Wildlifer’s Log – Winter 2002, Vol. 61, No. 1

54^th Annual Buffalo Banquet

The Annual Buffalo Banquet, held on November 1, was a success as usual. Approximately 180 people were present for the presentation of a number of scholarships (see listing elsewhere in the Log).

John Cooper, Secretary of Game, Fish and Parks was this year’s speaker. Coop kept the audience entertained with his stories about the trials and tribulations of working in this field.

The banquet is planned and run by the Wildlife Conservation Club. It takes a lot of effort on their part, but the experience is valuable. Drs. Mike Brown and Dan Hubbard are club coadvisors.

Alumni News

1960s

John Sexton, ’61, Just a note to thank you for sending the new Department history booklet. I have enjoyed reading it, even the Curricula section. To help fill in one of the blanks on the Sioux Falls Izaak Walton League Scholarship, I received the award in 1961. Thanks again. I hope you, your staff and students are having a great academic year.

Don Hammer, ’68, Greetings from Leefarm and sunny Arizona. Last winter our total precipitation was 2.2 inches and we’ve only had 0.45 inches so far this year. Needless to say duck and goose hunting is non-existent. We’re back in the swing of things working at the Elks, Cowbelles, attending Gem & Mineral field trips and Historical Society functions and preparing for the holidays. Hoping this finds you in good cheer.

Doug Harr, '69, After 29 years as a DNR Wildlife Manager in northwest Iowa, I recently assumed responsibilities as the Wildlife Diversity State Program Biologist. I'm now based at DNR's Bonne Wildlife Research Station and oversee statewide field operations of our Wildlife Diversity (nongame) Program. Am enjoying the new location and job, especially work with Iowa All-Bird Initiative, something that stems from Ray Linder's great ornithology tutelage. Greetings to my fellow SDSU wildlifers, and please stop in for a visit at the Boone Research Station when in central Iowa. Enjoy the Wildlifer's Log--keep up the good work!

1990s

Craig Noteboom, ’97, Went back to SDSU and received a BS in Nursing in 2000. Am presently an RN at Wagner Community Hospital. Enjoy living near the Missouri with lots of good fishing and hunting! Married and two children.

Brandon Wieme, ’98, I went on to receive an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology at Mississippi State University. Currently, I am employed by Ducks Unlimited as a biologist. I am in charge of the private lands program on the gulf coast and assist with the WRP in Texas. I currently live in the Houston area.

An SDSU Flavor

The Education Section of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) has a decidedly SDSU flavor. At this year’s AFS meeting in Baltimore, the three elected officers of the Section were all SDSU Ph.D. graduates.

Dr. Rob Neumann (1994) presided as President, Dr. Chris Guy (1993) was President-Elect, and Dr. Kevin Pope (1996) was Secretary-Treasurer. Rob is on the faculty at the University of Connecticut, Chris is an Assistant Leader of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Montana State University, and Kevin is on the faculty at Texas Tech University. All are Dave Willis’ Ph.D. students.

In addition, Marcy Anderson (SDSU, B.S. 1998) is Section Newsletter Editor. Marcy is a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech.

We are proud of the accomplishments of these alumni and in the leadership roles they are playing in the profession.

Book in Progress

Progress is being made by Drs. Mike Brown and Chris Guy on the development of the new American Fisheries Society (AFS) textbook Analysis and Interpretation of Freshwater Fisheries Data. They will serve as coeditors. Recall that Chris is an SDSU Ph.D. graduate currently in the Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit at Montana State University.

The overall goal of this project is to provide a major college text and professional guide for the analysis and interpretation of specific fisheries and fisheries-related data. Ultimately, Mike and Chris anticipate that this text will provide better uniformity to the business of fisheries data analysis.

Mike and Chris solicited authors for the project who are the current or emerging experts in the specific subject areas that are addressed in the book. Most, if not all, are frequent contributors to the AFS and the Education Section in particular.

The book is composed of 18 chapters covering a wide range of topics of interest to graduate students and practicing professionals (e.g., study design, recruitment, biotelemetry, food habits, bioenergetics, and community assessment). The project involves 41 authors and numerous peer and statistical reviewers. Thirteen chapters have been through most of the review process; the remaining five chapters are works-in-progress. Mike and Chris hope to have this project completed by mid 2003.

Central Flyway Council Award

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks were recognized in July by the Central Flyway Council. The award was for contributions to the Central Flyway Pre-Season Duck Banding Project.

