winter 2004 - volume 63 - no. 1

Wildlifer’s Log

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

South Dakota State University

To Africa and Back in 12 Days

by Jon Jenks

Spring break in academia has come to mean Daytona, South Padre Island, Cancun, or some other party place where students shed the information crammed into brains the day before tests and the tight scheduling of University life.

No so for 20 students, including three Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences majors, as well as students enrolled in Biology and Microbiology, Animal Science, Zoology, Journalism, History, Geography, and other majors. These students and five SDSU faculty, Diane Rickerl (Plant Science), Zeno Wicks (Plant Science), Robert Watrel (Geography), Fred Cholick (Dean of the College, who was present for a portion of the trip) and I, spent Spring Break traveling through four West African countries learning about culture, foods of the region, ecotourism, and, especially, the abundant and diverse wildlife of game parks. In fact, no matter what the university major, all students who went on the trip were most interested in observing the wildlife of the region.

The trip, a part of the Travel Abroad Program at SDSU, took students through Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Togo, West Africa. The group flew to Accra, Ghana and within 24 hours traveled to the Cape Coast of Africa where slave castles and tropical forests were toured. At Kakum National Park, the travelers were able to walk within the forest of giant canoe and silk trees to observe monkeys, African hornbills, and soldier ants.

From Kakum, the group traveled north to Bobeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in central Ghana, a small isolated forest where mona, western black, and white colobus monkeys can be observed regularly. This sanctuary was a good example of ecotourism, as visitors pay guide fees that directly benefit the local village and economy.

Nazinga Game Ranch, located in southern Burkina Faso, was the next park on the list to be visited. Nazinga was managed by a Canadian Non-Government Agency back in the 1970s to produce game meat for consumption by residents. The Ranch was not profitable, and management was transferred to the government of Burkina Faso in the late 1980s.

Since that time, the Ranch has become a wildlife preserve that allows hunting of warthogs, roan antelope, hartebeests, and waterbucks. The Ranch also has built a system of impoundments where Nile perch have been stocked. While touring the Ranch, students were able to observe hunted big game as well as elephants, baboons, Patas monkeys, and kob and bushbuck antelope.

During a trip to West Africa in May 2003, to evaluate our route for the Travel Abroad Class, we had the good fortune to meet the Assistant Director for Research at Nazinga, Bernard Hien. Bernard and I discussed research needs of the Ranch including a review of information collected on seasonal elephant movements from Ghana through Nazinga to Kabore Tambi, a relatively new game park in Burkina Faso.

After our visit, Bernard decided to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship to work on a M.S. degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at SDSU. He arrived in August 2004 and has begun his Fulbright Scholarship working on an evaluation of elephant conflicts at Nazinga, which will include an assessment of movements, agricultural damage, and poaching effects on the species.

The last game park visited was located in Northern Benin. Penjari Game Park is over twice the size of Nazinga Game Ranch and borders the Penjari River to its north; the river forms the border between Burkina Faso and Benin. While touring the Park, students were able to observe hippopotami, lions, cheetah, duiker, and herds of elephants, roan antelope, and cape buffalo. The Park also is a bird watchers haven, being populated with Abyssinian rollers, African eagles, Egyptian vultures, red-throated bee-eaters, grey crowned cranes, and southern ground hornbills, to name but a few species.

The trip was so successful that a second trip abroad to West Africa was approved for Spring Break 2005, provided that a sufficient number of students enroll in the class. There is a good chance we will be headed back to the area next Spring.

Berry on AIBS Board

Dr. Charles R. Berry Jr., Unit Leader of the South Dakota Cooperative Unit, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). Founded in 1947, the Institute is a nonprofit scientific association of 6,000 biologists and 95 professional societies with a combined membership exceeding 240,000 biologists.

