Wildlife Projects, Age Level 13-15 Activity Book

Wildlife Projects 13-15 Projects

Butterfly Buffet Estuaries: Nature's Water Filters Farming for Wildlife Houses for Wood Ducks Hunting and Fishing Sportsmanship Pond Management: Good Fishing in the Balance Sharing Space with Wildlife Monitoring Macroinvertebrates Talking Turkey Urban Wildlife: Our Animal Neighbors Wild Game: From Field to Table Would You Like to be a Wildlife Professional?

Writing Team: Carla Burgess - Freelance Writer June Lioret - Editor Ed Maxa - Co-Principal Investigator Christopher Moorman - Co-Principal Investigator Lucy Ringland - WebMaster Kimberly Schott - Graphic Design and Illustrations

Contributing Authors: Jim Armstrong, Extension Wildlife Specialist, Auburn University Jeff Beane, Curator of Herpetology, NC State Museum of Natural Science Peter Bromley, Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife Program Coordinator, NCSU Carla Burgess, Freelance writer, Raleigh, NC John Connors, Coordinator - Naturalist Center - NC Museum of Science Candace Cummings, Extension Wildlife Associate, Clemson University Rick Hamilton, Extension Specialist, NCSU Craig Harper, Assistant Professor, Extension Wildlife Specialist, University of Tennessee Shawn Hopson, Wildlife Enforcement Officer, VA Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries Ed Maxa, Associate Professor, Extension 4-H Specialist-Curriculum, NCSU Christopher Moorman, Assistant Professor, Extension Wildlife Specialist, NCSU James Rice, Professor, Extension Fisheries Specialist, NCSU Renee Strnad, Environmental Educator, NCSU Rick Willey, Extension 4-H Natural Resources Specialist, Clemson University David K. Woodward, Wildlife Research Assistant, NCSU Charles Yelton, Environmental Educator, Mecklenburg County Govt, Charlotte, NC David Wojnowski, Coordinator of North Carolina Stream Watch

Adapted from the Southeast Regional 4-H Wildlife Series. Funding support provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Resource Renewal Extension Act, and the North Carolina 4-H Curriculum Fund.

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15 Butterfly Buffet Life Skill: Critical thinking Project Skills: Identifying butterfly species and their nectar sources

Objective: Observe wild butterflies and their feeding habits, record findings, and make recommendations

Success Indicator: Participants keep detailed records of observations and recommend which plants would be most beneficial to local butterflies

Trailhead Most people enjoy having butterflies visit their flower gardens. These insects are colorful, active during the day, and interesting to watch. Many gardeners find satisfaction in cultivating plants to attract butterflies. Why do butterflies come to flowers? What do they do while they are there? The diet of most

butterflies consists of nectar. When a butterfly lands on a suitable flower, it unfurls a drinking tube, the proboscis [pronounced pro-BOS-cis], that probes the flower to find nectar. But why do butterflies come to some flowers and ignore others?

Provisions Needed ■ Binoculars ■ Butterfly field guide

(see Suggested Reading) ■ Flower field guide (see Suggested Reading) ■ Notebook ■ Pencil

pro-BOS-cis

Trailblazing

Visit several flower gardens in local parks or in your neighborhood. Choose sunny days from May through September, when butterflies most likely are active. Make notes about the species of flowers that attract butterflies and those that don’t. Use a field guide to help

identify the butterfly species and the flowers they visit. Which butterflies are most common? Develop a table that compares the butterfly species and their numbers with the types of flowers visited. Make notes on the flowers that butterflies avoided. Your goal: If you were to advise a local gardener about plantings that would be attractive to butterflies throughout the growing season, what would you recommend?

18 U.S.C. 707

1

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

Butterfly Buffet Things to consider ■ Most butterflies avoid shady spots. ■ Butterflies won’t start flying until the

lifecycle of a monarch butterfly

egg

day warms up, usually after 9 a.m. ■ Some butterflies don’t drink nectar; instead, they may drink from oozing sap, rotten fruit, or even dung. Can you think of any research opportunities here? ■ Some butterfly species are singlebrooded (only one generation per year), while others have two or more broods

caterpillar

chrysalis

during a season. Most adult butterflies fly for only one to two weeks, so there may be periods when butterflies are more abundant. ■ At least one butterfly species, the cabbage butterfly (introduced from Europe), is considered a pest in the garden.

Suggested Reading ■ Evans, Howard Ensign. Life on a Little-

Known Planet. New York: The Lyons Press. 1993. ■ Glassberg, Jeffery. Butterflies through Binoculars, The East. New York: Oxford University Press. 1999. ■ Pyle, Robert Michael. The Audubon Society Handbook for Butterfly Watchers. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. 1984. ■ Stokes, Donald. A Guide to Observing Insect Lives. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. 1983.

FieldGuide ■ Like many insects, butterflies have compound

eyes (many simple eyes

grouped together into two larger eyes) that have keen color receptors but focus poorly. They also have scent receptors on their antennae. When seeking nectar, butterflies cue in on the color and scent of a flower, then explore their potential meal with taste receptors on the pads of their feet. ■ Butterflies with longer drinking

tubes feed on flowers with deep tubular

flowers; those with shorter ones visit shallow flowers. ■ Butterflies visit plants for reasons other than drinking nectar. The larvae

(caterpillars) of most North American butterflies feed on the leaves, flowers, or fruit of plants. Most butterflies are host-specific—that is, their caterpillars can feed on only one or a few species of plants; this dependency limits the range of some species. Many gardeners invite butterflies to lay their eggs by planting food or host plants for caterpillars alongside nectar sources. ■ Each species of butterfly has its own life history. The last generation of swallowtails

in a season will spend the winter as a pupa or chrysalis, while the last generation of monarch butterflies will emerge as adults then migrate to Mexico.

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emerging adult

Butterfly Buffet The Extra Mile swallowtail caterpillar

Certain butterfly species can be raised easily from egg to adult.* The black swallowtail butterfly is abundant across the Southeast and will lay eggs readily on potted plantings of parsley, dill, or fennel. Try leaving these plants in a sunny garden location, and check them every couple of days from spring to fall for hatchling caterpillars. The tiny hatchlings are black with a white saddle mark across their backs; they look like bird droppings. Once you find caterpillars, place the plant in an aquarium and cover with a screened top. Place the aquarium under a shaded porch. Make sure there is sufficient food, and every couple of days empty the aquarium of all frass (caterpillar droppings) to reduce the chance of disease among the caterpillars. Keep notes: When does the caterpillar shed its skin? How many times does it shed its skin? Does it change color? When does it pupate? How long before it emerges as a butterfly? You might compare the rate of successful emergence between caterpillars in a protected enclosure and those left out in the open. *We discourage releasing butterflies hatched from pupa purchased through catalogs. Such releases increase the chance of spreading exotic diseases through wild butterfly populations and introduce non-native species or genetically different individuals into your local wild butterfly population.

Field Notes

share

process

■ Which types of flowers are most attractive to butterflies? What are some common

traits among these flowers that might attract butterflies? ■ What butterfly behavior, other than “nectaring,” did you observe in the garden? What do you think these behaviors meant? ■ How might you prolong your butterfly season? ■ Do you think you would find more butterflies in a wild meadow, deep woods,

or a suburban garden? Why? ■ How do you think pesticide use in a garden setting would affect butterflies? ■ Why might butterflies choose to lay their eggs on native plants rather than on ornamentals?

generalize apply

■ How have you made observations and analyzed data before? ■ In what other ways could you apply the critical thinking skills you learned from

observing butterflies and their food sources? Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

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Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-60W E02-39001

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15

Estuaries: Nature’s Water Filters Life Skill: Wise use of resources Project Skills: Modeling an estuary; exploring land

Provisions Needed

Activity 1 ■ 13" x 9" sturdy Objective 1: Learn the role of intact wetlands and paint tray estuaries in protecting water quality ■ Modeling clay Objective 2: Learn how stormwater runoff affects the (black or brown) estuarine environment ■ Sponge (must be as wide as the pan) Success Indicator: Participants build a model of a wetland ■ Spray bottle or and its functions or map how stormwater flows between their watering can neighborhoods and the ocean ■ Soil ■ Food coloring Trailhead (dark colors substances out of the sea. This natural Have you ever noticed how the work best) filter, called an estuary, also is home to water in streams and rivers gets muddy many of the shellfish we eat, an important ■ Measuring cup after it rains? The water is filled with soil, habitat for birds, and the base of many chemicals from agricultural fields and Activity 2 coastal economies. An estuary is a neighborhood lawns, trash, and other ■ Topographical and place where fresh water mixes debris. Eventually it all flows toward the highway maps ocean. But nature has a natural filter that with salt water. helps keep most of these unwanted use and water quality

you can

build a

Trailblazing Do at least one of the following activities. Activity 1: Create a model that demonstrates how estuaries and other wetlands help cleanse water.

wetland model

1. Place the modeling clay in half of the pan to represent land. Shape the clay so that it gradually slopes down to the empty half of the pan, which represents the ocean. Smooth the clay along edges of the pan to create a seal. You can also create shallow trenches in the clay to represent streams running into the body of water. 2. To create your wetland, cut the sponge so that it fills the width of the pan along the edge of the clay. Make sure the sponge is a tight fit.

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18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

entually v e a

lows to f e ocea wa h t ll w a ter n rd

Estuaries: Nature’s Water Filters

3. Measure 1 cup of water into the spray bottle or watering can. Spray or pour all of the cup of “rain” onto the land in your wetland model. Gently squeeze the sponge into the measuring cup to see how much rain the wetland captured. How much made it into the ocean? 4. Empty the water from the pan and spread a thin layer of soil over the clay. Gently make it rain again. Imagine that the soil represents an area that was cleared for the construction of a new hotel. What happened this time? 5. Empty all the water and soil from the pan. Add a couple of drops of food coloring to the water to represent chemical pollution. Make it rain on your wetland again. What color is the water in the

ocean? Is it lighter or darker than the rainwater? Why? 6. Empty the pan and remove the wetland buffer strip. Do steps 3 through 5 again. Record your observations for comparison. Activity 2: Research where storm drains in your neighborhood empty. Where does rainwater in your neighborhood go? Track all bodies of water that eventually carry rainwater from your neighborhood to the ocean. Prepare a map or diagram that demonstrates how stormwater flows. What actions in your neighborhood could positively and negatively change the quality of the water that enters the storm drain or local water body?