Between 1991 and 2001, 245,795 ducks were banded. Our contribution was recognized with a plaque (now hanging in the Department office) signed by Kirk Nelson, Chairman of the Central Flyway Council.

Conservation Biology Offered

Conservation Biology (3 credit hours) will be offered as a Special Topic (WL492-592) in the Spring 2003 Semester. Dr. Robert Klaver, an Adjunct faculty member who works at the EROS Data Center, will be the instructor.

Bob is a Ph.D. graduate of the Department who earned his degree under Dr. Jon Jenks. The class will be taught one night a week.

This is the first time that the Department has received permission to have an off campus Adjunct faculty member teach a course. Previously, only those faculty members on teaching contracts could be involved with courses. Bob is generously teaching the course for no compensation.

At this time 11 students are enrolled, but more can add it before the semester starts. Conservation Biology is an area we have long wanted to add to our offerings but were unable to because of time constraints for current faculty. It is a valuable addition to our curriculum.

Yes

ALL DONATIONS should be made payable to the Greater State Fund and designated for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Mail to:

SDSU Foundation,

Box 525, Brookings, SD 57007.

I wish to contribute to the SDSU Department of Wildlife and Fisheries through the Greater State Fund.

Name _____________________________________________

Telephone __________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

City ___________________ State _____ Zip Code _________

Present Employment __________________________________

Amount of Gift Enclosed $ ______________________________

Dave Willis Elected

Dr. Dave Willis was recently elected as President-Elect of the Fisheries Management Section of the American Fisheries Society (AFS). He will be President from 2004 to 2006. During his presidency, Dave will also serve on the AFS Governing Board.

The Fisheries Management Section, the largest in the AFS, is composed of people who develop, apply, and evaluate effective management concepts or techniques as well as programs in education and information to solve fisheries management challenges.

The Section promotes the exchange of fisheries management information and the results of applied research among professionals, students, user groups, resource management agencies, and the general public who share interest in fish and the habitats supporting them.

The Section sponsors workshops, symposia, topical sessions at professional meetings, and special projects to examine fisheries management challenges. Section membership provides a credible voice for a wide range of fisheries management issues.

The Section continues active involvement with legislative initiatives as well as governmental and private-sector activities that affect the quality and extent of all fisheries. Selection of activities for Section involvement is made through individual member initiative.

Dave Willis – Distinguished Professor

Dr. Dave Willis was honored at the Spring 2002 Commencement with the title Distinguished Professor. This is a singular honor that few attain; Dave is only the 15^th faculty member at SDSU to receive this title.

In order to be considered, one must be nominated. Dave’s successful nomination was facilitated by his long-standing record of excellence in teaching, research, and service.

Here are a few of the accomplishments that led to his selection. American Fisheries Society (AFS) Award of Excellence in Fisheries Education (1997), North Central Division AFS Fisheries Excellence Award (1997), Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research (1995), F.O. Butler Excellence in Teaching Award (1991), and Dakota Chapter AFS Distinguished Professional Service Award (1991).

Dave and his graduate and undergraduate advisees have generated 50 awards, he has coauthored or edited three books, he has advised and mentored more than 30 graduate students, he has generated grants and contracts in excess of $3.5 million, he has more than 121 peer-reviewed publications, he and his students have given more than 193 research presentations at state, regional, national, and international meetings, and he has served in six elected professional offices.

These are just a few highlights of the many accomplishments that resulted in his being recognized as Distinguished Professor. This honor was richly deserved. Dave joins Dr. Les Flake from the Department who was designated Distinguished Professor in 1999.

Department Scholarships and Awards (2002)

Sioux Falls Izaak Walton League – Katie Herman

Gerald Spawn – Douglas Schultz

Outstanding Senior – Jessica Lee and Bradley Saltsman

Outstanding Junior – Abbie Vander Lugt

Lake Campbell Wildlife Club – Wendy Gronke

Karl E. Mundt – Matthew Ward and Andrew Blau

Great Plains Fishery Workers Association – Steve Wilson

Wildlife M.S. Student of the Year – Joe Smith

Brookings Wildlife Federation – Christian Schultz

Madison Izaak Walton League – David Terrall and Kevin Hoffmann

S.D. Trappers Association – Jon Porter

Gay Simpson Award – Kent Werlin

McCook Lake Izaak Walton League – Kevin Monteith, Mark Norton, Quinton Phelps, and Zachary Olson

Ph.D. Student of the Year (Fredrickson) – Dorothy Fecske

S.D. Conservation Officers Association – Donald Cunningham

Kjellsen Hunting Heritage – Abbie Vander Lugt

Bjorklund – Jessica Lee

Streeter – Emily Hodne

Wilbur Allen Scholarships – Benjamin Burris, Wendy Gronke, Eric Lindstrom, Kevin Monteith, Zachary Olson, Quinton Phelps, Christian Schultz, Christopher Swanson, David Terrall, Matthew Ward, Emily Hodne, Mark Norton, Jon Porter, Douglas Schultz, and Daniel Storm

Department Home Page

The Department Home Page (http://wfs.sdstate.edu) is continually revised and improved. The Wildlifer’s Log is now there as will be our annually updated Department History.

