and 56% from the state Farm Bureau, assuming the permit was free. We found that perceived losses to black vultures generally did not exceed losses to other causes and varied widely with livestock species and age class. For cattle producers, mitigation employment and vulture sightings during the calving seasons best predicted reported predation by black vultures. For mixed livestock producers, vulture sightings during the birthing season and losses to causes other than black vultures best predicted producers reporting predation by black vultures. Our results quantify producer perceptions of conflict between livestock producers and black vultures in the Midwestern U.S. Our results can be used to develop strategies to address growing conflicts between black vultures and livestock producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex ecological and human‐influenced factors that are characteristic of chronic wasting disease (CWD) have created substantial and unique challenges for effective management in free‐ranging cervids. We sought to summarize and characterize management experiences and actions from 30 U.S. states, 4 Canadian provinces, and 3 European countries that have direct experience with CWD. We surveyed wildlife agencies that had detected CWD in their free‐ranging cervid population and collected information from journal articles, published reports, and agency webpages. We report management approaches and their apparent impacts by state, provincial, or national jurisdiction during 3 stages of response to CWD: 1) pre‐detection, 2) initial response, and 3) altered response. Agencies took a proactive approach to CWD during the pre‐detection phase; 12 of the 24 responding agencies had a weighted‐surveillance program in place and 17 had regulations aimed at disease prevention. There was no apparent difference in initial apparent prevalence of CWD among agencies with weighted surveillance in place and those without, but complicating factors, such as differing sampling methods and sample size, were present. Agencies reported 5 common surveillance strategies, and first detections were primarily from sampling hunter‐harvested deer. Bans or restrictions on interstate movement of carcasses or live animals and increased bag limits were common responses to the detection of CWD and were used by 83% and 78% of the 24 responding agencies, respectively. Similarly, adapted surveillance was a common response to CWD detection; 14 of the 24 agencies either initiated or adjusted their weighted surveillance program following detection. However, of the 20 U.S. states and 6 Canadian provinces that have not yet detected CWD, only 3 are currently applying weighted surveillance approaches to their CWD sampling efforts. As demonstrated by New York and Minnesota, localized eradication of CWD may be possible if it is detected in its emergent stage when there are few infected deer in an area. We found that 4 of the 20 U.S. states and 2 of the 6 Canadian provinces that have yet to detect CWD had a response plan available online. Further analyses to assess the impacts of various management approaches on the spatial and temporal trajectory of CWD prevalence requires more data collection and reporting, such as consistent and fine‐scale surveillance in management and control areas. We recommend that agencies be proactive in public messaging of CWD response plans well before initial detection and that cervid managers dealing with CWD collaborate regularly with one another to share their variable and collective experiences. We also recommend that agencies provide detailed public reports on CWD responses, disease progression, and management outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth can be sensitive to changes in survival rates for many avian species. Understanding sources of mortality, and how to mitigate negative effects on survival, can give managers insight into factors contributing to population change. Harvest trends of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in northeastern South Dakota suggest a decline in abundance. We investigated factors influencing survival of wild turkeys to identify potential factors contributing to the decline. We monitored 122 female wild turkeys using VHF radio transmitters from February 2017 to April 2019. Annual survival was 0.52 (95% CI = 0.33–0.64) for juvenile and 0.49 (95% CI = 0.23–0.63) for adult females, respectively. Daily survival probability was significantly lower during the spring (log‐odds ratio [LOR] = −0.9; 95% CI = −1.5–−0.2) and while a juvenile female was incubating (LOR = −0.67; 95% CI = −1.23–−0.09) but not while an adult female was incubating (LOR = −0.35; 95% CI = −0.92–0.24). Mammalian predation was the leading cause of mortality, and female wild turkeys were most vulnerable to predation during the spring while engaging in nesting and rearing of young broods. Wild turkeys were at risk for additional sources of mortality while incubating nests that were not contributors to mortality during other periods of the year, as deaths caused by haying equipment—the second greatest cause of mortality—only occurred while a female was incubating. Reducing female mortality due to haying, by delaying cutting, installing flushing bars on haying equipment, or increasing availability of suitable nesting cover types to reduce the probability of nesting in hayfields, could improve female survival. Annual survival during our study was about 16–29% lower than survival estimates from northeastern South Dakota during the 1990s, suggesting that reduced female survival could be contributing to the apparent decline in wild turkey abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density estimates for animal populations often inform conservation and management decisions. Many methods to estimate animal density exist but deciding between competing alternatives traditionally has depended upon assessing multiple factors (e.g., precision, total cost, area sampled) independently and often in an ad hoc manner. Cost‐effectiveness analysis is a tool that economists use to decide objectively between competing alternatives. We extend cost‐effectiveness analysis to simultaneously integrate precision and per‐area cost of sampling when selecting between competing techniques used to estimate animal density both after a single application of a method and across several applications of capital equipment. Our extension allows for weighting of factors that may vary with the objectives and constraints of decision makers. We apply our extension of cost‐effectiveness analysis to a case study in which population density of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was estimated in 3 large management units in Indiana, USA, using 3 competing distance‐sampling methods: fecal‐pellet, camera‐trap, and aerial sampling. The unweighted cost effectiveness of aerial sampling with color and infrared sensors was usually superior after a single application of each method and was always superior across several applications in differing landscapes. Pellet sampling was the most cost effective after a single application of each method in an agriculturally‐dominated management unit. Although camera sampling has increased in popularity, the cost effectiveness of camera sampling was poorer than the other 2 methods, even when allowing for potential future innovations to streamline data processing. Cost‐effectiveness analysis can be useful when selecting among competing methods for monitoring animal populations of conservation and management