FieldGuide ■ Few plants can live in salt

marshes, but the salt marsh

cordgrass Spartina alterniflora is common. Cordgrass and other marsh grasses help clean the water by trapping solid particles like silt. Many marsh plants are adapted to absorb excess nutrients from the water, thereby helping prevent blooms—or excessive growth —of algae that can eventually deplete the water of needed oxygen and kill fish. Marshes also slow the flow of water, allowing many solid particles to settle out.

the ocean’s

nursery

■ Estuaries serve as the ocean’s nursery. In an estuary, there are not as many large

predators, and the salt marsh provides plants for shelter and protection. Many species of fish, shrimp, and crabs begin their lives in an estuary. In fact, 90 percent of fish and shellfish targeted in commercial and recreational fishing spend some part of their lives in an estuary.

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Estuaries: Nature’s Water Filters asses gr

tritus de

phy

zo

many plants in a salt marsh, few animals actually eat the live plants. Instead, plants become a vital food source after they die and decay. Bits of decomposing plants are called detritus. Because bacteria and fungi already have begun to break the dead plant material down into an lankt p easily digestible form, detritus is a great food source in the estuary. o When detritus is eaten, all the bacteria and fungi are digested. Phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants that float in water, receive the nutrients they need from detritus. Microscopic floating animals called zooplankton feed on the phytoplankton and detritus, which in turn are eaten by shrimp. This is the beginning of an estuarine food chain. Estuarine food chains are interconnected, meaning many plants and animals depend on each other to survive. Everything in an estuary gets used eventually. When food chains overlap, they become food webs.

n to

lan top k

for young animals. Though there are

on

nutrients

■ Estuaries are packed with food

im shr p

The Extra Mile fish

estuarine food chain

Make a fancy model wetland for a demonstration. Use household items to represent wetland plants and animals. Glue pieces of green sponge to a twig for a tree, or paint a pinecone green. Use pine needles as salt marsh cordgrass and green toothpicks and brown clay for cattails. Use clay to make wetland animals, or cut pictures from a magazine and place them in your model with toothpicks. Demonstrate your experiments to a group of people.

Field Notes

share

■ What happened when you removed the wetland buffer strip in your model? ■ What did you learn about wise use of resources during your activity?

process

■ What would happen if we didn’t have estuaries? ■ What would happen if animals become absent from the food web? ■ Is there a limit to a wetland’s ability to remove pollutants from water? Why? ■ How do activities on land affect the health of rivers and estuaries?

generalize

■ If you don’t live near an ocean, how can the health of an estuary affect you? ■ How do people use their resources compared to a natural system such as an estuary?

apply

■ How can you use what you learned to live your own life more efficiently?

Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

3

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-50W E01-38978

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15 Farming for Wildlife Life Skill: Wise use of resources Project Skill: Enhancing wildlife habitat through food planting Objective: Learn how to plant food plots and manipulate the

Provisions Needed ■

Minimum 1/4 acre seed bank to improve food resources for white-tailed deer and planting plot other wildlife species ■ Commercial mix of Success Indicator: Participants assess and enhance existing food grain and legumes (buckwheat, cowsupply for wildlife peas, rapeseed, corn, grain sorTrailhead ghum, clovers, and parasites. Also, high browse lines Have you ever wondered how ryegrass, oats, affect other wildlife species, such as songpeople actually manage wildlife? After rye, and wheat) birds and rabbits, which need low-growall, it’s hard to tell wild animals what to ■ Seed inoculant ing vegetation for nesting and places to do. Wildlife managers typically manage ■ Herbicide escape from predators. To allow plants wildlife by improving their habitat (food, ■ Fertilizer to regenerate, wildlife managers might water, cover, and space) and controlling ■ Soil test kit the amount of hunting. Wildlife managers allow additional hunting in the area to ■ Tractor, broadcast work to keep deer and other wildlife pop- reduce the number of deer. Over time, spreader, cultithis would allow low-growing vegetation ulations below the carrying capacity packer, disc to return, providing additional food for of a given area. Carrying capacity is deer once again. the maximum number of animals Habitat also might that an area can support. deer can browse all of be managed by planting the available vegetation crops and trees, discing When deer become too numerous on from the ground to strips in fields, a piece of property, they can eat—or a height of using prescribed browse—all of the available vegetation burning on fields from the ground to a height of 5 feet, and woodlots, forming what is called a browse line. and cutting and/or With little left to eat, deer become malthinning forest stands. nourished and are weakened by disease

5 feet

Trailblazing You can help manage habitat for white-tailed deer by directly and indirectly stimulating food production. If you do not have access to farmland, your county Extension agent may be able to help you identify a cooperating landowner.

Prime deer habitat may exist on private farmland where there is an abundance of oak woodlots (providing

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18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

Farming for Wildlife mast, or nuts, such as acorns), young pine or cedar thickets (providing cover), and agricultural crops (corn, alfalfa, etc.) interspersed in a manner that provides lots of edge. Edge is an area where two or more habitats come together.

■ Direct

acorns

Enhancement: Planting a crop is one direct way to enhance food

growth. Many different plantings are used for wildlife food plots. You can find commercial mixes at your local farm and garden supply store. These grow well in most areas, are widely adapted to a variety of soil conditions, and are relatively inexpensive.

corn

Before planting, talk with the landowner and decide on the best spot for your food plot(s). Food plots in fairly secluded areas are usually the most desirable. They should never be visible from a road. It is best if your plot is at the corner of two or three different habitats (old field, woods, creek, etc.). Food plots don’t have to be big—1/4 acre to 1 acre is a good size.

It is much better to have several small food plots than one or two big ones. For your plots to grow and be successful, it is critical that you properly analyze and prepare the soil. Your Extension agent or parent will help you with these steps. Consider the following questions as you make your plan:

?

clover

● How can you find out what type of amendments the soil

needs to produce a healthy crop? If lime or fertilizer is needed, how will you apply the amendment? ● How will you prepare the beds for planting seeds? ● Is there existing vegetation that needs to be removed or destroyed before planting? If so, how will you accomplish this?

tive a n

lesped e za

■ Indirect

Enhancement: Food

growth also can be enhanced indirectly through several methods, including discing. Seeds of weeds may lie dormant in the soil for many, many years before germinating. This collection of seeds is called the seed bank. These seeds have

2

shroom s

u The planting method you use will vary, depending on whether you’re planting a warmm season forage crop or a cool-season mixture. Some types of seeds must be covered by soil after broadcasting. Others need sunlight to germinate and should be sown on top of the ground. Some seeds require firm seed-to-soil contact. Also, some types of seed must be coated with an inoculant before sowing. Investigate the requirements for your particular planting mix. Ask your Extension agent or seed supplier for advice.

not been able to germinate and grow because they are either suppressed by competition (tall fescue, for example) or they are not close enough to the ground’s surface. By discing, seeds from the seed bank can be stimulated into germinating.

Farming for Wildlife The best place to disc is at the edges of a field. This provides a weedy patch around the field for deer and several other species of wildlife. In particular, bobwhite quail benefit from the nesting cover and seed produced by many weeds (ragweed, partridge pea, beggar’s lice, Carolina geranium, native lespedezas, etc.) in disced strips. Some of the weeds that begin growing after discing are favorite foods of deer during spring and summer.

Strips should be approximately 30 feet wide and as long as you can make them. If the field currently contains an exotic grass (tall fescue, orchardgrass, crabgrass, Bermudagrass, dallisgrass, Johnsongrass, etc.) and your objective is wildlife management, you should kill the grass cover with an appropriate herbicide. Most non-native grasses don’t provide suitable cover or forage for wildlife. Ask your Extension agent

or parent (or the landowner) to help you identify existing grasses.

Recently disced

1-2 years since discing

2-3 years since discing

Forest

Field Guide ■ During spring and summer,

forbs make up the majority of a deer’s diet. Forbs are broad-leaved herbaceous plants that include weeds and other plants, such as clover, soybeans, cowpeas, and buckwheat. In fall and winter, deer look for acorns, beechnuts, and corn—foods that are high in carbohydrates and provide lots of energy during the cold months. Leaves and twigs of woody plants, called browse, are eaten all year long; however, browse is most

important when preferred foods are not available. Examples include winters following poor acorn production or dry summers when forb availability is reduced.

Deer also eat mushrooms, a good source of phosphorus. According to diet studies conducted on white-tailed deer across the South, grasses are ranked last among foods eaten by deer. The exception to this is annual cereal grains (oats, rye, wheat) and ryegrass, which are eaten in the fall and winter.

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Farming for Wildlife ■ Establishing food

plots is a popular

method of habitat management and is an excellent way to provide additional food resources for deer and other wildlife species all year long. There are two main types of food plots, warm-season and coolseason. Food plots may be annual or perennial. Annual plants grow during one growing season, then die after the plants

mature and seed. Perennials may survive for several years if managed correctly.

Most successful food plots contain three or more plant species. They may be a mixture of annuals and perennials, but not a mixture of warm- and cool-season plants (although there are a few plants that grow well during both seasons).