If you want to know about faculty, classes, employment, educational philosophy, etc., visit the site.

Donations: November 2001 – October 2002

MONEY

ARTWORK

Scott Gangl

Diana and Ronald Glover

Duane Koppmann

Jim Riis

Enrollment Update

The Department and the University continue to have an upswing in enrollment. This year SDSU reached its all-time enrollment high with 9,952 students in the fall semester.

Department enrollment was also excellent and continued a three-year upward trend. There is a lot of effort directed at recruitment and retention. Increased numbers are hard to come by as the number of graduating high-school seniors continues to decline in South Dakota. Our numbers for the last five-year period are listed below. If anyone is interested in enrollment numbers for the Department throughout the years, go to the Department History document on our website.

Year	B.S.	M.S.	Ph.D.
2002	203	39	10
2001	177	33	8
2000	152	39	11
1999	132	39	9
1998	153	31	9

Fisheries and Wildlife Biometrics

In 2000, we instituted a new course, WL440 Fisheries and Wildlife Biometrics. The course is taught by Dr. Mike Brown.

Student academic preparedness in statistical and computer application led to development of the course, which utilizes fish and wildlife data sets that students must statistically test and evaluate using computer software programs.

It has proven to be a valuable addition to the curriculum. This year we made curriculum changes so that the course can be offered every year, and all undergraduates will be required to take it.

The faculty and students (through exit interviews) had identified this as the weakest area of our students’ academic preparation. The course syllabus can be found at our Department website.

Flake Leads Workshop

Dr. Lester Flake led a 4-day Wildlife Diseases Workshop for tribal biologists in June. This was the 8^th such Workshop that Les has conducted.

Wildlife and fisheries management agencies and natural resource personnel working on tribal lands manage extensive wildlife and fish populations and extensive land area and landscapes. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and SDSU have been pleased to develop a working relationship with many of these tribal agencies and personnel through workshops cosponsored by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The first Workshop was in 1990. Ken Parr, at that time with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Aberdeen, deserves credit for initiating the idea for this series of Workshops. The latest Workshop was developed in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Diane Mann-Klager) and the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The Workshop was held on the SDSU campus.

Various speakers were invited to assist in an interesting and broad treatment of a variety of wildlife diseases. Approximately 22 participants came from as far away as New Mexico and Washington to participate in the Workshop.

Speakers included Dr. Kathryn Converse and Dr. Grace McLaughlin (National Wildlife Health Center), Dr. Jon Jenks (Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, SDSU), Dr. Sam Holland (South Dakota Animal Industry Board), Dr. Dennis Nelson (Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, SDSU), and Dr. Mike Hildreth (Biology/Microbiology, SDSU).

Most of the presentations focused on avian and mammalian diseases or on general approaches to disease problems and solutions. Avian cholera, mycoplasmosis, Newcastle disease, trichomoniasis, coccidiosis, and others were included in bird diseases discussed. Some of the mammalian diseases covered included anthrax, rabies, distemper, tularemia, sylvatic plague, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, tuberculosis, lyme disease, hanta virus, and chronic wasting disease (CWD). These diseases featured various causative agents including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and renegade proteins (prions associated with CWD).

Chronic wasting disease generated the greatest concern and interest with its apparent spread and the potential to disrupt elk and deer management. Many of the tribal biologists had important experience with wildlife disease problems in their management areas or in previous college classes or professional workshops. Important future contacts were made with the National Wildlife Health Center that can benefit many of the tribal natural resource agencies in their wildlife disease problems.

A Workshop on range conditions and wildlife habitat relationships is tentatively planned for June 2003, contingent on funding development.

Graduate Research Projects (Completed)

Student’s Name (Degree, Advisor). Project Title.

Dubreuil, Robert P. (MS, Jenks). Habitat selection of white-tailed and mule deer in the southern Black Hills, South Dakota.

Hawkins, Michael J. (MS, Willis). Use of high pressure liquid chromatography to detect and quantify oxytetracycline marks in walleye otoliths and dorsal spines.