importance. The same principles used in our cost‐effectiveness analysis can be used to decide between competing alternatives related to any ecological monitoring in addition to density estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land managers in western North America often reverse succession by removing pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) trees to reduce fire risk and increase forage for wildlife and livestock. Because prescribed fire carries inherent risks, mechanical methods such as chaining, roller‐chopping, and mastication are often used. Mechanical methods differ in cost and the size of woody debris produced, and may differentially impact plant and animal responses. We implemented a randomized, complete‐block, split‐plot experiment in December 2011 in the Piceance Basin, northwestern Colorado, USA, to compare mechanical methods and to explore seeding (subplot) interactions. We assessed vegetation 1‐, 2‐, 5‐, and 6‐years post‐treatment, and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) response via GPS locations 3–8 years post‐treatment. By 2016, treated plots had 3–5 times higher perennial grass cover and ~10 times higher cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) cover than untreated control plots. Roller‐chopped plots had both the highest non‐native annual forb cover, and when seeded, the highest density of bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), a nutritious shrub used by mule deer. Masticated plots had higher bitterbrush use during summer and fall, leaving less forage available for winter. Days of winter mule deer use from GPS point locations in chained and roller‐chopped plots was ~70% higher than in control plots, while winter use in masticated plots was similar to control plots. Mule deer use appears related to a combination of hiding cover, resulting from residual woody debris, and winter forage availability. Roller‐chopped plots provide the best combination of hiding cover and winter forage, but mastication or chaining, applied leaving dispersed security cover, may be better options at large scales or when invasive species concerns exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing effective monitoring techniques for sensitive wildlife populations is essential for improving conservation outcomes. The American woodcock (Scolopax minor; hereafter woodcock) is an upland migratory game bird traditionally surveyed by documenting displaying males in spring. Surveys of displaying males are limiting in a variety of important ways such as brief detection window and male‐centric observations. Thermal technology may overcome limitations of traditional monitoring techniques by increasing detections of non‐singing woodcock, however, the efficacy of thermal imaging for detecting woodcock remains unknown. To quantify woodcock detection probability using thermal imaging, we deployed and searched for heat‐emitting woodcock mounts along transects within early‐successional habitats in central Pennsylvania during 2020. We deployed 110 woodcock mounts and successfully detected 63 (57.2%). Detection rate declined as a function of increasing vegetation density and distance from transect. Although detection probability of woodcock was imperfect, thermal cameras may provide a solution for researchers aiming to assess presence or density of woodcock when coupled with analytical methods that account for imperfect detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating wildlife abundance, particularly for rare and elusive species, is challenging because of time, cost, and methodological constraints. The Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), a federally‐listed endangered subspecies of gray wolf, is currently monitored using ground and aerial methods to obtain a minimum known population count. As the Mexican wolf population has grown and expanded, the time and cost required to monitor the subspecies has increased. We investigated the efficacy of camera trapping for estimating Mexican wolf abundance by comparing the accuracy, precision, and cost of camera trapping to those obtained with current monitoring techniques. Between 1 November 2019 and 31 July 2020, we collected 13,317 photos of wolves from 124 camera traps in Arizona where Mexican wolves were known to occur, excluding tribal lands. We used a spatial mark‐resight analysis to estimate abundance for both winter (November 2019 through February 2020) and summer (April through July 2020) seasons, with and without the assistance of global positioning system (GPS) telemetry data to identify individual wolves. Combined with GPS data, camera trapping provided a summer abundance estimate (Nˆ $\hat{N}$ = 50, 95% CI = 37–64) that was 14% lower than the 2019 minimum known population count (N = 59), but included the minimum known population count in the 95% confidence interval. The summer no telemetry abundance estimate was 27% below the minimum known population count (Nˆ $\hat{N}$ = 43, 95% CI = 30–56). During winter, abundance estimates obtained from camera trapping (no telemetry: Nˆ $\hat{N}$ = 33, 95% CI = 15–52; telemetry: Nˆ $\hat{N}$ = 45, 95% CI = 28–62), were much lower than the 2019 Mexican wolf minimum known population count (winter: N = 62), but included the minimum known population count in the 95% confidence interval for the winter telemetry dataset. A cost comparison indicated that the first‐year camera trapping equipment expenses were 1.7 times the equipment cost of the current method and that camera trapping equipment expenses in subsequent years were equivalent to the equipment cost of the current method, and required at least 1.4 times the labor hours. We provide recommendations to potentially improve Mexican wolf abundance estimates and minimize camera trapping expenses. The results of our project may help managers make appropriate decisions for their population monitoring needs, while considering budget, staffing capabilities, precision, and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation easements are an essential tool for conserving private lands, and they have great potential for enhancing wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Private land conservation in the United States is likely to increase in the coming years, in light of Executive Order No. 14,008, issued by President Joseph Biden on January 27, 2021, which set a goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 (Executive Office of the President 2021). There is, therefore, a need to evaluate the effect of conservation easements on wildlife habitat and biodiversity and to make recommendations for further enhancing the effectiveness of easements. Herein we propose a shift from primarily negative clauses and restrictive language to a more affirmative approach, developing language to proactively improve management of properties under conservation easement in order to maximize benefits to wildlife and ecosystems. In addition, we identify areas for further research on landowner perceptions and experiences regarding conservation easements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable isotopes of a consumer organism can be used to estimate the proportional utilization of food items that have different isotopic signals to estimate changes in diet over time. Using stable isotopes as biotracers has become a useful tool for investigating trophic dynamics in ecosystems. Recent advances in the theory of stable isotope dynamics and food web modeling have extended the utility of natural variations in stable