The Extra Mile To monitor growth, success, and the use of your plot, place a 4-by-4-foot cage made of chicken wire in the middle of the plot to keep out deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and other animals. Record the growth of your food plot both inside and outside the exclusion cage. You will see how much the deer are eating by measuring the difference in height between the plants inside and outside the exclusion cage. Managers use this important clue to tell if additional habitat management is needed and if additional harvest through hunting is needed to keep the deer population below carrying capacity.

share

Field Notes ■ How did you decide where you would plant your forb crops? ■ How did you save money and effort in growing food plots? ■ What conclusions were you able to draw from measuring crop growth?

process

■ If managers are concerned with wildlife dying off, why do they allow hunting? ■ How did you evaluate the success of your planting? ■ How did you use good judgment in managing this project? ■ How do you think wildlife managers keep track of the numbers of deer in a given habitat?

generalize

■ Why is it necessary to manage wildlife at all? ■ How do humans use wildlife? ■ What are the pros and cons of using the indirect approach to promote native plants,

compared to directly planting food plots?

apply

■ If you can manage space and natural resources, how can you be more resourceful in

other areas of your life? ■ In what other ways can you enhance habitat through indirect methods? Direct methods? Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

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Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-52W E01-38980

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15 Houses for Wood Ducks Life Skill: Wise use of resources Project Skill: Increasing potential nesting sites for wood ducks

Objective: Collect used materials, and construct and strategically place nest boxes for wood ducks Success Indicator: Participants build usable nest boxes for wood ducks

Trailhead Have you ever passed a wet or flooded area and noticed a lot of standing dead trees, many without limbs? What appears stagnant and lifeless is actually a welcome home for many types of wildlife. Birds like woodpeckers, ducks, and songbirds depend on standing dead trees—also known as snags—as a source of insect food, shelter, and breeding places. In the South, the wood duck

is the most common cavity-nesting duck. Because they can’t excavate their own nesting sites, the ducks use holes in dead trees created by woodpeckers. Nature is a model of constant renewal and reuse of materials. You can learn a lot from a wood duck.

As recently as the early 1900s, wood ducks faced extinction because of overhunting and loss of habitat. Restrictions on hunting helped stabilize the populations, but lack of nesting sites was still a problem. Wildlife managers discovered that ducks would nest in specially constructed boxes. Construction and erection of hundreds of thousands of these boxes have allowed wood duck populations to rebuild.

snags

Provisions Needed ■

10' plank of 1" x 12" scrap lumber* ■ mounting bolt: 3/8" x 6" lag bolt and 3/8" washer ■ 2" screen door hooks and eyes ■ Wood shavings for nest material ■ backing: 2' of cresote-treated 2" x 4" lumber ■ 10 penny and 20 penny galvanized nails ■ Wood screws ■ Supporting bracket 3/16" x 1" x 12" ■ 3' x 4' piece of sheet metal ■ 1/4" roundhead stove bolts or roundhead rivets ■ Metal or wooden posts for mounting

Trailblazing You can increase available nesting sites for wood ducks by building nest boxes and erecting them at suitable sites. Check with

the manager of a local park or natural area to see if you can place nest boxes in or adjacent to bodies of water there. * To use resources most wisely, collect used or scrap lumber and sheet metal for this project. You might visit a sawmill and ask if you can have scrap material to build your nest boxes. The best wood to use, in order of decay resistance, is heartwood from the following species: black locust, red mulberry, bald cypress, eastern redcedar, black cherry, American chestnut, chestnut oak, post oak, white oak, sassafras, black walnut. Using any wood, however, is better than not constructing boxes at all. 18 U.S.C. 707 Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

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Houses for Wood Ducks

plan for wood duck nest box 3"

hook and eye

14" 1"

3" 3"

4" 2" 2" mounting bolt

4"

24"

creosote lumber

22"

shavings 2" 2"

14" x 12" top 2- 22" x 12" sides 22" x 10" front 24" x 10" back 10" x 10" bottom

10"

1"

4"

12"

side

12"

front cut on this line

predator guard overlap cut edge to dotted line

60º

cut out

36"

1/4" round-head stove bolts or round-head rivets

5" hole fits 4" post 6" hole fits 5" post 7" hole fits 6" post

1/4" holes

/ " thick

3 16

3/" 1 2

side view 81/2"

top view 12"

1" supporting bracket 3/16" x 1" x 12" strap iron

30" bottom view

2

mounted, finished box with predator guard

Houses for Wood Ducks Using the accompanying design and dimensions as a guide, construct one or more wood duck boxes. Follow the next suggestions to increase the chances that wood ducks will find and use your boxes.

☛Wooded creeks, rivers and swamps, 6 to 10 feet

above ground

flooded bottomlands, and beaver ponds are excellent locations for boxes. Wood ducks may nest as far as 1 mile from water but prefer to be closer.

☛Place only one box per 100 yards of

shoreline. Erect nest boxes 6 to 10 feet above ground or 4 to 6 feet above water. This height will allow you to inspect boxes easily with a stepladder.

☛ Add 3 to 4 inches of fresh wood

shavings to the bottom of each box for nesting material.

☛ Place nest boxes at least 10 feet from

tree limbs. This should deter raccoons and rat snakes, which love to eat wood duck eggs. Attach predator shields of galvanized sheet metal to the post or tree below all nest boxes. You can obtain sheet metal from heating and cooling companies that have scrap pieces left over from completed jobs.

3 to 4 inches of

fresh wood shavings

Field Guide ■ Wood ducks may seek nest

sites as early as late January in the deep

South, but most begin in February and March in the Southeast. Look for the hen (female) and drake (male) flying together as they search for suitable cavities. Typically, the hen will inspect the cavity while the drake waits for her, perched on a nearby limb. The hen will initiate her nest within a couple of weeks of selecting a cavity.

drake

■ The average nest contains a clutch of

12 eggs that the hen incubates for 30 days. The day after the eggs hatch, the hen flies out of the cavity and calls to her ducklings. Upon hearing her call, the ducklings climb out of the cavity using their sharp toenails and leap unharmed to the water or ground below. ■ Young wood ducks are precocial,

that is, born with feathers and able to feed themselves (unlike songbird chicks, such as robins or sparrows, which are born naked and must be fed by their parents in the nest for a couple of weeks). Wood ducks cannot fly until they are 8 to 10 weeks old. In the meantime they swim about, following the hen wherever she goes. Young wood ducks eat primarily aquatic invertebrates (water bugs) but begin to eat more plant material as they get older. By the time fall rolls around, young wood ducks eat what the adults eat—acorns, seeds, and the occasional aquatic invertebrate.

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Houses for Wood Ducks The Extra Mile Check your nest boxes at least once a year for signs of wood ducks or other wildlife species like squirrels, screech owls, bluebirds, and wrens. Mid-summer and mid-winter are good times. Carry a pocket notebook to record what you find. In summer, look through the wood shavings for eggshells and membranes—the leathery, white lining of the eggshell. See if you can determine how many eggs hatched by assembling and counting the membranes. During a mid-winter inspection, you can clean out the boxes and replenish them with fresh wood shavings.

share

process

generalize apply

Field Notes ■ What were some of the challenges you encountered in building, erecting, and

monitoring the boxes? ■ What did you find out about wood duck preferences and behavior from building and placing the nest boxes? What did you observe about the behavior of other cavity-nesting species and predators? ■ If boxes were placed in more than one wetland area, which boxes were used more

frequently? Why do you think that happened? How were the areas different? ■ What are the positive and negative impacts of additional animals in one area? What about additional humans? ■ How much money did you save by using scrap material instead of buying

new lumber? ■ In what other ways can you use natural resources more wisely at home, work,

or school? ■ In what ways might people, especially land managers, reduce the need for manmade wood duck nest boxes? Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

4

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-54W E01-38982

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15

Hunting and Fishing Sportsmanship Life Skill: Communication Project Skill: Deriving ethics Objective: Learn basic rules for being a good sportsman while hunting or fishing on another’s property

Provisions Needed ■

Notebook ■ Pen

Success Indicator: Participants make a code of ethics that is acceptable to several landowners.

Trailhead You may have heard the expression “Courtesy is contagious.” What do you think this means? How does it apply to hunting and fishing sportsmanship? If someone lets you use his or her land or pond and you abuse or misuse that privilege, you may find you are not welcomed

back. In the future, others may suffer from your actions and find the land closed to use. Good sportsmanship means respecting

landowners and property. It also means extending respect to other hunters and fishermen.

Trailblazing Interview several farmers or landowners, and find out how they feel about their land being used for hunting or fishing. Ask them about their experiences—both good and bad—in dealing with guests. After

make a list of 10 rules; this will be your code of ethics

your interview, make a list of 10 rules that, if followed, will gain the respect of the landowner and permission to use the land. This will be your code of ethics. Have a landowner read it; then ask if he or she would permit an outdoorsman to use the property if the outdoorsman followed the rules covered in your code. If not, find out why. Revise your code to incorporate the landowner’s concerns.

1

18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

Hunting and Fishing Sportsmanship Here are a few examples of good stewardship

☛Your permission to use a person’s

land is not transferable to others unless specifically stated. An invitation to hunt or fish does not mean that you may invite all your friends, unless they are specifically included in the invitation.

maintain fences. Always go through gates or gaps when possible. Close any gates behind you. Climb over woven-wire fences only at strong posts.

☛Never leave your trash—or other

people’s trash.

be a game hog ☛Fences are important for ☛Allow sufficient space between yourdon’t controlling livestock and protecting sensitive areas. It is a time-consuming chore to put up and

self and other hunters or fishermen.

☛Obey any catch limits and bag limits.

Don’t be a game hog.