The mission of AIBS is to advance biological research and education for the welfare of society. Known chiefly for its professional journal BioScience, AIBS also serves educators with textbook review reports and curriculum projects that emphasize biology. The AIBS Virtual Library allows students to view lectures by some of the most prominent scientists in the world. Based in Washington D. C., the AIBS Public Policy Office also educates elected officials and their staffs about the many biological issues that touch human lives and the natural resources of the country.

The Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society are members, so SDSU students and alumni who belong to these organizations are also indirectly participating in AIBS. Individual membership ($70) in AIBS includes a subscription to BioScience, the 5^th most cited journal of 51 biology journals.

Chuck and recent SDSU Graduate Jeff Shearer found 80 major articles on aquatic freshwater resources in BioScience between 1990 and 2001, and published an article on the fisheries connection with AIBS in Fisheries 27(5):28-29. A “must read” for wildlifers is the recent BioScience [54(7):689-695] article by SDSU range professor Dr. Pat Johnson titled “The Prairie Dog Story: Do We Have It Right?”  Johnson and her co-authors challenge prairie dog dogma.

Chuck has had a seat on the AIBS Council of Organization Representatives since 2001. Each member organization has a representative on the Council, and Chuck represents the American Fisheries Society. He was elected to the Board of Directors by the other 94 Council members.

Chuck is particularly interested in several AIBS programs having to do with education. AIBS delivers information to educators through Action BioScience (www.aibs.org), which is a series of modules to help instructors teach complex or controversial biological subjects. One issue that is of special interest to AIBS is evolution.

Chuck would like to expand the internship program in the AIBS Public Policy Office in Washington and look for opportunities to get students involved in public policy. Biological science needs to develop a cadre of professionals who are comfortable with science and policy interactions. Finally, Chuck supports an AIBS business enterprise known as BioOne. BioOne bundles scientific journals in a searchable database that is marketed to libraries. BioOne caters to smaller scientific journals, like the Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science, and AIBS delivers BioOne free to libraries in underdeveloped countries.

Chuck will attend his first Board of Directors meeting in early May 2005 in Washington DC. He is serving a three-year term.

Chuck Berry Distinguished Alumnus

Dr. Chuck Berry, Professor in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and Leader of the South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, recently received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Randolph-Macon College (R-MC), Ashland, Virginia, for achieving wide recognition through contributions made to society in his chosen profession. Their news release concerning the award contained the following information. Dr. Berry has been a researcher and professor of fisheries and environmental science for 30 years. Recently elected to the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, Berry has received Communicator of the Year and Educator of the Year awards from the South Dakota Wildlife Federation and the Distinguished Service Award from the Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

He has advised numerous graduate students, written dozens of scientific articles about fishes of the Colorado River and Missouri River basins and contributed to two upcoming books on rivers of North America. Dr. Berry graduated from Wicomico High School in Salisbury, Maryland, in 1963 and received his bachelor’s degree in biology from R-MC in 1967. While at R-MC, he received several athletic awards, including Little All-American Honorable Mention in football in 1966.

How many of you knew that Chuck was a football hero as an undergraduate? Congratulations to Chuck on his Distinguished Alumnus status; it is well deserved.

Mike Brown Promoted

Dr. Mike Brown was promoted to Professor on July 1, 2004. Mike joined the Department faculty in 1994 as an Assistant Professor after receiving his Ph.D. from Texas A&M. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1998 and received tenure in 2000.

Mike has been a valuable faculty member in the Department. His teaching responsibilities are varied and include WL 110 Environmental Conservation (once a year), WL 220 Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries (team-taught, every other year), WL 370 Limnology (every other year), WL 440 Fish and Wildlife Biometrics (once a year), and WL 490 Seminar (every other year). He is an excellent classroom teacher who receives good marks from students in class evaluations.

Mike is also an excellent undergraduate and graduate student advisor and mentor. His students appreciate his efforts in helping them develop their academic and professional skills.

            On the research side, he has secured more than $1.5 million in outside grants and contracts while at SDSU. He has authored or coauthored 61 publications, the majority being in top-line refereed journals. He and his students have conveyed their research findings in more than 70 oral or poster presentations at various meetings. He is currently serving as coeditor and chapter author of a fisheries biometrics book.