Holcomb, Benjamin M. (MS, Chipps). Nutrient inputs, iron availability, and algal biomass in Black Hills watersheds: implications for reservoir and stream productivity.

McKibbin, William L. (MS, Willis). Structure and dynamics of largemouth bass populations in eastern South Dakota glacial lakes and large impoundments.

Smith, Vickie J. (MS, Jenks). Mammal distributions and habitat models for South Dakota.

Werlin, Kent B. (MS, Hubbard). Development and application of vegetation-based biomonitoring criteria for floodplain wetlands.

Wilson, Stephen K. (MS, Willis). Relation of habitat to fish community characteristics in small South Dakota impoundments.

Graduate Research Projects (In Progress)

Student’s Name (Degree, Advisor). Project Title.

Adams, W.E., Jr. (MS, Willis). Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) spawning habitat and biology in Rainy Lake, Minnesota and Ontario.

Bandas, Sarah J. (MS, Higgins). Turtles of South Dakota: A preliminary evaluation of their status within the state.

Bigalke, Benjamin J. (MS, Jenks). Survival and movements of white-tailed deer and coyotes in southeast Minnesota.

Brinkman, Todd J. (MS, Jenks). Movement and mortality of white-tailed deer in southwest Minnesota.

Burris, Benjamin M. (MS, Jenks). Seasonal movements of white-tailed deer in eastern South Dakota relative to traditional ranges and management unit boundaries.

Cooper, Thomas R. (PhD, Higgins). Relationships among land use, habitat protection and avian presence in the Minnesota Valley Wetland Management District.

Davis, Blake A. (MS, Chipps). Quantifying tropic relationships for Lake Oahe walleyes using diet and stable isotope analysis.

Dawn, Deanna M. (PhD, Jenks). Evaluation of survival, dispersal, and density of mountain lions in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

DeBates, Timothy J. (MS, Willis). Predator-prey dynamics of fish communities in two Nebraska Sandhill lakes.

Duehr, Jeremy P. (MS, Berry). Survey of the fishes and habitat of western South Dakota streams.

Fecske, Dorothy M. (PhD, Jenks). Development of indices for monitoring trends in American marten and mountain lion populations in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Freeling, Steven E. (MS, Berry). Accuracy assessment of the Aquatic GAP fish distribution model and macroinvertebrate species richness and abundance in the upper Missouri River watershed.

Graeb, Brian D. (PhD, Willis). Sauger population ecology in three Missouri River mainstem reservoirs.

Harland, Brandon C. (MS, Berry). Survey of the fishes and habitat of western South Dakota streams.

Hart, Thomas W. (MS, Brown). Maintenance/supplemental stocking success of largemouth bass fingerlings in South Dakota small impoundments.

Haugerud, Neil J. (MS, Chipps). Invertebrate community structure of seasonal floodplain wetlands of the Upper Missouri River.

Hoagstrom, Christopher W. (PhD, Berry). South Dakota river fish inventory and habitat analyses.

Isermann, Daniel A. (PhD, Willis). Yellow perch recruitment and management in South Dakota waters.

Jacques, Christopher N. (PhD, Jenks). Evaluation of aerial transect surveys and movements of pronghorn in western South Dakota.

Lajoie, Isabelle L. (MS, Jenks). Effects of habitat and movement on population ecology of white-tailed deer in mixed agriculture and forest habitats of southern Minnesota.

Leathers, Ronald J. (MS, Hubbard). Relative invertebrate availability in CRP-MAP fields in eastern Nebraska.

Lehman, Chadwick P. (PhD, Flake). Ecology of Merriam’s wild turkeys in the Southern Black Hills, South Dakota.

Lewis, Amy R. (PhD, Higgins). Nongame bird abundance in sagebrush habitats in western North and South Dakota.

Linke, Lisa O. (MS, Hubbard). Attitudes and intended behaviors towards fishing and hunting regulations: compliance/noncompliance issues.

Mangan, Matthew T. (MS, Brown). Yellow perch production and harvest strategies for semi-permanent wetlands in eastern South Dakota.

Miller, Mary C. (MS, Flake). Relationship of habitat characteristics to wetland bird abundance on prairie wetlands on the Ordway Prairie.

Mockler, Rachel M. (MS, Higgins). To evaluate lesser scaup presence and use of wetlands in eastern South Dakota according to wetland classification.

Morey, Nathan M. (MS, Berry). Growth and mortality of several lotic fish species with reference to biotic and abiotic factors in South Dakota streams.