The Extra Mile Sportsmanship involves using common sense and treating others as you would like to be treated. Develop a code of ethics for hunting and fishing that incorporates how you should behave toward other sportsmen and toward wildlife. Should your behavior toward other people differ from your behavior toward animals?

share process

Field Notes ■ What important concepts did you learn from interviewing landowners? ■ What did you discover that you might have missed without their ideas? ■ Which items in your code were more important or less important and why? ■ How can good communication ensure that everyone’s feelings are

accommodated? ■ What do you think it means to be a stakeholder in an issue?

generalize

■ In what other areas of your life do you examine principles of stewardship

and fairness?

apply

■ Why is it important to be able to communicate and get feedback about

problems and issues? How does this make you a better citizen? Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

2

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-56W E01-38984

E LEVEL AG

Pond Management: Good 1 3-15 Fishing in the Balance Provisions Life Skill: Critical thinking Project Skill: Assessing and managing predator/prey

Needed

■

balance in ponds

Objective: Collect information on fish populations and evaluate it to determine management recommendations

Success Indicator: Participants fish and evaluate at least one local pond

Trailhead Have you ever fished a pond and caught only a few fish or only small fish? What makes one pond a great fishing hole and another so poor? The most

important factor is the relationship between the numbers of the top predator, largemouth bass, and its main prey, bluegill sunfish (also known as bream). The overall productivity of a

pond will determine how many pounds of fish it can produce. But the balance between predators and prey determines whether those pounds are packaged in quality-size, harvestable fish, or in large numbers of stunted, undersized fish. A well-balanced pond will produce good catches of both bass and bluegills over a broad range of harvestable sizes.

bluegills

Trailblazing

are the main prey of largemouth

One easy and enjoyable way to evaluate a pond’s predator/prey balance is to fish for bass and bluegill in the pond, measure all the fish you catch, and make a graph showing the size distribution of each species. An out-of-balance pond doesn’t have to stay that way. As long as a pond contains the right species of fish and doesn’t have other major problems, balance can be restored. If you assess the pond once a year and adjust how the pond is harvested accordingly, you can have a pond back in balance and providing quality fishing within just a few years.

☛

Access to a pond at least 1 acre in size ■ Fishing equipment and bait or lures for catching both bluegills and largemouth bass ■ Yardstick or measuring tape ■ Notepad and pencil ■ Graph paper

If you want to evaluate a pond that belongs to someone else, first get the pond owner’s permission.

1

bass

18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

Pond Management: Good Fishing in the Balance Explain what you want to do and why. Tell when you would like to do the sampling and who will be involved. Then offer to provide the pond owner with a copy of your findings and recommendations. It is very difficult to keep small ponds in balance because small changes in the number of fish will have big effects. So, select a pond that is at least an acre in size. Once you have obtained per-

don’t catch all the fish in one day, but it is best to collect all the information within a few weeks.

mission and decided when to do the sampling, invite other anglers to help.

When you finish your data collection and analysis, make a list of recommendations for management of the pond. If the pond is out of balance, what

Also invite the owner. On the sampling day, explain to everyone the information you need to collect, and go fishing. Measure each caught fish

to the nearest 1/4 inch, and record the species and length on your notepad (Figure 1). Try to get lengths on 30 to 50 fish of each species. It’s OK if you

Once you have a big enough sample, count how many fish fall into each 0.5inch category (for example, 4.5 to 5 inches, 5 to 5.5 inches, etc.), and draw a bar graph on graph paper showing the size distribution of each species (Figure 2).

needs to be done to restore healthy fish populations? Refer to the “Field Guide” below for suggestions. If the pond owner agrees with your recommendations, you might offer to help with or organize the necessary harvesting.

Jones Pond May 7, 2001

10

Fish Lengths in inches:

6

Bluegill 7.75 7.5 8.25 8.0 9.0 8.75 6.25 9.25 7.5 6.75 8.5

8

Other 9.5 (shellcracker) 8.0 " 14.25 (catfish)

Bluegills

4 2

Number of Fish

Bass 11.25 11.5 12.0 10.75 12.25 9.75 11.5 11.5 11.25 11.75 12.5

Jones Pond

0 4

12

5

6

7

8

9

10

10

Bass

8 6 4 2 0 9

10

11

12

13

Length (inches)

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

2

14

15

16

Pond Management: Good Fishing in the Balance Field Guide ■ Bluegills spawn several times each

summer, producing large numbers of young that feed on small crustaceans and insect larvae. These small fish are the main prey of largemouth bass. The relationship between bluegill reproduction and bass predation determines pond balance. ■ A balanced pond will produce

bluegills 6 inches and larger and bass averaging 1 or 2 pounds, with some smaller and larger sizes caught. ■ If bass numbers are low, large

numbers of bluegills will survive the first year of life and grow to 3 or 4 inches. But there is only a limited amount of food to go around; as the number of bluegills competing for food increases, their growth will slow. The result is a stunted bluegill population with very few large specimens. There may be a few bass in a pond like this that are big enough to eat the stunted bluegills, but overall bass numbers will remain low because there aren’t enough small bluegills to support smaller bass.

the relationship between bluegill reproduction and bass predation determines pond balance.

abundant, almost all the newly hatched bluegills will be eaten before they are 2 inches long. The bass won’t have enough food to go around, so they will be thin and stop growing at about 12 inches. But the few bluegills that survive long enough to outgrow predation by these stunted bass will have a large food supply to themselves and may grow quite large. If the bass are small and fairly uniform in size and the bluegills are relatively large, the pond is overcrowded with bass. Harvesting about 30 bass per acre will reduce the surplus, increase the growth of the remaining bass, and bring the pond into better balance.

Suggested Reading Pond fish species and their identification ■

Rohde, Fred C., Rudolf G. Arndt, David G. Lindquist, and James F. Parnell. Freshwater Fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Chapel Hill, N.C.: The University of North Carolina Press. 1994. ■ Manooch, Charles S., III. Fisherman’s Guide to the Fishes of the Southeastern United States. Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina State Museum of Natural History. 1984.

Two steps can be taken to correct this situation. First, keep all the small bluegills you catch. When bluegills are stunted due to overcrowding and limited food, throwing them back to grow some more won’t help. If the problem is severe, remove about 100 pounds of bluegill per acre by pulling a minnow seine through the shallows. This will allow the remaining bluegills to grow faster.

1 2

■ If bass are too

Pond management practices ■

Rice, James A., R. L. Noble, and R. L. Curry, eds. Pond management guide, 2nd edition. N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, AG-424. 1999. (Available free from the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. Most states have basic pond management information available. Contact your local Extension office for information.) ■ Lusk, Bob. Basic Pond Management. DeSoto, Tex.: Pond Boss Press. 1993 (Ordering information: P.O. Box 12, Sadler, Tex. 76264, (903) 564-6144, http://www.pondboss.com/books.htm)

The second step is to stock an additional 30 to 50 bass (8 inches long or bigger) per acre to increase predation on the young bluegills. Hold off on harvesting bass until the pond is back in balance.

3

Pond Management: Good Fishing in the Balance The Extra Mile If you can, evaluate several ponds in your area. Are most of them in balance? If not, are they more often overcrowded with bass or with bluegills? Ask the owner of each pond what kinds and sizes of fish are usually harvested from the pond, and see if that helps explain the predator/prey balance. What management changes would you recommend?

pull a

minnow seine

through the shallows to correct out-of-balance pond

share

Field Notes ■ What was the most enjoyable part of this project? The most difficult? ■ How many ponds did you evaluate? If more than one, what were the main differences

in implementing your evaluation? ■ Were there differences in the way you thought a pond should be managed and the owner’s preferences?

process

■ What do you think the balance would look like in a pond that was never fished? ■ Would you expect all unfished ponds to have the same predator/prey balance? ■ What could the popular practice of catch-and-release fishing mean to the balance

of species in a pond?

generalize

■ How might the balance between predators and prey affect the populations of other

animals in your area, such as white-tailed deer or gray squirrels?

apply

■ How can you apply the thinking process used in this project to evaluate other issues

at school or home? ■ What parallels are there between the relationships you evaluated in pond management and the commercial harvest of species from wild populations (humans being the predators and the target animal being the prey)? Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

4

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-57W E01-38985

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15

Sharing Space with Wildlife Life Skill: Critical thinking Project Skill: Identifying and managing human/wildlife conflicts

Objective: Identify nuisance wildlife situations and make recommendations for minimizing damage

Success Indicator: Participants assess human/wildlife conflicts and propose workable solutions for resolution

Trailhead Almost everyone enjoys seeing wild animals. Millions of dollars are spent providing or improving habitat (food, water, shelter) for both game (huntable) and nongame species. However, some-

times wildlife populations increase so much that they encroach on human activities. Many wild animals

Trailblazing

grow accustomed to being near humans and thrive in "our" territory. The result may be destruction of human property— on farms, in homes, or in businesses. The damage may have severe economic impacts, or it may be simply an inconvenience for humans.

Provisions Needed (Some or all of the following) ■ News sources or online news archives ■ Camera ■ Internet access ■ Graph paper, construction paper, or other materials ■ Computer and printer ■ Slide or overhead projector

woodpeckers drill holes in the sides of people’s homes

When wild animals become a nuisance or a problem, it is not that they have become “bad.” Their populations may have become unbalanced, or they may have adapted so well to human territory that they and we compete for living space. Under certain situations, just about any animal can cause damage. You may be familiar with such problems as squirrels chewing on or raiding bird feeders, woodpeckers drilling holes in the sides of people’s homes, or deer browsing animal can on landscape plants.

any

cause damage

Make a list of wildlife damage and conflicts that you know about and can study or evaluate. If possible, include situations that exist in your community or state. If there is a compelling problem involving one particular species, you may focus your investigation on a single issue. Otherwise, you might draw up a list of several existing or potential problems and propose ways to reduce or manage conflict.

squirrels raid bird feeders

1

18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

Sharing Space with Wildlife You might share some of your ideas with local wildlife specialists or enforcement officers and get their feedback on your observations.

