May 2016 Volume 58, Number 2 Katherine Edwards, Editor
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The Wildlife Society SOUTHEASTERN SECTION MAY 2016 VOLUME 58, NUMBER 2 KATHERINE EDWARDS, EDITOR PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS As our SETWS Conservation Affairs Network (CAN) is beginning to take shape and moving forward, Greetings from south Alabama! Dr. William Moore has recently stepped down as Chair of the Ad Hoc Conservation Affairs Planning Spring is well under way and so too is our summer Committee, which was developed to oversee the practicum for our wildlife students. I write this ad- formation of the CAN in the Southeastern Section. dress from Auburn’s Solon Dixon Forestry Educa- We owe William a great deal of gratitude for his out- tion Center near Andalusia, AL, surrounded by thou- standing leadership in helping us to get things off sands of acres of beautiful mature open-understory the ground. As such we are looking for a Chair of longleaf pine forests on the Center and neighboring our SETWS Conservation Affairs Committee. If you Conecuh National Forest. This is ground zero for are interested in, please contact me. both wildlife and forestry summer practicums, and with gopher tortoises, red-cockaded woodpeckers, As you read this newsletter, please be aware of the Bachman’s sparrows, and some recently re-intro- opportunities to nominate deserving individuals for duced indigo snakes just a stone’s throw away, it’s awards this year. In particular, the Southeastern not a bad place to spend some time in the field. This Wildlife Management Excellence Award and the C. 6-week course is exhausting for both students and W. Watson Lifetime Achievement Award are two of faculty as we’re up early to watch the world awak- the Southeastern’s most prestigious honors. There en and collect some bird point count data or check are A LOT of outstanding professionals out there small mammal traps while spending the balance of who need to be recognized for the great work they the day learning new field techniques and analysis do or the great accomplishments and contributions methods. But working with, teaching, and mentor- they have made to the wildlife resources. Please ing these future professionals is the most rewarding consider taking the time to nominate these outstand- aspect of my job. It’s a busy time of year so I’ll keep ing professionals. Nominations are being accepted this brief with just a few items. now, and the awards will be given at the 2016 South- eastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies A big thanks goes out to the Eastern Kentucky Uni- Annual Conference, October 16-19 in Baton Rouge, versity Student Chapter and their Advisor Dr. David LA. Also, registration is now open for The Wildlife Brown for hosting such a fabulous conclave event this past March. The1st Place honors went to the University of Georgia followed by Murray State Uni- versity in 2nd Place while the University of Tennes- see-Knoxville captured 3rd Place. With approximate- President’s Address 1 ly 400 students from 23 schools competing in this SE Section Representative Report 2 year’s conclave, the Southeastern Wildlife Conclave Committee Reports 3 continues to be the largest TWS conclave and the State Reports 4 envy of other Sections. Every year I attend conclave Nominations 25 and see all of these energetic and brilliant students I Meetings of Interest 28 feel confident the future of our natural resources will Member Application 29 be in good hands. Mississippi State University will be the host for next year’s conclave! Society Annual Conference. I’ve spoken with several North Carolina Chapter members and they’re working (and have been for quite some time) to make this a great conference. Let’s make this the biggest TWS an- nual conference to date! Have a safe, productive, and relaxing summer. And remember, get outdoors, it’s a great place to be! Mark Smith President, Southeastern Section TWS SOUTHEASTERN SECTION REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT Greetings Fellow Wildlifers! two journals in recent issues of JWM and WSB. An overview of the differences can be found on the I hope this spring is providing an opportunity for you TWS website http://wildlife.org/tws-premier-jour- to spend some time outdoors enjoying the natural nals-plan-new-initiatives/. resources that attracted us into our profession. In southern Georgia, spring is short-lived and green- Several new member benefits also are in the works. up seems to occur virtually overnight. If you take a The Wildlife Society is currently in negotiations brief trip, you may return to find yourself experienc- with Wiley to provide enhanced member benefits ing summer heat and humidity. associated with our publications. Another mem- ber benefit should be rolled out shortly; TWS staff During the last few months, I have had the plea- have been developing a searchable membership sure of attending the Tennessee and Florida TWS database. Once this database becomes available, Chapter meetings. Both