Morlock, Matthew W. (MS, Hubbard). Floral and faunal characteristics of created wetlands: a pre- and post-development comparison.

Parke, Robbie W. (MS, Jenks). Food habits of coyote and red fox in western South Dakota.

Powell, Jennifer L. (MS, Brown). Limitations affecting panfish quality in multi-species communities.

Powell, Kipp A. (MS, Chipps). Factors associated with juvenile fish abundance in seasonally connected backwaters of the upper Missouri River.

Reindl, Sara A. (MS, Higgins). Evaluation of methods to detect black-footed ferret presence in prairie dog colony sites.

Rieger, Bryan A. (MS, Jenks/Higgins). Demographics and characteristics of wetlands in western South Dakota.

Rohlfing, Mark B. (MS, Hubbard). Avian nesting density and success of cool- vs. warm-season grass plantings in eastern South Dakota.

Salo, Eric D. (MS, Higgins). The influence of grazing systems and grazing intensity on nongame birds in North Dakota grasslands.

Schilowsky, Rebecca D. (MS, Flake). Survival and habitat use of breeding hen pheasants in eastern South Dakota.

Schmitz, Lowell E. (PhD, Jenks). Variation in growth characteristics of white-tailed deer fawns relative to survival.

Schuler, Krysten L. (PhD, Jenks). Monitoring for chronic wasting disease: deer movements, density, and potential transmission at Wind Cave National Park.

Selch, Trevor M. (MS, Chipps). Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) foraging activity as influenced by prey morphology, size, and behavior: a new measure of optional foraging using pre-capture events.

Sievers, Jaret D. (MS, Jenks). Factors Affecting A Declining Pronghorn Population In Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota.

Smith, Joe T. (MS, Flake). Sage grouse on the edge of their range: leks and surrounding landscapes in the Dakotas.

Stukel, Sampson M. (MS, Brown). Assessing the sustainability of fish communities in glacial lakes: habitat inventories and relationships between lake attributes and fish communities.

Swanson, Christopher C. (MS, Jenks). Landscape-level patterns of association and survival of white-tailed deer in southern Minnesota.

Sylvester, Ryan M. (MS, Berry). Accuracy assessment of the Upper Missouri River Basin Aquatic GAP fish distribution models.

Thompson, Daniel J. (MS, Flake). Roosting behavior and poult survival of Merriam’s wild turkeys in the southern Black Hills, South Dakota.

Wanner, Greg A. (MS, Willis). Juvenile pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon sampling and ecology in the Missouri River below Fort Randall Dam.

Ward, Matthew C. (MS, Willis). Evaluation of walleye to suppress fathead minnow populations in type-V Minnesota wetlands.

Weimer, Eric J. (MS, Brown). Seasonal habitat selection, movement, and susceptibility to exploitation of large bluegill in a South Dakota glacial lake.

Zimmerman, Teresa J. (MS, Jenks). Nutrition, disease, and parasites of deer populations in the southern Black Hills, South Dakota.

Zweifel, Richard D. (PhD, Brown). Factors regulating walleye early survival and year class formation in eastern South Dakota glacial lakes.

Hallway Beautification Completed

One of the goals when we moved into the Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory in 1993 was to make our space in the building take on a decidedly wildlife-fisheries atmosphere. This was done to demonstrate to faculty, students, and visitors what we in the Department are about and to add identity to our space.

With the help of many of you and to others such as South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, Pheasants Forever, and Ducks Unlimited, we have completed the task.

More than 150 limited art prints now grace our hallways and office. No major space is left uncovered. While we have room for a few additional contributions, the project is considered to be successfully completed.

We receive constant compliments on the artwork. It is not uncommon to see visitors and others slowly winding their ways down our hallways viewing the collection. Thanks to all of you who contributed.

Jenks Elected

Dr. Jon Jenks was recently elected President-Elect of the North Dakota Natural Science Society. He will become President in the summer of 2003.

The Society ranges far beyond North Dakota. The Prairie Naturalist, which many biologists in the region receive, is published by the Society.

Jon is the first President not to be a North Dakotan. He will preside at the Society’s annual meeting and will also have other duties in his capacity as President.

Les Flake to Retire

Dr. Lester Flake has set August 31, 2003, as his retirement date. Les has been on the faculty since 1972 and is a Distinguished Professor. His 31 years in the Department is the longest duration for any member of the Department faculty.

He does not plan to stop his professional activities and has many future plans. An in-depth look at Les’ career will be provided in next year’s Wildlifer’s Log.