Wildlife management can be a controversial issue, especially when solutions are lethal to animals. You’ll also find that not all wildlife problems are disagreeable to all people. This reality causes conflict among humans, as well as between humans and animals. There may be many solutions to a problem. For

on g n i s w ro deersbcape plants land

each human/animal conflict that you document, explore as many solutions as possible. Investigate the pros and cons of each. Make notes and decide which solutions you believe would work best. Make a display or chart, or develop a presentation explaining your findings and opinions. Visit some sites where damage is happening, and take photographs of the damage and control measures.

If possible, try out management techniques in problem areas in your community or state.

a mana gemen t techn ique:

exclusi on

2

Sharing Space with Wildlife Field Guide When first investigating damage by an animal or animals, ask yourself questions like these:

?

voles eat roots

● What species is causing the damage? ● Why are the animals causing the damage? ● What is being damaged, and how much is it worth? ● Do the costs of control outweigh the value of the lost or

damaged property?

Each problem might have multiple solutions. Recommended management may vary by species and location. A few techniques include exclusion, habitat modification, sanitation, and population management. New control measures are being developed all the time. Also, many “home” remedies are available to reduce wildlife damage. Look for new research and findings as you study your chosen issue.

The Extra Mile If you have the opportunity to do this project with a group, organize a debate surrounding a single issue. Each participant might be given a different role to play that would involve a specific perspective (for example, farmer, wildlife manager, hunter, business owner, homeowner, animal activist, etc.). Let each participant argue for a different management strategy.

share

Field Notes ■ What sources did you use to research your issue? ■ What information did you give the most weight to in the investigation of your issue? Why? ■ What were the causes of the various problems you investigated? ■ Which solutions were the most economical? Which were the most humane?

process

■ How did you determine whether techniques were legal? ■ How could you tell whether a problem was caused by individual animals or large

populations of that animal? ■ How did you ensure that you covered all points of view?

generalize apply

■ Why is it important to analyze an issue before drawing a conclusion or making a decision? ■ How would you create public support for one of the strategies you recommended?

Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

3

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-55W E01-38983

E LEVEL AG

Monitoring Macroinvertebrates Life Skill: Communication Project Skill: Identifying stream macroinvertebrates (animals without a backbone that are visible without magnification)

Objective: Collect and identify stream insects and other tiny invertebrates in a group outing

Success Indicator: Participants coordinate a sampling expedition and predict the health of a stream based on its macroinvertebrate diversity

Trailhead Oftentimes, people plan their outdoor outings to avoid bugs. But many biologists and other people who study nature relish the insect creatures they encounter. Insects play an important role in ecosystems—most obviously as food for other animals. But they also offer humans clues about the health of the environment.

Aquatic insects, in particular, are such important indicators of water

quality that scientists count them to determine whether a body of water is clean or polluted. They regularly survey populations of aquatic macroinvertebrates such as caddisflies, mayflies, and stoneflies. Unlike fish, these tiny animals are fairly stationary. When pollution occurs, they can’t move to cleaner water. So their presence or absence often points to trouble in aquatic environments.

Trailblazing Aquatic insects can be fascinating to observe, and they can tell you a lot about the condition of your local streams. All you need are simple tools and a few enthusiastic partners. It’s safer to work with others around water. Also, you can more precisely and easily sample areas if you work in pairs or teams.

☛ Put together your sampling team. Choose people you know are interested in biology and the outdoors. You will need people to hold nets; to disturb the bottom sediments; to identify and sort animals; and to take notes. Your communication skills will be important as you assemble your team and conduct your investigation in the stream. Be sure to make all participants aware of safety precautions outlined in the Field Guide section.

1 3-15 Provisions Needed ■ Maps of local

streams and creeks ■ Kick seine; make one with: •31/2' x 4' nylon screening or netting (1/16" mesh) •2 broom handles (5-6' long) for handles •heavy tacks and hammer or staples and staple gun ■ White plastic bag or sheet ■ White pans or ice cube trays for sorting critters by type ■ Tweezers ■ Vegetable brush for sweeping rocks ■ Sneakers or boots ■ Rubber gloves (for areas with polluted water) ■ Magnifying lenses ■ Notebooks ■ Pencils or pens

what kinds of

aquatic critters

will you find?

1

18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

Monitoring Macroinvertebrates ☛ To learn what kinds of aquatic

critters you may find, check the Field Guide section. Suggested Reading and Internet Resources also will provide valuable information.

☛Assemble your sampling tools.

The most important one will be the net used to retrieve the animals from the stream. You can order a kick seine from the Izaak Walton League of America’s Save Our Streams program or use the materials listed in this activity to construct your own. For a sample design and building instructions, visit the following Web site: http:// www.people.virginia.edu/~ sosiwla/ Stream -Study/ Methods/ KickSeine.HTML

☛ Find a small creek or

stream for sampling aquatic macroinvertebrates. There may be an “adopt a stream” group in your community that can recommend places. Or check with your county Cooperative Extension Service or state wildlife or water quality agency. Shallow, fastmoving waters are ideal.

the diversity of organisms... gives a more complete picture of overall water quality. Internet Resources •http://www.iwla.org/SOS/ •http://www.people.virginia.edu/~sosiwla/Stream-Study/Key/MacroKey Intro.HTML •http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ dow/stream/orderpageone.htm •http://www.ncwater.org/stream_watch

2

☛ On sampling day, make sure you

have all the necessary equipment and that team members know their roles. If possible, sample at least three

sites along the stream. Look for a riffle, a shallow place where water rushes swiftly over cobbles, or a partially submerged log or branch. The water depth should be between 3 and 12 inches. Select a 3-by-3-foot “grid” in the water. One person should hold one end of the kick seine flush with the bottom in the downstream portion of the grid; the other end should be held above the water. Another person should use the vegetable brush to remove any critters from stones or debris in the sample area. That person then should stir the sediment with his or her hands to dislodge any burrowing critters. Last, the person should kick the stream bottom with a sideways shuffling motion for at least a minute. Using a forward-scooping motion, the net-tender can then lift the kick seine and take it to shore to investigate the contents. Remove critters with fingers, tweezers, or forceps and place them in holding containers that have been filled with stream water. Be sure to release any fish or other large animals you may capture inadvertently.

Carefully count and record the number and types of creatures you find. Discuss and evaluate your findings as a team. Assess the water quality based on the diversity of macroinvertebrates. A sample assessment form can be found with this activity or at: http://www.people. virginia.edu/~sosiwla/Stream-Study/Methods/Form.HTML.

Monitoring Macroinvertebrates Stream Study: Sample Record and Assessment Stream _______________________________________ Site Number _________________ County or city _____________________________ State ____________________________ Collection date _____________ Collectors _______________________________________ Weather conditions (last 3 days) _______________________________________________ Average depth at site __________________ Average width at site __________________ Stream-water temperature Fº __________ Cº __________ Stream-flow rate

❏ High

❏ Normal

❏ Low

Stream appears

❏ Clear

❏ Cloudy

❏ Muddy

MACROINVERTEBRATE COUNT Sensitive

Somewhat Sensitive

Tolerant

❏ ______ caddisfly larvae

❏ ______ beetle larvae

❏ ______ aquatic worms

❏ ______ hellgramite

❏ ______ clams

❏ ______ blackfly larvae

❏ ______ mayfly larvae

❏ ______ crane fly larvae

❏ ______ leeches

❏ ______ gilled snails

❏ ______ crayfish

❏ ______ midge larvae

❏ ______ riffle beetle adult

❏ ______ damselfly larvae

❏ ______ lunged snails

❏ ______ stonefly larvae

❏ ______ dragonfly larvae

❏ ______ water penny larvae

❏ ______ scuds ❏ ______ sowbugs ❏ ______ fishfly larvae ❏ ______ alderfly larvae ❏ ______ watersnipe larvae

boxes checked x 3= ________ index value

boxes checked x 2= ________ index value

boxes checked x 1= ________ index value

WATER QUALITY RATING

❏ Excellent (>22)

❏ Fair (11-16)

Total Index Value = ___________

❏ Good (17-22)

❏ Poor (<11)

3

Monitoring Macroinvertebrates FieldGuide

Stream Sampling

■ Environmental biologists often clas-

sify freshwater macroinvertebrates as either “tolerant” or “intolerant” of pollution. The presence of insects like stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies is generally considered a sign of clean water. These insects spend most of their life cycles in the water. Many mussels, which spend their entire lives in the water, are also very sensitive to pollution. However, the diversity of organisms (large numbers as well as many kinds) gives a more complete picture of overall water quality.

1.

Use a vegetable brush to remove any critters from stones or debris.

■ The shape of the insect’s body and number

of legs and tails are good identifiers. Helpful

identification or dichotomous keys can be found in Internet Resources. Especially useful is a Web site from New York state: http:// www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dow/stream/order pageone.htm. It presents pictures of common macroinvertebrates, including stoneflies (part of the scientific order Plecoptera), mayflies (order Ephemeroptera), and caddisflies (order Tricoptera).

2.

Stir sediment with hands to dislodge any burrowing critters.

Suggested Reading ■

■

3.

Kick stream bottom with a sideways shuffling motion.

■

■ ■

4

Kellogg, Loren Larkin. Save Our Streams Monitor’s Guide to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates. Izaak Walton League of America. 1992. McCafferty, W. P. Aquatic Entomology. Jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc. 1983. Pobst, Dick. Trout Stream Insects (An Orvis Streamside Guide). Lyons and Burford Publisher. 1990. Stokes, Donald. A Guide to Observing Insect Lives. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. 1983. Winborne, Ferne B. A Guide to Streamwalking. Raleigh, N.C.: N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. 1999.

Monitoring Macroinvertebrates ■ Safety

tips: Pack a first-aid kit with antiseptic and bandages. Know the location

of the nearest phone or, if possible, carry a cellular phone. Do not sample in bad weather or after storms or flooding. Do not climb on steep streambanks. Wear waterproof boots and latex gloves if the stream you are sampling is known to be polluted. Also, wear thick gloves when disturbing the bottom if there is danger of glass or metal in the stream.