            His service contributions have been significant. This service spans activities at the University, College, and Department levels, professional service, and service to the community-at-large.

            Mike was very deserving of promotion. His record of accomplishments is significant.

Fiscus Speaker Fund

            Last year Cliff Fiscus (B.S. 1950) generously provided a $25,000 endowment to the Department. The two uses of the endowment allows us to address some real needs. Interest earned from Cliff’s contribution is going toward supporting some of the costs of outside speakers we bring to campus; this will be the major use of these funds. We can also use it to assist faculty with international travel.

            Funding became available this fall and we used a portion of it to partially support two speakers. Dr. Trent Sutton (Purdue University) was brought to campus, as was Neil Haugerud (North Dakota Department of Health).

            The Department has always made an effort to bring outside speakers into our classes. This adds a needed dimension for the education of our students; it enhances their academic and professional development. Following, in no particular order, is a list of out-of-town speakers (we also bring in many local speakers) who we have had on campus recently.

            Dr. R. Terry Bowyer (University of Alaska - Fairbanks), Dr. Dave Wahl (Illinois Natural History Survey), Dr. Elise Irwin (Auburn University), Dr. Brian Murphy (Virginia Tech), Dr. Brian Blackwell (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks), Dr. Trent Sutton (Purdue University), Dr. Robert Klumb (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Pierre), Peter Jacobson (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources), Todd St. Sauver (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks), Dr. Bradley Young (Michigan State University), Douglas Dieterman (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources), Carmen Blausey (National Park Service - Nebraska), Ronald Koth (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks), Dr. Josh Stafford (Illinois Natural History Survey), Peter Baumann (Nature Conservancy - South Dakota), Dave Nomsen (Pheasants Forever - South Dakota), Tom Kirschenmann (Pheasants Forever - South Dakota), Dr. William Barker (North Dakota State University), Drew Ellis (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - South Dakota), Tony Leif (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks), Andy Gabbert (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks), Dr. Amy Lewis (Augustana),            Chad Lehman (Turkey Federation - South Dakota), Don McCrea (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks) Dr. Larry Giglotti (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks), Mark Smedsrud (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks), Dale Gates (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks), Connie Vicuna (Natural Resources Conservation Service), Julie Thorstenson (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe).

Department Homepage

            One of the realities of the current world is the wide use of the Internet. Because of this, almost all entities have a Homepage, and our Department (http://wfs.sdstate.edu) is no exception.

            The upside is that one can get a lot of information to many people with the click of a mouse. The downside is that constant revisions are needed for such information to be useful. Much time and effort are required to maintain an effective Homepage; a poor or out-of-date Homepage is worse than not having one. In addition, a Homepage that is difficult to navigate is a negative. It needs to be user friendly, something that is increasingly difficult to achieve as information provided on these sites expands.

            Our Homepage is constantly updated. Some areas are updated annually, while other areas are under weekly and even daily revision. We are also constantly looking for ways to provide more information on our Homepage; this has resulted in many recent additions and modifications, with more planned in the future.

            We use our Homepage for a wide variety of purposes including undergraduate and graduate student recruitment, course syllabi, course notes, application information, educational philosophy, curricular information, professional development, job postings, and a myriad of other aspects of importance to students, parents, and faculty.

            We are also constantly looking for ways to expand our Homepage to provide better services to a variety of audiences. For example, those visiting our site are now able to not only access Department publications, theses, and dissertations, but also search those publications by author, date, and keywords.

            Secretary Carol Jacobson enters all of our Homepage information. Visit the site and let her know if there are confusing areas, additions, or other changes you think would result in improvement. We do not want our Homepage to just be good, we want it to be the best.

Mike Brown Receives Award

            Dr. Mike Brown, Professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, was honored by the Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society with its Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented annually to someone who has made outstanding contributions to the fisheries profession.