We are currently in the early stages of trying to fill his spot on the faculty. Les will be difficult to replace.

Lloyd Fredrickson Memorial Scholarship

Elsewhere in the Log is an article concerning the death of long-time Department Groundskeeper Lloyd Fredrickson. A memorial scholarship has been initiated in his memory.

The scholarship is an “acorn endowment” with a goal of a minimum of $10,000. It has been established to provide a scholarship in Wildlife Graduate Studies. The first $500 scholarship was presented at this year’s (2002) Buffalo Banquet to Dorothy Fecske, Ph.D. student in the Department.

Lloyd’s interest in the Department and his love of wildlife and fisheries resources was the impetus for providing the scholarship. The scholarship is a result of donations from Lloyd’s children, Lynne Partelow (daughter) and her husband George, Alexis Regier (daughter) and her husband Joe, Jan Fredrickson (daughter), and Charles Fredrickson (son).

Many future students will benefit from this award and Lloyd will be memorialized by its presence.

Lloyd Fredrickson Passes Away

Lloyd Fredrickson, a valued employee and friend, passed away this fall (September 26). Lloyd had been our Groundskeeper at the Wildlife Farm and Wetlab since 1984. He started working for the Department after his retirement.

Many faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students interacted with Lloyd over the years. There was no one with whom Lloyd could not get along.

He was born in Bryant, South Dakota, on February 2, 1918. He passed away at the Royal C. Johnson Veterans Hospital in Sioux Falls. He served from 1942 to 1945 in the Philippines and Pacific Campaigns during WWII.

Lloyd was married to Alice Kothe in 1947 in Bryant. He is survived by his wife, three daughters (Lynne Partelow, Alexis Regier, and Jan Fredrickson) and son Charles Fredrickson. He is buried in Bryant.

Lost Alumni

Kenneth Anderson

Bernard Brich

Joni Brunkow

James A. Buchweitz

Durand R. Cook

John D. Curry

Ronald S Davis

Vernon D. Delzer

Xiang Ding

Donald G. Disbro

Frederick J. Dufault

Thomas P. Felix

Donald O. Floden

Richard L. Fristik

Jose Bernardo Garza

George L. Geis

Ivan J. Graumann

Martin W. Gray

Anthony Grossman

Robert Hagen

Richard P. Halvorson

Gerald E. Herting

David Hesnard

William H. Higgins

Norman R. Hines

David I. Hoff

Dale Hogen

Paul J. Huls

Anthony E. Hunhoff

Ernest W. Jahnke

Joan Jirak

Hilding I. Johansson

Dean R. Johnson

Judith A. Johnson

Donald F. Klebert

Robert W. Kohrt

Joseph J. Kraayenbrink

John B. Kraft

Jeremiah J. Kranz

Gordon Lofquist

Henry M. Luschen

Philip J. Martens

Colin Mc Donald

Robert J. McDonald

Linda S. Meidl

Norman C. Messenger

David Meyer

Linda J. Meyers

Monty E. Montagne

Seteng Motalaote

James M. Murphy

Fred W. Olsen

Kenneth Ortman

Olapade R. Oyegunwa

Kyle D. Potter

Lisa J. Evans

Michael V. Rossi

Steven K. Rust

Bruce R. Schmidt

Calvin W. Schoon

Will E. Schultz

Norman O. Scobey

David J. Shelbourn

James G. Smith

Michael F. Sorensen

Kent M. Sorenson

Robert A. Spicer

John F. Stilley

James D. Swanson

William L. Taylor

Larry A. Thompson

Ivan R. Tolley

Bruce W. Warner

Larry D. Whirledge

Donald E. Wieland

Kim L. Wilson

Richard A. Wilson

Rodney A. Zenk

Mike Brown Elected

Dr. Mike Brown was recently elected as First Vice-President of the North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society (AFS). The Division is one of four AFS divisions and encompasses the Dakotas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin, Mid-Canada, Northwestern Ontario, and Southern Ontario.

Mike will be elevated to President-Elect in 2003-2004, and then to President in 2004-2005. He will also serve on the AFS Governing Board while President and President-Elect.

New Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct faculty members represent a vital asset to the Department. These individuals contribute in numerous ways to improve the educational opportunities for our students. In most cases they serve on Graduate Committees and lend their expertise to student mentoring.

In 2002, two new Adjunct Faculty joined our program. Dr. Dave Leslie from Oklahoma State University and Dr. Leigh Fredrickson from the University of Missouri have joined the faculty in this capacity.