The Extra Mile Environmental public policy is often guided by information from citizens and volunteer monitors. You may wish to communicate your findings to government officials or environmental biologists. If diversity was high, the area may qualify for special protection. If diversity was low, action may be needed to restore water quality. Prepare and deliver a team presentation based on your research.

Field Notes

share

■ What are some of the more interesting creatures you found in your investigation? ■ What did you learn about the condition of waters in your community based on your

macroinvertebrate surveys? ■ Why was it helpful to carry out this activity as a group?

process

generalize

apply

■ What do you think investigators can learn from studying macroinvertebrate popula-

tions in streams that they can’t determine using tests for chemicals and toxins? ■ What are the advantages and disadvantages of macroinvertebrate surveys as a technique for measuring water quality? ■ How was the activity hindered or helped by communication? ■ What other kinds of animals have been historically regarded as indicators of

environmental distress? Why? ■ In what other ways do you communicate one-on-one and in groups to complete a task more efficiently? ■ What would you do differently if you conducted your team survey again? ■ In what other ways could you use communication to draw attention to an important issue?

Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

5

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 1/02-JL 4H-M-14-59W E02-39029

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15 Talking Turkey Life Skill: Communication Project Skill: Learning about wild turkey calls or vocalizations Objective: Recognize and record wild turkey vocalizations; then give an oral presentation discussing how turkeys communicate Success Indicator: Participants recognize and demonstrate wild turkey calls

gobble

Trailhead It’s no secret that wild turkeys gobble. But did you know turkeys also yelp, cackle, and purr? Just like people, wild turkeys communicate with one another. With a little observation and practice, you too can learn to translate and “talk turkey.” Although wild

turkeys nearly faced extinction in the early 1900s, conservation efforts and wise management have helped them increase to record numbers today. If you live in

the South, there are wild turkeys within an hour’s drive of your home (probably closer).

Trailblazing The goal of this activity is for you to record turkey calls in the wild and to interpret and describe your data to an audience. Because it is very difficult to sneak close to a wild turkey without being detected, it may be necessary to call the bird to you. Learning to mimic their calls—by using a commercial or homemade caller—may be another necessary preparatory step. An accomplished turkey hunter is an excellent resource.

Provisions Needed ■

Commercial or homemade turkey calls ■ Commercial audiotapes of turkey calls (optional)* ■ Portable audiocassette recorder ■ Blank tape ■ Camouflage clothing * Real Turkeys, P.O. Box 337, Suwannee, Fla. 32692, is one source

kee-kee

To begin your fieldwork, you must find and gain access to an area populated by wild turkeys.

cluck

1

18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

Talking Turkey

putt

Your 4-H helper should be able to help you locate such an area and get permission to visit. You can hear wild turkeys

Start with a scouting mission—take a walk through the woods and fields and look for signs of wild turkeys (see Field year-round, but the male gobbles or Guide below for helpful information). talks almost exclusively during spring After you find an area frequented by wild mating season. Since this may coincide turkeys, put on your camouflage gear, with local hunting seasons, it is important gather your recording equipment, and head for the woods. It is best to arrive just to know when the season is open and to before daylight because the morning make sure, for safety’s sake, that you are vocalizations made by turkeys on the not calling turkeys in the same area with roost will help you locate your quarry. hunters. Some states also have fall hunting seasons. Once your fieldwork is done, share

fftt-dummmm

your findings and newly developed skills in a presentation to your 4-H club or another group.

Field Guide ■ As turkeys search for acorns

and other small seeds, they scratch

with their feet, leaving bare spots on the forest floor next to small leaf piles. Tracks are most obvious where the soil is exposed, particularly in muddy and sandy spots. You can tell the sex of a turkey by inspecting its droppings. Droppings of males tend to be ‘J’-shaped, while those of females are corkscrew-shaped. ■ The wild turkey is the largest

game bird in North America. Adult

gobblers weigh approximately 20 pounds and are about 40 inches tall; adult hens average 10 pounds and stand about 30 inches tall. ■ The male’s head is striking, displaying red, white, and blue

purr

at different times. The hen’s head is dull-colored, often bluish, with small feathers reaching up the back of the neck to the base of the head. The plumage of wild turkeys is iridescent bronze. Males are much darker, having shiny, black-tipped body feathers; females have drab, bufftipped body feathers. The presence of a beard and spurs usually indicates a male. The beard looks like a tuft of stiff bristles or hairs sticking out of the bird’s chest. Spurs are bony structures located on the inside of the gobbler’s leg and may be very sharp, particularly on older males.

2

Talking Turkey

yelp

■ Wild turkeys communicate using

several different vocalizations. The following table (adapted from The Book of the Wild Turkey by Lovett E. Williams, Jr. ,1981, Winchester Press: Tulsa, Okla.) lists the most commonly heard calls and provides a clue as to what a turkey might

Noise

Description

Gobble

Sounded by male from roost tree in morning, as he flies down, and while strutting.

Drumming Fftt-dummmm sound made as gobbler struts; comes from inside the bird.

be trying to communicate when using them. An audiocassette of wild turkey

calls also is a good resource to help you study this new “language.”

cackle

Meaning to Turkey Calling

Meaning to Turkey Hearing

“I’m an adult male; hens come to me; other gobblers beware.” (Male tries to attract hens and drive away other males.)

Hen: “Oh, there is my man.” Other male: “I better stay away from him.” Or “He thinks he’s boss—I’ll show him.” (Hens may yelp; other males may gobble.)

“Here I am; I’m ready to mate.”

“Oh, there you are, handsome.”

Tree yelp

Most familiar call of the hen; also made by males; soft, morning roost call.

“Is everybody still here?” (Looking for reassurance.)

“The flock is still here.” (Might yelp back.)

Plain yelp

Longer and louder than tree yelp; used primarily in feeding when visual contact is lost.

“I’m still here; are you still there?” (Looking for reassurance.)

“I hear another turkey.” (Hen might yelp back; gobbler might gobble.)

Lost yelp

Similar to plain yelp but louder and longer with a sense of urgency.

“I’m lost; where are y’all?” (Wants to join rest of flock.)

“I hear one of my flock.” (Usually yelps back.)

Kee-kee

The “lost” call of young turkeys; “I’m young and I’m lost.” it is called the kee-kee run when (Wants to rejoin flock, combined with the adult lost especially its mother.) call at beginning and/or end.

“A young turkey is lost.” (Usually yelps back—especially another lost turkey.)

Cluck

Soft, but can become loud and “I’m a turkey, and I’m right intense (called “cutting”) when here.” (Announces presence.) turkey is excited.

“I hear another turkey.” (Sometimes clucks back.)

Putt

Short, sharp cluck.

“Something is wrong!” (Alarmed.)

“Something must be wrong.” (Also alarmed; may putt also.)

Cackle

Loud, excited clucks in rapid succession;may be followed by a few yelps.

“I’m flying down; come with me.” (Ready to begin the day.)

“I hear someone flying down.” (May also fly down soon.)

Purr

Soft sound audible only a few feet away.

“Everything seems to be just fine.” (Announces contentment.)

“Everything must be OK over there.” (May purr also.)

3

Talking Turkey homemade wingbone call

radius

ulna

The Extra Mile Though many commercial turkey calls are sold in stores, the sound from a homemade wingbone call can’t be beat. Native Americans have used these calls for thousands of years. You can make one out of the three bones from a single turkey wing. Cut both ends off all three bones and clean them inside and out. Using epoxy, glue the large end of the radius bone into the small end of the ulna. Then, glue the large end of the ulna bone in the small end of the humerus. To make a sound, suck on the small end of the new call. You can alter the tone by trimming the larger end of the call, or by varying how tightly your lips grasp the call. You can also vary the amount of air you draw through the call. Try placing the call in your mouth in different ways. This device may be tough to master, but the sound is among the most realistic. See these sites for tips on how to make your call.

humerus

Internet Resources •http://www.jesseshuntingpage.com/wingbone-call.html •http://hometown.aol.com/wingbonecall/Wingbone.html

share

process

Field Notes ■ How many different vocalizations were you able to detect and record?

What were they? ■ What other animal calls and sounds did you hear while in the field? ■ What challenges did you experience trying to record field calls? ■ What was the best time to hear wild turkeys calling? ■ What calls could you identify by sound alone? Did you need to see the bird to determine male and female calls? ■ Why is communication important to wild turkeys? ■ How did you interpret turkey sounds that were unfamiliar to you? What clues did

you observe from their behavior while making the calls? ■ How did you decide how to organize and present your material?

generalize apply

■ In what ways is communication important in your life? ■ How can you use your new skills to help you communicate better one-on-one?

With a group? Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

4

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-53W E01-38981

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15

Urban Wildlife: Our Animal Neighbors Life Skill: Critical thinking Project Skill: Creating habitat for urban wildlife Objective: Observe urban wildlife, record information, and use findings to develop a wildlife habitat improvement plan

Success Indicator: Participants prepare a wildlife habitat improvement plan and map

Trailhead Where do you think you might see a hawk soaring overhead, a squirrel building its nest, and a woodpecker drilling for insects?

a. In the country where a woodland meets a field b. Along a mountain stream c. In a city neighborhood If you chose all three, you’re right. But if you didn’t choose “c,” you’re probably not alone. People often forget how many species of wildlife can co-exist with humans in an urban setting. In some cases, humans have moved into animals’ territories. Maybe as often, animals have moved into ours. Wildlife can live anywhere they find suitable habitat to fulfill

their four basic needs—food, water, shelter, and a place to raise young. Certain wildlife species even prefer the same habitats as humans. Can you name some examples? We sometimes have problems living together, but it generally is considered smart for us to make room for native wildlife outside our homes and in our communities. With observation and careful planning, you can create great habitats for wildlife in an urban environment.

food, water, shelter,

&

Provisions Needed ■

Mapmaking supplies (paper, pencil, ruler, compass, protractor, etc.) ■ Binoculars ■ Camera and film ■ Wildlife amenities, such as bird feeders, birdbaths, etc.

a place to raise young

Trailblazing To provide the best habitat for wildlife, first determine what piece of the habitat needs improvement. Are there enough sources of food, water, and cover? Make a map of your neighborhood so you can pinpoint areas where key habitat components are absent. For example, if you hope to attract bluebirds to your city park, nesting sites must be present. Bluebirds nest in holes in standing dead trees.

