Annual Research Highlights
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Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Annual Research Highlights Volume X, Jan. 2019 Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Annual Research Highlights 2016 -2017 Volume X, Jan. 2019 Our Mission: To conserve and enhance fish and wildlife resources and provide opportunity for hunting, fishing, trapping, boating and other wildlife related activities. COVER: American bullfrog / John MacGregor Foreword Bear den research / Kevin Kelly esearch and monitoring are key vigilance in the conservation of the fish Nearly all of the projects included in Rsteps towards conserving and and wildlife resources that we hold in this document are partially or fully enhancing fish, wildlife, and habitat re- trust for the public. The 2016-2017 funded by federal programs including sources throughout the Commonwealth. KDFWR Research Highlights docu- the Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman- To effectively manage a species it is ment represents targeted efforts by KD- Robertson), the Sport Fish Restoration vital to fully understand its ecology and FWR and partners to fulfill statewide Program (Dingell-Johnson), the State behavior along with its responses to conservation goals. Wildlife Grant Program (SWG), and management activities. As stewards of the Cooperative Endangered Species Kentucky’s fish and wildlife, it is our Funding Sources and Guide to Conservation Fund (Section 6). job to ensure seasons and bag limits are Federal Programs These federal programs serve a va- sustainable and to determine if man- KDFWR relies on hunting and riety of purposes; however, each has an agement actions are achieving desired fishing license fees, boat registration underlying goal of fish, wildlife, and/ goals. The following project summa- fees, and federal programs to fund or habitat conservation. Brief descrip- ries serve as a testament to KDFWR’s the seven divisions within KDFWR. tions of each of these programs are as 2 Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources FOREWORD Federal Funding Source Program Goal Wildlife To restore, conserve, manage and Restoration Act enhance wild birds and mammals (Pittman-Robertson) and their habitats To fund fishery management Sport Fish Restoration projects, boating access, and aquatic (Dingell-Johnson) Program education Cooperative To fund conservation projects Endangered Species for candidate, proposed, or listed Conservation Fund species (Section 6) To develop and implement programs that benefit wildlife and State Wildlife Grant their habitats; specifically, species (SWG) Program and habitats of conservation concern Raising freshwater mussels at the Center for Mollusk Conservation / Obie Williams follows: KDFWR in 2017, while the sale of Citations for all published research These federal programs provided hunting and fishing licenses provided with Kentucky Department of approximately 19.9 million dollars to more than 28.5 million dollars- over Fish and Wildlife involvement are half of KDFWR’s budget included in the Table of Contents. For (see Figure 1). For refer- projects that have been completed $680,022 $2,155,079 and not yet published, a detailed $686,746 ence, we have included the state and federal funding summary will be included in the $3,431,378 sources for each project; first portion (“completed projects”) however, these projects of the document. For projects that may be additionally sup- began in 2016-2017, a brief 1-page plemented by outside fund- overview of the project is included in ing provided by non-profit the second portion (“new projects”) $28,553,263 organizations or universi- of the document. A comprehensive $19,897,559 ties. For each project sum- project reference guide lists all projects mary, we also identify the included in Research Highlights specific goals addressed by documents, beginning with publication either Kentucky’s Strategic year 2007. Plan or Kentucky’s State Wildlife Action Plan, the two guiding documents for Wildlife our agency. Hunting & Fishing Licenses Management Areas Please use the following Federal Reimbursement Camp Fees How to Use This citation when referencing this Boat Registration Document document: Other This document is Kentucky Department of Fish divided into four main and Wildlife Resources Annual Re- sections: published search Highlights, 2016-2017. Volume Figure 1. Kentucky Department of Fish and research, completed X. Publication of the Wildlife and Wildlife Resources Funding Sources 2017. projects, new projects, Fisheries Divisions. January, 2019, Total revenues for 2017 were $55,404,046. and project updates. 93 pp. Annual Research Highlights 2016-2017 3 Table of Contents Survey and Assessment of the Fish Fauna of the Published Research Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall, Contact Program Coordinator Laura Burford McCracken, and Graves Counties, Kentucky ([email protected]) for reprints of these publications. Long, J.M., D. Stewart, J. Shiflet, D. Balsman, and D. Shoup. 