These two were added to the following current adjunct faculty in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences: Dr. Kristel Bakker (Dakota State University), Dr. Brian Blackwell (S.D. Game, Fish and Parks), Dr. Chris DePerno (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources), Dr. Ned Euliss (Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center), Dr. Larry Gigliotti (S.D. Game, Fish and Parks), Dr. Steve Hamilton (National Fisheries Contaminant Research Center-Yankton), Dr. Rick Holland (Nebraska Game and Parks Commission), Dr. Bob Klaver (EROS Data Center), Dr. Fred Lindzey (University of Wyoming), Dr. Dave Naugle (University of Montana), Dr. Mark Rumble (U.S. Forest Service), Dr. Marsha Sovada (Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center), and Dr. Dan Uresk (U.S. Forest Service).

Other News From The Department – by Chuck Scalet

The University started a new scholarship program called the “Jackrabbit Guarantee” in Fall 2002. Any high-school senior with an ACT of 24 or better is guaranteed $1,000 per year for four years. Student recipients must take a certain number of hours per semester and maintain a minimal GPA of 2.5 to remain eligible. This is an excellent scholarship program that will help enrollment and increase student quality.

It is especially attractive in that it is not just a freshman scholarship program that promotes recruitment but then leaves the student without support after their freshman year. In an attempt to attract students, many universities are putting most of their efforts into freshmen scholarships with the idea that once the students are there they won’t leave even if scholarship support is lost after the first year. SDSU’s is a much fairer program.

One drawback to the program is that the University is having to work very hard to find money to fund the program. Obviously, this is totally donor-generated through the Foundation – the state provides no funding for scholarships. Because of the dollars needed, programs such as ours, which have made efforts to develop scholarships for their students, will subsidize students in other programs that have not developed internal scholarship programs. The scholarships our Department provides apparently will count toward “Jackrabbit Guarantee” payments.

Any negatives aside, it is an excellent program that will greatly benefit the University and its students. It is a step forward and represents a departure from the “we are a poor state, we can’t do that” attitude that is so prevalent. President Miller, the Foundation, and others should be commended for their efforts in this area.

As reported in last year’s Wildlifer’s Log, the Department has two courses (WL110 Environmental Conservation and WL220 Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries) on two of the five SDSU Core Goals course lists. Those two goals are Goal 4 (Natural Sciences) and Goal 5 (Stewardship). In short, these courses are on lists from which students must select to meet various SDSU academic goals.

Our course most affected by this is WL110 Environmental Conservation. For years, it averaged 60 to 70 students per semester. Enrollment for the last few semesters were: Spring 2001, 119; Fall 2001, 152; Spring 2002, 202; and Fall 2002, 268. There are already 304 enrolled for Spring 2003. It is now taught in the largest classroom on campus. The drawbacks to such numbers are far outweighed by our being able to reach a larger audience with environmental issues and information. Dr. Les Flake will also teach WL110 in Spring 2003 at the USDSU center in Sioux Falls.

This year the Board of Regents (BOR) continued in their efforts to standardize everything on a system-wide basis. Course titles, numbers, and credit hours at BOR institutions were this year’s target. It has been a major headache. The BOR “one size fits all” format does not fit well with our program; we are the only Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences program in the State. After generating a great deal of paperwork, we were able to retain our WL prefix and all of our current course titles, numbers, and hours. However, the large number of changes in other departments has made an already overly complicated advising system even more complicated.

We continue to get squeezed on credit hours. There is a BOR core, an SDSU core, and Department course requirements. Our Department requirements are employer driven by certification and Federal G.S. requirements. As the BOR and SDSU cores and our Department needs change, the relatively few elective hours available to our students continues to dwindle. There were also efforts to reduce the number of hours a program could require beyond the two cores and to reduce hours for graduation from 128 to 120 semester hours. To avert these additional changes, much justification paperwork was required. One size does not fit all, at least not effectively.

The issue of a possible SDSU move to Division I has swirled around the campus, town, and state for the last few months. Recently the Board of Regents approved of the move. There are numerous stipulations including finding a conference, spending no state money, and not increasing student fees.

There are some for and some against. As often happens, opinion not based on fact plays a role in where people stand. Change is especially difficult for some people.

The issue of such a move was not taken lightly and the University did a good job of fact finding in relation the positives and negatives of such a move. Documents relating to the move can be found on the SDSU website.