            Mike received the award at the 2004 annual meeting held in Pierre on March 15-17. Mike’s contributions have been many, and his selection was well deserved.

            Mike joins current Department faculty members Chuck Berry, Dave Willis, and Chuck Scalet as recipients of the award.

First-Year Thoughts

by K. C. Jensen

December 15^th, 2004 marked the first anniversary of my move back to Brookings and my new job in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. In honor of making it through the year, I have put together a few thoughts and personal reflections concerning my rookie season.

This has been an eventful and exciting year for me. It has also been a daunting task to attempt to follow in the position that Les Flake held for over 30 years. When people comment that I replaced Les in the Department I correct them and say that I was just the successor to his position. I do not think anyone can replace him.

My appointment is in both teaching and research, so I have had to focus my time developing lecture notes and classroom materials, and also at getting a research program started. Developing the course materials for Ornithology and Wildlife Management was a big task, but I was fortunate that I had previously taught both of these courses elsewhere.

I was anticipating more difficulty in developing my research program. However, I inherited one project and student from Les, and have been extremely fortunate to be the benefactor of a wonderful working relationship with the state and federal agencies tasked with the management of wildlife resources in South Dakota and the northern Great Plains. This relationship has flourished because of the marvelous track record of productivity in terms of student theses, publications, and sound science-based wildlife management recommendations that have been generated by research conducted in this Department. As a result, I have been able to garner support for several top-notch graduate students, and anticipate one or two more projects starting in the coming year.

SDSU has also provided great opportunities for me as an incoming faculty member. During spring break I was able to travel to the Bolivian Andes as part of a cooperative program between SDSU and Unidad Academica Campesina-Carmen Pampa (UAC-CP), a small Catholic college, which serves the native people of the Yungas region of central Bolivia. What a great opportunity for a birder!  I am working with two capable undergraduates from UAC- CP to document avian species composition along an altitudinal gradient on the east slope of the Andes. Obviously, I am looking forward to continued work there and more adventures in South America.

From a personal perspective, the move back here to Brookings and SDSU was a dream-come-true. I am a native South Dakotan and graduated from Arlington High School, just 20 miles west Brookings. Not many of us in the wildlife field get to live this close to their roots. I am extremely fortunate to be back in the midst of my extended family and the friends of my youth. I have also had some surprises exploring my old favorite hunting spots (some are still good, others are not even there anymore). What I really needed was for Les to pass along his secret map of waterfowl honey-holes and spots of ringneck paradise.

There have been many changes at SDSU and in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences in the 20 years since I was last here; higher enrollments, a new building, and improved computing and laboratory facilities are a few of the most obvious changes.

However, some things have not changed. The faculty commitment to producing well-rounded wildlife and fisheries scientists, the caliber and work ethic of the students (if anything they have gotten better and smarter over time), and the applied focus of the Department research program and curriculum have not changed. Judging by the number of inquiries I get each week from students interested in doing graduate work here, and the contacts from agency colleagues looking to fill positions, the excellent reputation of this Department has not changed.

I count myself fortunate to be part of this Department, and look forward to helping maintain its high standards of excellence.

List of Contributors

December 2003 - November 2004

Graduate Research Projects (Completed)

Student (Degree, Advisor) Project Title

Adams, Wells E., Jr. (M.S., Willis). Lake sturgeon biology in Rainy Lake, Minnesota and Ontario.

Davis, Blake A. (M.S., Chipps). Estimating trophic position of Lake Oahe walleye using stable isotope analysis.

Duehr, Jeremy P. (M.S., Berry). Fish and habitat relations at multiple spatial scales in Cheyenne River Basin, South Dakota.

Lewis, Amy R. (Ph.D., Higgins). Sagebrush steppe habitats and their associated bird species in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming:  Life on the edge of the sagebrush ecosystem.