isotope abundance. However, as a growing field, some potentially useful approaches to using stable isotopes remain untested. Here, we used stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) to validate their utility in examining the feeding relationships of plains sharp‐tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus jamesi; hereafter sharp‐tailed grouse) in southern Alberta, Canada. Sharp‐tailed grouse are known to consume mostly plants and opportunistically utilize insects and spiders as a high protein food source between May and October. Primary feathers obtained from hunter harvested grouse were analysed and used to estimate diet proportions of vegetation and arthropods during this time frame. Stable isotope measurements of primary feathers were able to show seasonal changes in sharp‐tailed grouse diet. Our results indicated that sharp‐tailed grouse may primarily utilize nutrients obtained from insect prey (mainly grasshoppers) for feather synthesis during molt, and that the isotope signals found in primary feathers may be a result of isotopic routing. Stable isotope data also reflected known differences among adult female and male, and juvenile grouse feeding ecology. However, model uncertainty existed due to isotopic similarity of some plant and animal food sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervid populations poses substantial economic costs, and its management is resource intensive. Control of CWD is often subject to stakeholder‐dependent strategies that require active support and participation. The development of effective CWD management strategies and policies hinges on understanding stakeholder preferences, values and decision‐making behavior. Here we provide a basis for understanding the economic impacts of CWD, which are key to developing effective management strategies. We analyze stakeholder incentives from an economic perspective and discuss the effectiveness of prior management and eradication strategies. Our analysis discusses the integration of behavioral economics into evaluations of stakeholder preferences and its effect on decision‐making to produce optimal policy and management outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of ungulates as game animals, whether for recreation, cultural tradition, or meat, is a dominant activity on public and private lands in North America and much of the world. Strategic regulation of hunting is key for managing game population abundance, age and sex structure, and distribution, with harvest rates a function of both hunter success and participation. Hunter satisfaction is often linked to success and ultimately with hunter recruitment and retention, a growing concern for wildlife agencies. Yet knowledge is lacking about what hunter characteristics or behaviors are linked with success, and how these may differ among common hunt types. We used survey and spatial data from hunters (n = 416) during a 6‐year observational study in northeastern Oregon, USA to characterize hunter traits associated with success for 3 hunt types for antlered males: rifle deer (Odocoileus spp.), archery elk (Cervus canadensis), and rifle elk. We modeled the success for rifle deer and rifle elk hunters using logistic regression models in a Bayesian hierarchical approach. Annual success rates were highly variable, ranging from 4 to 76% for rifle deer and 20 to 56% for rifle elk hunters, and from 0 to 14% for archery elk. Age distributions of hunters were similar across hunt types (x̅ $\mathop{x}\limits^{̅}$ = 47.2 years), and male hunters were ~8 times as common as females (n = 370 vs. n = 46, respectively). Success rates for men and women, however, were comparable within hunt types. Successful hunters spent more hours per day outside camp (x̅ $\mathop{x}\limits^{̅}$ = 7.4 vs. 6.4 for unsuccessful hunters) and expended a slightly larger percentage of their hunting effort on foot (x̅ $\mathop{x}\limits^{̅}$ = 87.8%) than did unsuccessful hunters (x̅ $\mathop{x}\limits^{̅}$ = 84.6%). The best model predicting success of rifle deer hunters was based on hours per day spent outside camp during the hunting hours, with each additional hour increasing odds of success by 26%. For rifle elk hunters, the best model included time outside camp and a binary covariate for scouting. The odds of success increased by 418% for hunters who scouted versus those who did not, and by 18% with each additional hour per day spent hunting outside of camp. Summed model weights indicated that hours per day outside camp and scouting were most informative, and that use of an all‐terrain vehicle, age, and experience were unrelated to hunter success. Both models performed reasonably well (correct classification rates of 0.74 and 0.70 for rifle deer and rifle elk models, respectively). Our study augmented the relatively limited published information about behavioral factors associated with successful harvest of deer and elk, and we recommend additional research to better unravel the nexus of success and hunter characteristics and behavior to help sustain recreational hunting and big game populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel technologies, such as camera traps, have expanded the opportunities for species detection, especially for rare species. Corresponding changes in data processing must occur to handle the large volume of data gathered from technology like camera traps. Automated image data processing, usually by running images through different types of computer algorithms, is an overarching goal to reduce the number of images that researchers must manually review. However, differences in camera trap setups and species characteristics can make automatic processing a challenge. Here, we evaluated the detection accuracy and efficiency of a time‐lapse triggered camera trapping technique combined with a pixel change detection algorithm as part of a monitoring program for a translocated population of the rare and federally threatened Louisiana Pinesnake (Pituophis ruthveni). We paired 5 cameras with automated pit tag readers to collect observations of P. ruthveni. We evaluated an image dataset of 1,500,187 images, collected over 7 months, both manually (i.e., researchers looking at each individual picture to determine snake presence) and automatically using a change detection algorithm. There were 18 P. ruthveni observations recorded by the tag readers, 7 of which occurred while a paired camera was not operational. Ten of the tag reader P. ruthveni observations were captured by the paired camera trap, with an additional P. ruthveni observation from a paired camera trap not recorded by the tag reader. There were 132 snake observations of 13 additional species and 18 observations of unknown snakes from the camera traps. The algorithm reduced the number of images reviewers evaluated by an average of 78.5% per camera (range = 37.3–98.7%) but had a 54.5% success rate at detecting observations of P. ruthveni (47.1% for individual images), and a slightly lower 48.9% success rate detecting other large snakes. Large snakes were 4 times more likely to be flagged by the algorithm than small snakes. Our time‐lapse triggered camera trapping technique performed well with respect to P. ruthveni detection accuracy, compared to the tag readers. However, further research is needed to improve quality assurances of camera trap image filtering and object recognition algorithms across different sites or environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 1980s, Quality Deer Management (QDM) has been used widely