2017. Bait type influences on catch and by catch in tandem hoop nets set in reservoirs. Fisheries New Projects Research 186(2017)102-108. These projects began in 2016-2017. Slankard, K. and G. Sprandel. 2017. Monitoring bird Fisheries response to forest stand improvement on Kentucky Wildlife Management Areas. The Kentucky Warbler Distribution and Status of Rare and Endemic Fishes in 93(3):59-69. the Barren River Drainage, Kentucky Taylor, L., K. Slankard, and P. Hahs. 2017. The Evaluation of Angling Effort Using Remote Cameras recovery and current distribution of nesting ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Kentucky. The Kentucky Survey of the Fishes of the Lower Ohio River Drainage Warbler 93(4):87-93. in the Coastal Plain Province of Western Kentucky Completed Projects and Monitoring Project Updates Summaries This section includes brief updates for selected projects that began prior to 2016-2017. Wildlife WILDLIFE Monitoring Songbird Response to Forest Stand Improvement on Kentucky Wildlife Management Statewide Osprey Survey Update Areas Summary of West Nile Virus Surveillance in Kentucky Ruffed Grouse FISHERIES Winter Distribution of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in Kentucky Alligator Gar Propagation and Restoration in Western Kentucky Control and Containment of Asian Carp in the Ohio Fisheries River Ichthyofaunal Survey and Assessment of Fish Species of Cumberland Darter (Etheostoma susanae) Restoration Greatest Conservation Need in the Red River, Lower Monitoring in Cogur Fork, Upper Cumberland River Cumberland River Drainage, Kentucky Drainage, Kentucky Status Survey of the Goldstripe Darter, Etheostoma Evaluation of a 36-inch Min. Length Limit on parvipinne, in Kentucky Muskellunge at Three Kentucky Reservoirs Status Survey of the Redside Dace, Clinostomus Evaluation of Stocking Original and Reciprocal elongatus, in Kentucky Cross Hybrid Striped Bass in Three Kentucky Impoundments 4 Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources TABLE of CONTENTS The Fishing in Neighborhoods (FINs) Program: Providing Fishing Opportunities to Residents in Cities across the Commonwealth Impacts of Asian Carp Harvest Program on Sportfish in Kentucky Kentucky Arrow Darter (Etheostoma spilotum) Restoration Monitoring in Long Fork, Red Bird River Drainage, Kentucky Lake Sturgeon Restoration in the Upper Cumberland River Drainage in Kentucky Monitoring and Evaluation of Asian Carp on the Ohio River Silver Carp Demographics Targeted Sampling for Fish Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Kentucky Using telemetry to monitor the movements and distribution of Asian Carp in the Ohio River Assessment of Statewide Size and Creel Limits on Smallmouth Bass in Old Pool 6 of Green River Evaluation of Muskellunge Stockings in the Kentucky River Evaluation of New Commercial and Recreational Regulations on Catfish in the Ohio River Investigation of the Restoration of Native Walleye in the Upper Barren River Lake Sturgeon Restoration in the Cumberland River Ohio River Sander Investigations Warmwater Streams Sport Fish Surveys Appendix This section includes references for projects from 2007- 2017...................................................................................82 KDFWR Contacts More information regarding the project summaries within this publication can be obtained by contacting the listed KDFWR contacts ..............................................................93 Osprey with trout / John Williams Annual Research Highlights 2016-2017 5 Wildlife Biologists prepare electrofishing equipment for population sampling / Obie Williams Completed Projects 6 Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources Wildlife / COMPLETED PROJECTS AND MONITORING SUMMARIES Winter Distribution of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in Kentucky Loren Taylor and Kate Slankard Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Abstract The winter distribution and abundance of Golden Eagles in the eastern United States is poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we participated in the “Appalachian Eagle Monitoring Program,” where we monitored wintering Golden Eagles across Kentucky, utilizing a network of camera traps from 2012-2017. We verified the occurrence of Golden Eagles by reviewing trail camera images and calculated the frequency of Golden Two Golden Eagles visit a camera trap at Bernheim Forest in 2013. Eagle presence and maximum count of individuals for each area. Through this study, we were able to better map the U.S., but no nesting activity has been rare transient and winter resident, winter distribution of Golden Eagles confirmed in the eastern U.S. since the occurring regularly