Personally, I hope a conference can be found and the move is made. Contrary to what many people think, this is not just an athletic issue. The future of the University and its academic programs are also greatly affected. Academically, SDSU is already a Division I University (see article elsewhere in the Log). If the move is not made we will be the only Land-Grant University without a Division I sport. In addition, the move would be another step away from the “we are a poor state, we can’t do that” attitude.

The University has only asked to do something without state monetary support. President Miller, the Foundation, and many others think it can be done and they should be commended for their foresight and initiative.

It was reported in last year’s Log that eight Department courses had been submitted to the University as meeting the criteria to be listed as “communication intensive courses”. All eight were accepted and are now listed as such. They are all of our 300 and 400 level courses. I doubt that any other Department has such a high percentage of courses listed in this category.

SDSU Academic Status

The U.S. News and World Report 2003 issue of America’s Best Colleges is now available. In the report, 249 U.S. universities are listed as National Universities – Doctoral. These schools are divided into four tiers based on perceived program strength. Various weighted factors of academic excellence are used to assess the universities. Both quantitative and qualitative measures are used as is peer assessment.

The Tier 1 schools, the top 50, include universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. Tier 2 consists of 78 universities and includes programs such as Michigan State, the University of Minnesota, and Iowa State. SDSU is one of 65 universities listed as a Tier 3 school. In that tier, among others, are the University of North Dakota, the University of Montana, Montana State, the University of Idaho, the University of Wyoming, Utah State, Arizona State, Kansas State, Oregon State, and Oklahoma State. Tier 4 schools, of which there were 56, include the University of South Dakota, North Dakota State, Idaho State, the University of Houston, and New Mexico State.

SDSU and USD are the only two South Dakota universities in the National Universities-Doctoral category. SDSU’s ranking in Tier 3 is excellent when one considers our size and resources available. If you want more information on the report, go to their website (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/cohome.htm).

The Carnegie Foundation also classifies (but does not rank) university programs. Their categorizations are determined by degree-granting activity. They have eight categories, with the top three being Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive, Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive, and Master’s Colleges and Universities I. SDSU is now listed in the Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive category. There are 111 schools in that category, including the University of South Dakota, North Dakota State, the University of North Dakota, Montana State, and the University of Montana.

Until recently SDSU was classified in the Master’s category, but with the advent of programs such as the Biological Sciences and Chemistry Ph.D.’s, we have moved up a category.

For inclusion in the Extensive category at least 50 doctoral degrees across at least 15 disciplines must be awarded each year. For inclusion in the Intensive category at least ten doctoral degrees across three or more disciplines, or at least 20 doctoral degrees overall must be awarded per year.

No one anticipates a move by SDSU to the Extensive category in the near future, but it is something to view as a long-term goal. For more information on the Carnegie Foundation classification, visit their website (www.carnegiefoundation.org).

The Wildlifer’s Log is published annually by the

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

President: Peggy Gordon Miller

Dean: Fred A. Cholick

Department Head: Charles G. Scalet

Publications Editor: Terri Symens

Design and Layout: The Brookings Register

Writers and Photographers: Charles G. Scalet, Lester D. Flake, Michael L. Brown,

and David W. Willis

This publication is published by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakota State University, Box 2140B, Brookings, SD 57007-1696.

No state funds were used in printing this publication. 12/02

Wildlife Conservation Club Change

The SDSU Wildlife Conservation Club, which started in 1942, is undergoing a change. For a number of years the Club has been a Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Plans are now underway to also become a Student Subunit of the American Fisheries Society. When this is completed, the Club will change its name to the Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Club.

The Club continues to grow and provides undergraduates with many benefits. Aside from hosting the Annual Buffalo Banquet, the Club also conducts numerous social and service activities.

Co-advisors to the Club are Drs. Mike Brown and Dan Hubbard.

Wildlife Conservation Club Officers (2002)

President – Brad Saltsman

Vice President – Mark Finnegan

Secretary – Jessica Lee

Treasurer – Abbie Vander Lugt

Wildlife Conservation Club Officers (2003)

President – Jeremy Thury

Vice President – Jessica Lee

Secretary – Shawn Wichmann

Treasurer – Angie Merkel

ALUMNI INFORMATION FORM

We want to hear from you!

Email your news to terri.symens@sdstate.edu

Have you moved, accepted a new position, married, given talks in your community, received an advanced degree, or had an addition to your family? Everyone in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and your classmates want to know what has been happening in your life.

Name_____________________________________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Telephone ( ) _______________________

Year of Graduation from SDSU __________

Email or send your information to:

Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

SDSU, Box 2140B

Brookings, SD 57007-1696

terri_symens@sdstate.edu