meetings were well orga- members will be able to search for TWS members nized and well attended. Student attendance was based on a number of criteria (e.g., state of resi- particularly encouraging. If my memory is correct, dency, expertise, certification, etc.). Also, Council it seems there were students from 7 different uni- approved official status for the Hunting, Trapping, versities at both meeting. To both chapters, I thank and Conservation Working Group. If you are in- you for your hospitality and for allowing me time terested in how hunting and trapping promote con- provide updates from the parent Society. servation of wildlife resources, I encourage you to consider joining. In March, TWS Council met in Pittsburgh prior to the 81st North American Wildlife and Natural Re- As a reminder, this year’s TWS annual meeting will sources Conference. During the Council meeting, be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, October 15 – it was emphasized that much progress has been 19. It is not often that this meeting is held in the made regarding our financial footing. Income con- Southeast, so I hope you will be able to attend. tinues to exceed expenses and TWS expenses are There should be much of interest to all wildlife pro- paid entirely from the operating fund. As a result fessionals. we have a growing ‘rainy day fund’. All this to say that your Society is doing well financially. By the time you read this, many award nomination deadlines will have passed. I am hopeful that many New guidelines have been implemented with re- deserving individuals from the Southeastern Sec- gard to the Journal of Wildlife Management and tion were nominated. I encourage you to familiar- the Wildlife Society Bulletin. Editors Paul Kraus- ize yourself with the various TWS awards and to man (JWM) and David Houkos (WSB) recently consider nominating colleagues in the future. developed unified author guidelines to help fa- cilitate manuscript preparation (see http://wild- Finally, feel free to contact me with any questions or life.org/publications/ for more information). Be- concerns regarding The Wildlife Society. My email cause potential authors have expressed some is [email protected]. confusion regarding which TWS journal is the more appropriate outlet for their work, the Edi- Mike Conner tors have explained the distinction between the Southeastern Section Representative 2 COMMITTEE REPORTS DEER COMMITTEE activities that advance their members professional development and the goals of TWS. Guidelines for the chapter award can be obtained from the S.E. Southeast Deer Study Group Meeting Hosted by Section President and must be turned in by June North Carolina 30, 2016. The 2016 Southeast Deer Study Group was hosted Andy Madison, [email protected] by the North Carolina Division of Wildlife Manage- ment. Special thanks go to Jonathan Shaw, Deer C.W. WATSON AWARD COMMITTEE Program Coordinator, for his leadership for the meet- ing, which had 302 registrants. , J. Scott Osborn Nominations are being sought for the 2016 Clar- North Carolina Division of Wildlife, retired, received ence W. Watson Award. This annual award will be the Career Achievement Award. , Becky Shuman presented at the Southeastern Association of Fish a graduate student from University of Georgia won and Wildlife Agencies Annual Conference in Baton the outstanding student oral presentation award, Rouge, LA, October 16-19, 2016. The Clarence W. while from Texas A&M University Lindsey Phillips Watson Award is the most prestigious award given – Kingsville, won the outstanding student poster pre- at the conference and is presented to the career sentation award. The 2017 conference will be hosted individual who, in the opinion of the Award Commit- by Missouri Department of Conservation February tee, has made the greatest contribution to wildlife or 27 – March 1, 2017 at the Hilton Frontenac in St. fish conservation during the previous year or years. Louis. Consideration includes research, administration, law enforcement, information and education, wild- Steve Demarais, [email protected] life management, fish management, teachers, and students. Preference is given to nominees in the STUDENT AWARDS COMMITTEE Southeast. The award is a mounted bronze plaque presented jointly by the Southeastern Section of the Wildlife Society, the Southern Division of the TWS Student awards will be presented at the American Fisheries Society, and the Southeastern upcoming SEAFWA Conference, to be held in Ba- Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. ton Rouge, LA. Eligibility for poster and presenta- tion awards includes students who have gradu- Additional information and nomination format can ated within one year prior to the meeting and are be found on page 25 of this newsletter. Selection presenting on their research conducted as a will be based on specific accomplishment(s) and student. If you have or know of student presenters other information included in the letter of nomina- in the wildlife sessions please encourage them to tion.