☛

If no natural cavities exist, you will need to provide nesting boxes to attract bluebirds.

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18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

a place to raise young

Urban Wildlife: Our Animal Neighbors The quantity and quality of habitat components will determine the carrying capacity, or how many healthy animals an area can support. For example, more families of bluebirds will be present in a habitat that has many nesting cavities than in an area with few or no nesting sites.

1. Walk through your neighborhood and record, or survey, types of wildlife present. Use field guides to help identify any unfamiliar species. Conduct surveys at different times of the day so you can observe various wildlife species when they are most active. Make a map of

existing vegetation and identify areas where food and cover are limited or abundant. What would you recommend to improve the habitat for the existing species? Create a new map of the area that suggests improvements. 2. Implement your recommended changes. If possible, take “before” and “after” pictures of your urban habitat, and continue to observe and record wildlife species and behavior.

Field Guide ■ Food. The more types of plant

life you include in

hummingbird feeders, suet blocks, seed feeders, fruit, peanut butter balls, dried ears of corn...

your neighborhood or back yard, the greater diversity of wildlife you’ll attract. In the warm months, annual and perennial wildflowers produce nectar, which is the main food source for butterflies, bees, and other insects. Vines with red, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, and vines producing fruit may attract other birds or mammals. Visit your county’s Extension center for a list of native plants that will grow in your area. Don’t forget to include or leave grasses, shrubs, and trees that provide food in fall and winter. Dogwood, persimmon, holly, redcedar, sassafras, sumac, and berry bushes are good sources of fruits, many of which feed wildlife throughout the winter. Pines, oaks, ashes, elms, and maples produce seeds eaten by many birds and mammals. Grasses and flowers, when left to seed, also provide food through the cold months.

Bird feeders can supplement natural foods. Hummingbird feeders, suet blocks, seed feeders, fruit, peanut butter balls, and dried ears of corn will attract birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other small mammals. Birds begin to rely on food in bird feeders during winter, so if you begin supplemental feeding in the fall, you must continue through the following spring.

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food

Urban Wildlife: Our Animal Neighbors To make your homemade birdbath accessible to ground-feeding birds, use rocks or bricks to raise it a few inches off the ground. Clean the containers regularly

make a

simple birdbath

and fill them with fresh water every day or two. A small heater can keep water thawed in harsh weather. A small inground pond provides habitat for amphibians as well as water for other wildlife.

don’t forget the shelter ■ Cover (Shelter and Nesting Sites).

Wildlife will not use feeding areas unless there is sufficient cover nearby. Dense vegetation allows birds to escape from predators and build nests. Rabbits also like to hide in dense, low shrubs. Various native shrubs, trees, and vines generally provide adequate shelter during warmer months. As the temperature drops, ■ Water. Clean water is equally important.

wat e r

Look for existing water sources, such as land depressions that hold water for long periods, flat roofs with depressions, or springs, creeks, and streams. You can make a simple birdbath with a trash can lid, a shallow pan, or the base to a flower pot.

Suggested Reading ■

Coe, James. Eastern Birds: A Guide to Field Identification of North American Species. New York: Golden Press. 1994. ■ Landry, Sarah. Peterson First Guide to Urban Wildlife. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1994. ■ Rezendes, Paul. Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Signs. Charlotte, Vt.: Camden House Publishing. 1992. ■ Whitaker, John, Jr. The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1980.

3

evergreen trees, such as pines and redcedars, are important. Trees with large, hollow cavities are ideal resting and nesting sites for many birds and mammals, such as squirrels, raccoons, opossums, and bats. In the absence of natural cavities, nest boxes can be used to attract these animals. Refer to the 4-H wildlife project “Bird Furniture” for ideas on constructing feeding stations and nest boxes. When setting up an urban habitat, place nest boxes, feeding stations, and watering structures in areas most inaccessible to unnatural predators like free-roaming house pets. Also consider hazards like roads and traffic.

Urban Wildlife: Our Animal Neighbors The Extra Mile Conduct a predator survey in your urban habitat. During a 3-hour period, count all the dogs and cats roaming loose in your neighborhood. Record each animal’s location, health, and estimated age, and whether it has a collar. Place all this information into a well-organized table, and answer the following questions: ■ What type of animal is most often seen roaming in your neighborhood? ■ How many of these animals have collars, suggesting that they have owners? ■ Did you observe any of these animals stalking or eating wildlife? ■ Does your city have a leash law? If so, what does it specify? ■ Do any people you know let their pets roam unattended? Why? ■ What can you recommend to help combat domestic pet predation on wildlife?

help combat

domestic pet predation on wildlife share process

generalize apply

Field Notes ■ What did you observe before improving your habitat? After? ■ What unexpected problems did you encounter? ■ What species of urban wildlife can cause problems? What are these problems, and

how can they be avoided or corrected? ■ How are non-native, or exotic, plants or animals introduced into local wildlife habitats? What types of problems arrive with the introduction of non-native species? What common non-native species do you see in your habitats? ■ In what ways do humans “invite” wildlife to move in, whether on purpose or unintentionally? ■ How can having a variety of wildlife enhance our lives? ■ In what other situations have you had to determine the pros and cons of an issue? ■ How can understanding natural connections and relationships help you think about

and solve other kinds of problems? Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

4

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-51W E01-38979

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15

Wild Game: From Field to Table Life Skill:Wise use of resources Project Skill: Cleaning and preparing fish and game Objective: Properly handle, store, dress, and prepare wild game or fish

Success Indicator: Participants show respect for harvested game and avoid waste by properly processing and using the meat and other parts

Trailhead You have waited for this moment all your life. You’ve killed your first game animal or caught your first fish. Knowing what to do next can mean the difference between the animal going to waste or

becoming delicious table fare. The thought of processing your game or fish can be intimidating. But if you use

care and follow a few simple steps, it can be both fun and rewarding.

Trailblazing Dress and prepare one of the following game animals.

Mourning Doves Although doves can be plucked and dressed like other game birds and waterfowl, many hunters simply “breast” the birds because they have so little meat on the rest of their bodies. To do this, cut off the wings close to the body with large scissors or cleaning shears. Next, place your thumb between the anus and the breastbone. Try to tear the breast from the back with one motion, twisting it away from the rest of the body. You should then be holding only the breast covered with skin and feathers. Finally, skin the breast with the feathers by simply tearing the skin away with your fingers. If you prefer, you may choose to pluck the feathers, leaving the skin intact. Keep the meat clean and cool. If the breasts are not to be eaten right away, package and freeze them. One method of freezing dove breasts is in a block of ice. Place the breasts in a freezer bag, plastic container, or cardboard milk carton, completely cover the meat with water, and then freeze. This method also works with fish and small animals.

1

Provisions Needed ■ Large scissors or

cleaning shears ■ Sharp butcher knife ■ Knife with dull blade (for scaling fish) ■ Paper towels ■ Vinegar ■ Wild game cookbook (see Suggested Reading and Internet Resources)

your first game animal or fish can become

delicious table fare

18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

Wild Game: From Field to Table vinegar and water. Vinegar is an acetic acid solution and acts as a disinfectant. If the animal is to be dressed at home or camp, you may find it easier to skin it before removing the entrails.

mourning doves Squirrels and Rabbits To dress small animals, cut down the middle on the underside of the animal from the pelvis/ anus to the rib cage, being careful not to cut or puncture the entrails or the gall bladder (this can taint the meat or give it an “off ” flavor). Then, grasp the chest contents with the fingers and pull them toward the tail, stripping the entrails from the animal. To skin the animal, start by removing the head, feet, and tail. (Consider preserving and saving the tails of squirrels. Squirrel tails are a popular item for tying flies and making other fishing lures.) Next, make a small cut perpendicular to the animal’s backbone. Insert the fingers of both hands in the opposite sides of the cut and pull in opposite directions, removing the skin. Try not to get hair on the meat while skinning. Oils associated with the hair or substances trapped on hair follicles can taint the meat. If hair does get on the meat, remove it with a cloth dampened with

fish squirrels & rabbits

2

To prepare the carcass in six serving-size portions: Remove each front leg by lifting the leg away from the chest wall and cutting around each shoulder blade. Remove each hind leg by splitting the pelvis along the backbone on each side. The flanks and ribs can be left in place or trimmed away. Next, cut the back into two sections by cutting behind the last rib. Cut off the bony tail section of the back where the hind legs have been removed.

Fish Fish may be dressed by heading, gutting, and scaling (or skinning, depending on the species). Larger ones may be filleted or cut crosswise into steaks. Remove scales by scraping with a dull knife, working tail to head. Use pliers to remove skin from selected species, working head to tail. Remove the head with a sharp knife. Then cut along the belly from vent to head. Remove viscera. Wash fish in cold, running water to remove any debris or slime.

Wild Game: From Field to Table Field Guide ■ The three major factors in meat

spoilage are dirt, heat, and moisture.

■ Field dressing is the removal of the entrails only (and the crop or gullet in birds). Game should be field-

dressed as soon as possible, especially in warm weather. Responsible hunters show respect for animals by carrying the equipment needed to properly clean and store animals after they are harvested, such as a sharp knife, whetstone, folding saw, 15 feet of rope, cloth game bag, cooler, ice, etc. ■ Aging meat is the act of holding carcasses or cuts of meat at temperatures of 34º to 37º F for 7 to 14 days.