to manage populations of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States. Since 2000, QDM has been a catalyst behind a suite of deer management cooperatives (DMCs) forming across the United States. Although QDM has grown in popularity among North American deer hunters, large‐scale implementation of multi‐landowner DMCs relies on voluntary changes to implement structured hunter harvest behavior to achieve management goals. Therefore, a national review of how DMCs influence harvest behavior of hunters and if the DMC model works to accomplish deer management goals is warranted. We assessed if DMCs change the harvest behavior of their members, and if factors such as state, motivations, and length of membership influence change in hunter behavior. Results from our survey of 459 DMC members across 5 U.S. states found that DMC members' harvest behavior changed after joining their DMC. Deer management cooperative members reported they were more likely to harvest does, less likely to harvest yearling males, and more likely to pass on the harvest of a 3.5 year old (or younger) males after joining the DMC. When analyzed at the state level, Texas and Georgia saw the largest gains in perceived hunt quality (≥ $\ge $2.5 point gain on 1–7 scale) and QDM implementation. Motivations for joining the DMC had little impact, but length of membership influenced hunt behavior with more tenured members (>5 years of membership) being more likely to follow QDM practices. Our results suggest that DMCs serve stakeholders by increasing perceived hunt quality, assisting agency personnel with non‐regulatory avenues to address management goals, and developing a community engaged with local wildlife management. Deer management cooperatives occupy the critical nexus of agency needs and private landowner deer management objectives, often at scales larger than a single private landowner, that are necessary for effectively managing wild deer populations. Although DMCs may not be widely implemented, they may address a myriad of management objectives that public and private stakeholders desire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red‐footed booby (Sula sula) is one of the most common pantropical seabird species, but its populations have been declining in the Caribbean region and elsewhere. We used distance sampling from point‐counts to estimate population size of red‐footed boobies in Mona Island, Puerto Rico, USA, before and during the breeding season in 2019. We compared results from early morning and early night surveys to determine the best survey time given that many individuals are foraging at sea during the daylight hours but not at night. We also examined the suitability of drone photography to survey active nests (a measure of breeding pairs) and compared it to point count and transect survey data. Point count surveys show that an estimated 6,130 birds occupied the colony, which is more than double previous estimates for Mona Island. Our results also showed that to avoid underestimates, red‐footed booby colonies are best surveyed at night as they yield higher bird densities than daytime surveys. For the same reason, daytime photographic surveys with a drone underestimated population size compared to nighttime point‐count surveys. However, drones were more effective than ground surveys in detecting active nests, and thus breeding pairs, which provides a better estimate of the resident population of a colony. We recommend that nighttime surveys are tailored to site‐specific conditions to improve estimates of red‐footed boobies, while drones can save significant effort and time in monitoring numbers of active nests in the remote and rugged islands where red‐footed boobies typically nest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our collective understanding of secretive marsh birds has increased in the past decades due to the development and implementation of the North American Standardized Marsh Bird Monitoring Protocol (hereafter, Protocol). The Protocol proposes call broadcast surveys to increase vocalization and detection rates within 3 standardized survey periods aimed at surveying peak breeding activity for a suite of secretive marsh birds. We noted a trend in the literature linking occupancy modeling with the survey design from the Protocol, despite some evidence that vocalizations decline across survey periods, which could indicate lack of population closure. An underlying assumption of occupancy modeling is closure, and the Protocol was designed to focus on only birds which will remain in an area throughout the breeding season and not migrants that may only be present in the first survey period. Including migrating marsh birds, especially if a large percentage of marsh bird detections are migrants, can bias occupancy estimates and lead to erroneous density and population size estimates that may affect conclusions about habitat resource and bird associations. We urge researchers and managers to carefully consider the analytical and field techniques when designing studies for marsh birds and to not simply pair the biweekly survey design within the Protocol with occupancy modeling and ignore closure assumptions, turnover rates, and potential differences in resource use by migrating and breeding marsh birds. Specifically, we suggest that researchers consider short survey interval times (e.g., ~2 days rather than 2 weeks) or continuous call monitoring using automated recorded devices deployed for 1–2 weeks per survey location when using occupancy analysis on secretive marsh birds. We also call for future study of turnover rates, stopover duration, and vocalization rates during migration and breeding periods to better inform study designs and increase the appropriateness of statistical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) populations are declining throughout their range, which has prompted efforts to understand drivers of the decline. Ruffed grouse monitoring efforts often rely on acoustic drumming surveys, in which a surveyor listens for the distinctive drumming sound that male ruffed grouse produce during the breeding season. Field‐based drumming surveys can fail to detect ruffed grouse when the birds drum infrequently or irregularly, making this species an excellent candidate for remote acoustic sensing with automated recording units (ARUs). An accurate automated recognition method for ruffed grouse drumming could enable effective and efficient use of ARU data for monitoring efforts; however, no such tool is currently available. Here we develop an automated method for detecting ruffed grouse drumming in audio recordings. Our detector uses a signal processing pipeline designed to recognize the accelerating pattern of drumming. We show that the automated recognition method accurately and efficiently detects drumming events in a set of labeled ARU field recordings. In a case study with 56 locations in Central Pennsylvania, we compared detections of ruffed grouse from 4 survey methods: field‐based acoustic drumming surveys, surveys conducted by humans listening to ARU recordings, and automated recognition for both a 1‐day and a 28‐day period. Field‐based surveys detected drumming at 9 of 56 locations (16%), while surveys conducted by humans listening to ARU recordings detected drumming at 8 locations (14%). Using automated recognition, the 1‐day recording period produced detections at 17 locations (30%) and the 28‐day recording period produced detections at 34 locations (61%). Our case study supports the idea that automated