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

Mockler, Rachel M. (M.S., Higgins). Lesser scaup use of wetlands in eastern South Dakota.

Morey, Nathan M. (M.S., Berry). Growth correlates of several lotic fishes.

Parke, Robbie W. (M.S., Jenks). Food habits of coyotes and red foxes in western South Dakota as determined by fecal analysis.

Reindl, Sara A. (M.S., Higgins). Efficacy of scent dogs in detecting black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) at a reintroduction site in South Dakota.

Rieger, Bryan A. (M.S., Jenks/Higgins). Demographics of western South Dakota wetlands and basins.

Rohlfing, Mark B. (M.S., Hubbard). Avian nest densities and success in introduced cool-season grass-legume plantings versus warm-season native grass plantings in South Dakota, 2002-2003.

Selch, Trevor M. (M.S., Chipps). The cost of capturing prey:  Measuring largemouth bass foraging activity using glycolytic enzymes (Lactate dehydrogenase).

Sievers, Jaret D. (M.S., Jenks). Factors influencing a declining pronghorn population in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota.

Sylvester, Ryan M. (M.S., Berry). Upper Missouri River Basin Aquatic GAP fish distribution model accuracy assessment and White sucker, Catostomus commersonii, population characteristics in the Upper Missouri River Basin.

Weimer, Eric J. (M.S., Brown). Bluegill seasonal habitat selection, movement, and relationship to angler locations in a South Dakota glacial lake.

Zimmerman, Teresa J. (M.S., Jenks). Effects of fire on the nutritional ecology of selected ungulates in the southern Black Hills, South Dakota.

Graduate Research Projects (In Progress)

Student (Degree, Advisor) Project Title

Arnold, Karen E. (M.S., Fredrickson). Breeding ecology of least bitterns at Agassiz and Mingo National Wildlife Refuges.

Bahm, Matt A. (Ph.D., Jensen). Converting cool-season exotic grasses to native warm season grasses.

Bauer, William F. (M.S., Brown). Movement, distribution, and habitat use of yellow perch in dissimilar glacial lakes.

Berman, Gillian M. (M.S., Bakker). An evaluation of nesting success of grassland birds in fragmented and unfragmented areas in the mixed grass prairie region of South Dakota.

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

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

Chronert, Jamie M. (M.S., Jenks). Ecology of the coyote in Wind Cave National Park.

Clarke, Jessica N. (M.S., Jensen). Nesting and brood-rearing ecology of long-billed curlews in relation to grazing regimes.

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

Ecoffey, Trudy M. (Ph.D., Higgins/Boe). Characterization of the vegetation communities within bison/cattle pastures on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

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

Gardner, Dawn M. (M.S., Higgins). Development of management and conservation guidelines of mutual benefit to grasslands and native rangelands and key species of upland nesting shorebirds in South Dakota.

Gee, Hugo K. W. (M.S., Fredrickson). Habitat characteristics of endangered and other waterbirds in taro loi and managed wetlands at Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge.

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

Grovenburg, Troy W. (M.S., Jenks). Movement patterns of white-tailed deer in east-central South Dakota relative to winter ranges and management unit boundaries.

Gutscher, Jennifer. (M.S., Fredrickson). Study of invertebrate food resources for endangered waterbirds in Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge in efforts to delist certain waterbirds from the endangered species list.

Hamel, Martin J. (M.S., Brown). Behavioral responses of rainbow smelt to sensory deterrent systems.

Hatfield, Heather M. (M.S., Jensen/Higgins). Assessment and comparison of wildlife use of natural spring areas in bison and cattle grazed pastures on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Hien, Bernard M. (M.S., Jenks). Evaluating seasonal distribution, crop damage, and population characteristics of elephants at Nazinga Game Ranch, Burkina faso, West Africa.

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

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

Jolley, Jeffrey C. (Ph.D., Willis). Biotic communities in Nebraska Sandhill Lakes.