This allows enzymes to break down some of the meat’s proteins. Aged meat is usually more tender and flavorful. Aging is a common practice with large game. Leave the hide on to prevent the carcass from drying out. But do not age any game if it was shot during warm weather and not chilled rapidly, if you plan to grind the meat, or if the animal was under 1 year old. ■ Small game generally does

not require aging and should be eaten almost immediately or properly

wrapped and frozen. Birds should be eaten within 2 or 3 days. Fish should be eaten within 1 or 2 days. If not to be used immediately, fish should be cleaned, packaged in water, and frozen. ■ To cool game on a warm day, keep it in the shade, provide good air circulation, or hang it. Use black

pepper and cheesecloth to protect the carcass from contamination by flies. For larger animals, prop the body cavity open and place it in a cooler or on ice as soon as possible. ■ Remove and discard severely damaged meat. Hair, dirt, excess blood, and bone fragments can diminish

the quality and taste of the meat. ■ Feathers provide some protection to the carcass of birds in the field. Many hunters prefer to

pluck

or skin the bird at home or camp. Most hunters prefer to leave the skin on to prevent the meat from becoming dry during cooking.

Suggested Reading

■

Casada, Jim (ed.). Campsite to Kitchen (The Outdoor Writers Association of America). Memphis: Wimmer Companies, Inc. 1994. ■ Gray, Rebecca (ed.). Eat Like a Wild Man: The Ultimate Game and Fish Cookbook (Sports Afield). Minocqua, Wis.: Willow Creek Press. 1997. ■ Knight, Jim. Field Care of Harvested Game. New Mexico State University, Cooperative Extension Service, Circular 507. ■ Knight, Jim. Processing Your Deer at Home. New Mexico State University, Cooperative Extension Service, Circular 508.

■ Most freshwater

fish can be kept alive on a stringer or in

a live well until ready to process. Saltwater fish are difficult to keep alive and require quick cooling. Be prepared to quickly cool fish in the field and keep fish on ice during transport from the field to home or camp. ■ Clean fish as soon as possible after catching. Thoroughly

wash all cleaned fish and pack with fresh, clean ice. Fish may be frozen into blocks of ice. ■ Check state and federal regulations that may dictate

turning in an identification mark or tag, such as a wing on a game bird or a head and tail on a fish.

3

Wild Game: From Field to Table Internet Resources •http://ngp.ngpc.state.ne.us/hunting/game.html •http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/odnr/wildlife/hunting/dressing/index.html •http://www.afterthekill.com/default.htm •http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ507.html •http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod01/01600798.html •http://www.michigansportsman.com/Fish_cleaning.html •http://www.pvisuals.com/fishing/bookstore/htmls/cleaning.html •http://www.reel-one.com/cookbooks.html •http://martin.ces.state.nc.us/newsletters/newsarticles/wildrecipes/list.html •http://members.tripod.com/~huntingfishing/fishingrecipes.htm •http://hgic.clemson.edu

The Extra Mile Have an experienced fly fisherman teach you how to make lures and tie flies with leftover wings, feathers, fur, and tails from your game experience.

Field Notes

share

■ Is processing game and fish more or less difficult than you expected? Why? ■ Were you successful in not cutting the entrails when dressing your game or fish? Why? ■ Did you harvest the animals to be used in this activity? If not, how did you obtain them? ■ What are some helpful things to consider when processing any game or fish? ■ How did you like the flavor of the game compared to “supermarket food”?

process

■ How are the internal organs of the animals you dressed similar to human organs? ■ Discuss the similarities and differences in cleaning a snake, a frog, a turtle, or an animal

to be mounted or tanned. ■ Why do some animals have a wild or “gamey” flavor? How can you minimize this? ■ Other than making fishing lures and consuming the meat, how could you use the various animal parts? ■ How do wild animals wisely use or process the animals they prey on?

generalize

■ At what other times have you been resourceful in the way you used a product or a craft?

apply

■ How can you apply what you learned about not being wasteful to other areas of your life? ■ How could you clean or prepare an animal to use as much of it as possible?

Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

4

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-61W E02-39008

E LEVEL AG

1 3-15 Would You Like To Be a Wildlife Professional? Provisions life Wicldem ent Enfor

Life Skill: Critical thinking Project Skill: Interviewing and data collection and analysis

Objective: Learn about the physical and technical skills expected of entry-level wildlife and fishery biologists and/or law enforcement officers, and evaluate personal abilities along with educational and vocational needs and opportunities

Success Indicator: Participants interview professional wildlife or fishery biologists or law enforcement officers, assess their own

Needed

■

Telephone directories ■ Computer with Internet access (optional) ■ Word processor or notebook for notetaking and organization

abilities, and develop a plan for career development

Trailhead Do the following descriptions fit you? If these statements ring true, you may have ■ You love the outdoors. ■ Fishing, hunting, or watching wildlife considered a career in wildlife or fisheries is a favorite activity. ■ You often think about wild creatures biology or wildlife and their habitats and about having law enforcement. This activity will help adventures in wild places. ■ When you look at art or draw things you think about, yourself, birds, mammals, fish, and assess, and plan wild places attract your attention. for career ■ Nature documentaries on television possibilities.

draw you in.

Trailblazing A good way to begin your investigation is to locate and interview professionals working in a fisheries or wildlife field. Check the state governHELP WANTED: ment listing on the World Wide Web or browse wildlife biologist the blue pages in phone books. The phone book for fisheries biologist the capital of your state lists the headquarters of the state enforcement officer agency charged with conservation of fish and wildlife wildlife Extension resources. If you don’t live near the state capital, look for specialist the phone number of biologists or enforcement officers fisheries Extension stationed nearest your hometown. Another option is your specialist local sheriff ’s office or Cooperative Extension Service Cen-

1

18 U.S.C. 707

Southern Region 4-H Wildlife Curriculum Committee

thank you

Would You Like To Be a Wildlife Professional? ter. Law enforcement officers usually know one another, and the Extension Service may hire professional biologists in positions of wildlife Extension specialist or fisheries Extension specialist. Be polite and direct on the phone. State that you want to schedule an interview to gain information that will help you plan a career. Every professional started just where you are today and will relate to your needs. When you convince them of your sincerity, most people will work hard to help you.

tunity. Write your questions in advance. Among other things, it is beneficial to ask about the nature of the work, educational requirements, school courses and experiences (in high school and college), likes and dislikes about the job, professional organizations, job competition, research needs, and opportunities for advancement. Remember to write “thank you” letters to the professionals you interview. You might ask in the letter or during the interview if you may accompany them as they work in the field.

Try to do your interview in person. Be prepared Assemble and analyze what you have learned about this career. to show that you respect the professional’s time and want to make the most of the oppor-

Field Guide ■ The basic career path in conservation is a college education in wildlife or fisheries science. Be

prepared for rigorous science courses. Sometimes your chances of competing in college can be improved by first attending a community college. If you do well in such a program, you will be able to transfer to a university providing a major in conservation; wildlife and fisheries science or management; parks, recreation, and tourism; or criminal justice. Also, many wildlife law enforcement officers serve several years of active duty in the military or work as police officers before they get into the wildlife field. ■ Aspiring wildlife professionals should learn as much as they can about the environment around them.

Bookstores have field guides that will help identify animals and plants. Invest in binoculars and a hand magnifying lens. Keep a personal journal in which you record the date, location, and details of what you observe, as well as general observations. Make a habit of keeping faithful and accurate notes of days spent outdoors. ■ Future officers should become skilled at many of the techniques used by hunters and anglers. Effective

and safe use of power equipment, including four-wheel drive vehicles, motorboats, chainsaws, and even farm equipment, are valuable skills. The ability to handle oneself with confidence in rugged terrain and in rough water is valuable, too. Search-and-rescue training is helpful. Being able to use maps to find locations off roads is another useful skill. Learn to identify game animals and fish in your home area and know the standard regulations for taking them. You can learn much of this by studying your state hunting and fishing regulations digest. ■ Wildlife officers must have a personal

code of ethics, a fundamental belief in fairness, and the

ability to uphold rules and regulations. ■ The work that wildlife professionals do frequently involves strength and agility. Working as a team

member, both outdoors and in office situations, is essential for success. Also, develop in high school, in your place of worship, or in community organizations.

2

leadership skills

Would You Like To Be a Wildlife Professional? ■ Explore career options using the World Wide Web. One web site that provides

broad information is http://www.careercity.com/. ■ Get valuable work experience as a volunteer or an intern.

The Extra Mile If this career path calls to you, develop a personal plan to become a professional wildlife or fisheries biologist or a wildlife law enforcement officer.

share

process

generalize

apply

Field Notes ■ What interests and intellectual strengths do you have that would allow you to excel

in a wildlife course of study in college? ■ What special abilities do you have that could help in your career? ■ What are some of your hopes and values with regard to work? ■ What knowledge did you gain from your interviews that you didn’t acquire from other research? ■ What did you learn about wildlife law enforcement that surprised you? ■ What did you learn from thinking and self-assessment that you might not have

discovered if you had relied on someone else to make your plan? ■ How can you develop a network of professionals who can help you succeed in your chosen field? ■ Why is it beneficial for high school students to plan for a career that won’t begin until graduation from college and very possibly from graduate school? ■ Why is it important to be able to analyze information and make follow-up decisions? ■ Why is it important to begin thinking about a career before you’ve graduated from

high school? ■ What does it mean to be competitive in the job market compared to ways you now compete in school? ■ What knowledge did you acquire about career planning that you can use, even if becoming a wildlife professional is not for you? ■ What high school courses will you take from now until graduation to become

competitive for entrance into a university program? ■ What extracurricular activities will you undertake to gain physical and teamwork skills between now and graduation from high school? Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Appreciation is expressed to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and RREA for their support of this project.

3

Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. 11/01-JL 4H-M-14-58W E01-38987