recognition can unlock the value of ARU datasets by temporally expanding the survey period. We provide an open‐source Python implementation of the recognition method to support further use in ruffed grouse monitoring efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental assumption of many ecological studies is that researchers are studying a representative sample of the population of interest. However, fish and wildlife studies, including many telemetry studies, often rely upon data from marked individuals that are sampled opportunistically rather than randomly and may provide little information on unmarked individuals. Data that are unrepresentative at the time of marking may need to be censored until marked animal distributions are representative of the population. In the absence of additional data on unmarked individuals, evaluating the representativeness of newly marked individuals within a population of interest can be difficult. If previously marked individuals can be assumed to be spatially representative of the population, comparing the spatial distributions of different cohorts of marked individuals can provide an alternative means to assess the representativeness of newly marked animals. We used simulations to assess the effectiveness of a randomization test that compared the spatial distribution between newly marked and previously marked individuals as an alternative to recapture‐based methods for evaluating mixing of newly marked individuals with the population of interest and compared different metrics of spatial overlap. We then tested this randomization test on radio‐collared caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from 2 different herds with very different marking strategies. We found that, based on simulation results, kernel‐based metrics outperformed cluster analysis metrics and that Bhattacharyya's Affinity (BA) index of kernel overlap was a good metric to identify differences in spatial distribution between marked cohorts. The time it took for newly marked caribou to become mixed with previously marked animals was primarily related to the timing of marking in relation to seasonal movement patterns (periods of aggregation and dispersion, and seasonal differences in spatial fidelity) and the spatial distribution of marking relative to seasonal distribution. In some cases, mixing did not occur until calving aggregations formed in early June. We recommend that researchers evaluate the assumption that marked individuals are spatially representative of their study population and carefully assess sampling time and location of their marking program to increase the likelihood that marked individuals represent the population of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concurrent monitoring of multiple species with a single study design can be an efficient use of time and financial resources. Using camera traps to estimate density or abundance of multiple species is only possible if the study design captures photographs of all target species in an unbiased manner. We used camera trap data originally collected for a different purpose and applied the Space to Event (STE) model to estimate density of multiple species simultaneously. We had sufficient data to estimate densities of moose (Alces alces), black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lions (Puma concolor), wolves (Canis lupus), and deer (white‐tailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus] and mule deer [O. hemionus] combined). Our estimated densities were lower than those derived from other methods in the study area, possibly due to the lack of a sampling design specific to STE. However, our estimates were generally comparable to published density estimates from across the species' range. Our approach allowed us to estimate abundance and density for each species with the same effort required to estimate abundance of a single species. Our results suggest that with an appropriate study design, STE could be an effective, efficient, low cost and non‐invasive method for estimating densities of multiple unmarked species using a single camera array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic evidence at predation sites is rapidly improving predator‐prey interaction studies and can provide information beyond field‐based investigations. However, factors contributing to the retention of genetic evidence have received limited investigation in a field setting, and researchers have yet to leverage genetic evidence to improve traditional field investigations. Using data from 61 mortality investigations of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), white‐tailed deer (O. virginianus), and elk (Cervus canadensis), we evaluated factors influencing predator DNA amplification success and misidentification of predators in field investigations. We found that predator DNA was detected more for prey with higher body mass (18.5% increase per standard deviation [23.1 kg] in carcass body mass above the mean [32.8 kg]). Predator DNA was also 27.0% more likely to amplify when collected from kill sites that had not undergone a freeze‐thaw cycle between the mortality and the investigation. The delay between the kill and the investigation, the swabbing surface, and the amount of precipitation did not influence amplification of predator DNA. Misidentifications of the predator based on the field ID were not influenced by the investigation delay or investigator confidence level, suggesting that investigators should collect genetic evidence even when they feel certain about the predator. Errors in identifying the predator during the field investigation increased for prey with smaller body mass, and the predator was actually more likely to be misidentified than correctly identified for fawns and calves < ~21 kg. Black bears (Ursus americanus), bobcats (Lynx rufus), cougars (Puma concolor), coyotes (Canis latrans), and wolves (C. lupus) were equally likely to be missed in a field investigation, but bobcats tended to be falsely assigned more than expected and cougars were falsely assigned as the predator less than expected. Using genetic evidence as validation, we showed how patterns of predation and the field signs left by predators differed for some species depending on the size of the prey. Our findings should help researchers and managers to optimize their use of genetics to enhance field investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field‐based learning is a key element in wildlife management curriculum as it is a valuable teaching tool for natural resource topics. There are multiple constraints that restrict use of field‐based learning techniques in wildlife programs that have been complicated by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Many academic programs were forced to rapidly transition to online instruction, but despite these difficulties, there was a need to provide interactive, in the field learning opportunities for students. This necessity resulted in the development of a live streaming system to provide an interactive learning experience (Leopold Live!). In this case study, we describe the technology used in Leopold Live! to augment an online, wildlife habitat management course at Texas A&M University, and the associated challenges and adjustments needed to improve delivery in the future. We conclude that Leopold Live! serves as a potential method to meet the challenge of providing interactive, field‐based learning in a distance education setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) are ground‐dwelling forest birds found throughout New Brunswick, and likely act as an alternative host for blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), which are vectors for Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Other Galliformes are parasitized by Ixodes spp. and some are competent reservoirs of tick‐borne pathogens. Thus, we sought to identify ruffed grouse as an alternative host of blacklegged ticks by testing for active and previous infections of tick‐borne pathogens. We tested 215 ruffed grouse hearts for active infection of B. burgdorferi and tested 20 blood samples for antibodies associated with previous B. burgdorferi infections. We failed to detect active, or evidence of previous, B. burgdorferi infections in either sample type. We suggest that our results were limited by the methods of pathogen testing and thus, alternative methods should be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaginal implant transmitters (VITs) are a popular tool in ungulate parturition studies and have been used in moose (Alces alces), but their potential impact on animal performance has not been thoroughly assessed. We looked at potential short‐term impacts of VIT use on maternal condition through assessments of neonate calf mass, early calf survival, and parturition date. We also assessed long‐term impacts of VIT use on future reproduction and the inflammatory response after prolonged VIT retention through qualifying discharge at VIT removal and measures of acute phase proteins haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin. We captured 54 neonates and assessed over 900 potential parturition events of 278 adult moose over multiple years and we did not detect any evidence of a negative impact of VIT use on neonate calf mass, parturition date, or future reproduction. We did find elevated haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin levels in non‐pregnant individuals that had unintentional VIT retention past parturition, but this was not universal across all cases. We found a potential negative impact of VIT use on early calf survival which was likely driven by biased sampling. A bias can exist (i.e., left truncation) if sampling is mixed between cows that had a VIT (and, therefore, a known parturition time) and those without a VIT that were sampled opportunistically. Future evaluations need to overcome this bias when assessing early calf survival. With that caveat, we did not detect clear negative impacts of VIT use on moose and recommend late winter to early spring VIT insertion in pregnant females to minimize retention time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife managers are implementing programs to reduce abundant populations of large herbivores, such as white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in eastern North America, with renewed research interest in understanding these programs' ecological effects. To examine plant community change following culling of white‐tailed deer in oak (Quercus spp.) forests in Ohio, USA, we measured browse severity on tree seedlings and cover of 43 deer‐sensitive, native indicator plant species across 20 years spanning pre‐ (2002–2015) and post‐ (2016–2021) deer culling periods. After culling halved deer abundance from 16.7 deer/km2 to 8.6 deer/km2, browse patterns on tree seedlings reversed from most seedlings exhibiting browse damage to most being undamaged. Cover of deer‐sensitive indicator plants increased 7‐fold in the 6 years after deer culling. Five of 6 indicator plant groups (e.g., Liliaceae) and 32 of 43 indicator species (74%) increased in cover after deer culling. Rhizomatous, clonally reproducing and early flowering (May–Jun) species were generally most responsive. The rapid increase in deer‐sensitive plants after deer culling in our study is among the fastest and largest reported among eastern North American studies. The plant community resilience observed in this study could partly relate to the relatively short duration (~10 yr) that deer populations were elevated before culling began, allowing persistence of local plant regeneration potential. Deer culling enabled a moderate deer population to coexist with a rising sensitive plant population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on rare or understudied species often benefits from employing multiple survey techniques to ensure highest efficacy in detecting individuals. The plains spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius interrupta) is an uncommon mephitid historically distributed throughout much of Texas, USA. To inform the current distribution of plains spotted skunks in Texas, we integrated occurrence data from natural history collections and field surveys with data from academic, wildlife, and citizen scientist groups, resulting in 286 verified occurrence records from 1892 through 2018. We modeled historic species distribution using 64 records from natural history collections to direct surveying efforts in 13 counties using live traps, camera traps, and track plates. Field surveys and citizen science camera trap surveys resulted in 16 records while crowdsourcing resulted in 23 verified reports detailing 78 unique plains spotted skunk records. Our efforts resulted in a 49% increase in occurrence records from 1892 to 2018 (186–286) and a 1,000% increase in records since 2000 (10–110). Using our methods, researchers and managers can optimize collection of plains spotted skunk occurrence data to better understand the species, produce more robust datasets for future management, and help ensure the best science is used when drafting conservation plans for plains spotted skunks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunting can influence the abundance and distribution of animals and act as a source of conflict among recreational user groups. Thus, land managers benefit from tools that can generate information about when and where hunting occurs. We used passive acoustic monitoring to examine spatiotemporal patterns of hunting‐related gunshots at 91 locations in a protected area in Alberta, Canada. We compared 2 methods for detecting gunshots from recordings: a recognizer that used complex pattern recognition and an energy detector that detected loud sounds regardless of their acoustic features. The recognizer primarily detected faint sounds, and multiple observers showed low levels of agreement (37%) with respect to whether sounds were gunshots or not, suggesting it produced ambiguous data. The recognizer also missed many loud, clear gunshots for unknown reasons. The energy detector, in contrast, detected loud sounds upon which observers showed near‐unanimous agreement (99%) on their identity. Gunshots missed by the energy detector could be because they were too quiet (i.e., too far away to be detected). Thus, despite detecting fewer gunshots overall, the energy detector produced higher quality data that were easier to interpret. We analyzed 249 gunshots detected with the energy detector, and found that hunting was concentrated near vehicle access points and peaked on Saturdays, and that hunters largely abided by local regulations prohibiting Sunday hunting. We compared energy detector results with remote cameras, which revealed similar spatiotemporal patterns of hunting effort. Passive acoustic monitoring has the potential to allow hunting activity to be mapped and monitored with unprecedented resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swift Terrestrial Passive Acoustic Recording Unit from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, running firmware v. STM32 0.18.6.3, produced an initial 4‐sec sound anomaly in each sound (wave file) recording, created by the power‐saving features of the unit as it switches from standby to record mode. The sound anomaly had a statistically significant impact on several soundscape indices calculated from the recordings. Here, as a case study of identifying and solving this problem, I dissected the nature of the anomaly and analyzed the variable effects it has on calculated ecoacoustic soundscape indices. I used a sample of 150, 10‐min sound files, recorded during my ecoacoustics study in central boreal Alaska during 2019 (June‐August) and 2020 (April‐September), stratified by several landscape conditions and by types of sounds representing anthrophony, biophony, and geophony conditions. The sound anomaly statistically significantly biased the calculations of 7 of 13 ecoacoustic indices analyzed from all of these landscape and soundscape conditions. There is no simple correction factor that can be applied to the calculated index values to account for the effects of the anomaly. I suggest several workarounds, notably to automate a procedure to delete a specified segment of each sound file to eliminate the anomaly prior to soundscape analysis, and in general to watch and correct for such anomalies when using Autonomous Recording Units recordings in ecoacoustic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, undergraduate college students enrolled in natural resources programs came from rural backgrounds and regularly participated in fishing, hunting, and trapping (i.e., consumptive activities). Student demographics shifted considerably over the past 30 years, with more natural resources students coming from urban backgrounds with lower levels of engagement in consumptive activities. Some stakeholders and employers are concerned that misalignment between student participation in consumptive and nonconsumptive wildlife‐related activities and priorities of natural resource management authorities might result in contradicting views on consumptive activities. We sought to understand the background, participation in wildlife‐related activities, and career decision‐making process of undergraduate college students currently enrolled in natural resources programs in the early 21st century. We conducted an online survey of students enrolled in members of the National Association of University Fisheries and Wildlife Programs. We examined how demographics (including personal and family characteristics) and participation in outdoor activities shaped student decisions to pursue natural resources training in college and career choices. We received 1,376 undergraduate respondents (570 males, 806 females) representing universities and colleges in 29 U.S. states. Responding students were primarily Caucasian with the majority between 18 and 22 years old. Most identified that they regularly (>11 hr/month) spent time outdoors, and just over half acknowledged participating in hunting and fishing. Participation in hunting, fishing, and farming were lower among students identifying as female than among those identifying as male. We also found that family participation in hunting and fishing was most influential on both student involvement in consumptive activities and their decisions to pursue natural resources careers. Students with family participation in consumptive activities made natural resources career decisions in high school as compared with students whose families did not participate in consumptive activities, who waited until early college. Our study indicates that about 50% of undergraduate college students enrolled in natural resource programs do not participate in consumptive activities. Our study also highlights the importance of family participation in consumptive activities in determining school and career outcomes, with implications for student recruitment and retention practices for natural resource academic programs and employers in the early 21st century. © 2020 The Wildlife Society. The role of consumptive activities like hunting or fishing in shaping student interests in natural resources careers is changing, and we sought to understand how this change affects the career decision‐making process of undergraduate students enrolled in college‐level natural resources programs. We found that about half of recently enrolled students did not participate in consumptive activities, and that family activities were the most influential factor affecting student participation in consumptive activities and when students decided on a natural resources career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and hunters on 2 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) within the Chattahoochee National Forest of northern Georgia, USA, significantly declined in number from the 1980s to 2018. Managers were interested in understanding how they could manipulate hunter distribution according to deer management goals. To understand the spatial distribution of hunting pressure and factors driving hunter resource selection, we analyzed GPS tracking data from 58 deer hunters over the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 hunting seasons. We evaluated hunter selection on 3 spatial scales relative to elevation, slope, and distance from roads, trails, wildlife openings, deciduous forest, mixed forest, and evergreen forest. We incorporated covariates into 6 binary logistic regression models, plus a null model, within a used versus available framework. First, we compared hunter locations to available locations generated within the 2 WMAs. Elevation and distance to deciduous forest had the greatest effect on hunter selection, where hunters selected for lower elevations and closer proximity to deciduous forest. Second, we compared individual hunting bout locations to available locations generated within a buffer around the hunter's starting location with a buffer radius equal to the maximum distance they travelled from their starting location. At the bout scale, distance to wildlife openings and elevation were the most important drivers of hunter selection; hunters selected areas closer to wildlife openings and higher elevations. Third, we compared individual hunter stand locations (used) to randomly selected locations along the hunter's travel path (available). Only distance to roads and deciduous forest were significant in explaining hunter selection of stands. Hunters chose locations farther from roads and closer to deciduous forest relative to their travel paths. Mapping our WMA‐scale results revealed that only 5% of the total WMA area contained a greater relative probability of hunter selection compared to the probability of non‐selection. Our results suggest that vast refuge areas for deer likely existed on the WMAs during our study period. Manipulating hunter distribution is not necessary to aid in sustaining deer on either WMA at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camera trap time‐lapse recordings can collect vast amounts of data on wildlife in their natural settings. Transforming these data into information useful to ecologists is a major challenge. Machine learning techniques show promise for becoming important tools in the cost‐effective analysis of camera trap data, but only if they become readily available to researchers without requiring advanced computing skills and resources. We present a new suite of software tools that reduce the amount of human effort needed to segment time‐lapse, camera trap recordings in preparation for analysis. The tools incorporate a convolutional neural network trained to detect a focal species and to generate a draft video segmentation indicating the ranges of time when the focal species is present. We evaluated the utility of our neural network by comparing manual and automatic segmentations of 64 time‐lapse recordings of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows, recorded in Pinellas County, Florida, USA between 25 November 2020 and 30 November 2020. The neural network correctly found 130 of the 145 segments containing tortoises (89.7%), whereas student graders found 135 segments (93.1%). A year of experience using the new software suite in an ongoing study of gopher tortoises deploying 12 camera traps indicates one person, assisted by machine learning algorithms, can segment a week's worth of time‐lapse recordings—11.5 hours of standard‐speed video—in under 3 hours. We concluded that the use of machine learning algorithms is practical and allows researchers to process large volumes of time‐lapse data with minimal human effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forage quality surveys can provide a variety of insights into the nutritional well‐being of herbivores. Even small differences in how much of the food eaten can be digested and used for life requisites (dry matter digestibility %; DMD) can affect performance of ruminants, and thus methods for determining forage digestibility must be accurate, repeatable, and robust among laboratories and over time. In 2013, we observed levels of DMD as determined from sequential detergent fiber assays with the filter bag method and the ANKOM fiber analyzer200/200® that were greater than expected given the plant species, season, and environmental setting. Using stockpiled and previously analyzed forage samples from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, we evaluated whether fiber results had shifted since 2012, potential causes of the shifts, and whether results since 2012 aligned with data on ungulate performance. Beginning in 2012, our results indicated that sequential detergent fiber analysis began significantly overestimating DMD compared to the same samples analyzed using identical methodology prior to 2012. Magnitude of the difference increased as soluble fiber increased and overestimated DMD by up to 31 percentage points. We detected no changes in laboratory procedures (e.g., fiber bag design or origin of chemical solution) nor differences among laboratories using identical methodologies (e.g., Washington State University versus Dairy One) that might explain the shift, and thus were unable to pinpoint the cause. Results obtained prior to 2012 better explained ungulate performance (e.g., body fat, pregnancy, population trends) and thus we developed predictive equations (0.59 ≤ r2 ≤ 0.88) to align post‐2012 lab results with those obtained before 2012. Shifts in assay results and inconsistencies in laboratory methods have marked potential to affect inferences from studies of ruminant nutritional ecology. We provide recommendations for researchers using sequential detergent fiber analysis to measure DMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opportunities to hunt big game species such as elk (Cervus canadensis) are often rationed through a lottery permit system when demand for permits exceeds the population's ability to sustain harvest levels. We conducted a survey of elk hunters and would‐be elk hunters in the summer of 2016 to compare elk‐hunting constraints among 3 groups of individuals. Groups consisted of 1) individuals who possessed a landowner hunting permit at some point between 2011 and 2016 (Landowner), 2) individuals who did not possess a landowner permit but did possess a general hunting permit between 2011 and 2016 (General), and 3) individuals who had not possessed a Nebraska elk‐hunting permit of any kind between 2011 and 2016 but had attempted to draw a permit from the lottery system at least once during these years (Lottery). We used latent class regression to classify survey participants based on their responses to 7 questions related to constraints to elk hunting that were either experienced (Landowner and General) or perceived (Lottery) on a 5‐point scale (Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree). Probability of latent class membership was estimated for each hunter group. Latent class regression revealed 6 latent classes with Landowner participants most likely to belong to classes who exhibited the least difficulty negotiating all constraints. General and Lottery participants were most likely to fall into classes exhibiting more difficulty negotiating constraints related to interactions with property owners for permissions to hunt on their land. Our findings can assist policy makers and managers with tailoring lottery permit systems, particularly in locations where most of the hunting opportunity is restricted to privately owned land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) populations are believed to be declining throughout much of the United States since widespread population surveys were implemented in the mid‐1960s. However, results from the Mourning Dove Call‐Count Survey and North American Breeding Bird Survey indicate no trend for mourning doves in North Dakota. In addition, little is known about how climate and landscape factors may influence trends in mourning dove populations, especially in the northern extent of their breeding range. We used late‐summer roadside counts conducted in North Dakota from 1970–2017 (n = 3,368), along with information from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather stations and the Census of Agriculture (United State Department of Agriculture) to develop generalized linear mixed models to analyze trends and identify weather and landscape variables that may be affecting mourning dove populations in North Dakota. Our results indicated that mourning doves counted along roadside transects have declined over the last 50 years in northcentral, northeast, and southeast regions of North Dakota where agriculture activity is most intensive and total cropland currently makes up at least 65% of the total landscape. Conversely, in northwest, southwest, and southcentral regions of North Dakota, where cropland makes up less than 50% of the landscape, we detected no trends in mourning doves counted during the same period. In our weather and landscape model, area of harvested corn and soybeans had a negative effect on mourning doves counted (βˆ $\hat{\beta }$ = −0.174, SE = 0.029, 95% CI = −0.232, −0.116), whereas area of woodland had a positive effect on mourning dove abundance (βˆ $\hat{\beta }$ = 0.137, SE = 0.053, 95% CI = 0.032, 0.241). In addition, we found no evidence that temperature or precipitation were influencing mourning dove populations in North Dakota. Woodland habitat steadily declined in North Dakota during our study period. Additionally, the amount of corn and soybeans planted throughout the state has increased rapidly over the last 20 years, which has decreased cropland diversity, and this pattern of land use change is likely reducing food and cover during the nesting season. To halt declining mourning dove populations in intensively farmed regions, managers should implement conservation programs and private land initiatives that aim to provide a more balanced mix of cropland, grassland, and woodland, with reductions in corn and soybean acres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]