Kahara, Sharon N. (Ph.D., Chipps). Modeling invertebrate-vegetation relationships in South Dakota wetlands.

Lee, Jessica F. (M.S., Fredrickson). Community composition and microhabits of macroinvertebrates on sandbars within the lower Missouri River as a food source for foraging migratory shorebirds.

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

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

Longhenry, Christopher M. (M.S., Brown). Yellow perch production and harvest strategies for semi-permanent wetlands in eastern South Dakota.

Marvill, Kristine A. (M.S., Jensen). Grassland bird nesting in relation to bison and cattle grazing systems on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Monteith, Kevin L. (M.S., Jenks). Sexual segregation in white-tailed deer.

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

Murray, Joanna O. (M.S., Jensen). Burrowing owl nesting in relation to bison and cattle grazing systems on the Cheyenne River Reservation.

Norton, Mark A. (M.S., Jensen). Sympatric greater prairie-chickens and sharp-tailed grouse hen survival, brood survival, nesting success, and habitat selection during the breeding season in central South Dakota.

Odefey, Kari A. (M.S., Fredrickson). The effects of weather variability and geomorphic setting on wetland habitat conditions and shorebird response during spring and fall migration on Agassiz NWR and surrounding private lands.

Perkins, Tandi L. (Ph.D., Fredrickson). The temporal and spatial distribution of Rocky Mountain population of Sandhill cranes in response to habitat conditions determined by climate, geomorphology, and land use on public and private land along an intermountain corridor.

Phelps, Quinton E. (M.S., Willis). Population dynamics of common carp in eastern South Dakota glacial lakes.

Radabaugh, Nicholas B. (M.S., Brown). Movement, distribution, and habitat use of yellow perch in dissimilar glacial lakes.

Rader, James A. (M.S., Fredrickson). Response of vegetation and endangered waterbirds to habitat management techniques at Kealia Pond NWR

Richards, Nathaniel S. (M.S., Chipps). Behavioral responses of rainbow smelt to sensory deterrent systems.

Rock, Marcus E. (M.S., Hubbard). Comparing avian nesting success in cool-season CRP, warm-season CRP, and alfalfa fields.

Russell, Todd A. (M.S., Jenks). Habitat selection of first generation swift fox.

Schilowsky, Rebecca D. (M.S., Flake). Habitat selection and use by breeding hen pheasants in eastern South Dakota, 1999 - 2001.

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

Schoenebeck, Casey W. (Ph.D., Brown). Yellow perch mortality in South Dakota glacial lakes.

Schroeder, Gregory M. (M.S., Jenks). Survival and dispersal of translocated swift fox with release site selection chosen in regards to coyote home ranges.

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

Selch, Trevor M. (Ph.D., Chipps). Factors affecting mercury accumulation in South Dakota fishes.

Shepherd, Jamie L. (M.S., Willis). Bluegill Population Dynamics and Reproduction in South Dakota Waters.

Smith, Joshua B. (M.S., Jenks). Assessing American Marten Use of Track Plate Box Surveys for Estimating Population Size in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Steinke, Ashly D. (M.S., Jensen). Survival and movements of Merriam's wild turkey gobblers in the southern Black Hills.

Strand, Kimberly A. (M.S., Chipps). Associations among wetland attributes, invertebrate composition and lesser scaup occupancy in eastern South Dakota wetlands.

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

Terrall, David F. (M.S., Jenks). Use of natural vegetative barriers to limit expansion of black-tailed prairie dog towns.

Thompson, Daniel J. (Ph.D., Jenks). Dispersal and survival of mountain lions in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming.

Thomson, Sheila K. (M.S., Berry). The influence (source or sink) of livestock watering holes in the Six Mile Creek Watershed on the Topeka shiner.

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

Ward, Matthew J. (M.S., Willis). Gizzard Shad reproductive biology and predator-prey relations with walleye in three West River Reservoirs.

Wirwa, Nicholas L. (M.S., Fredrickson). Aquatic Invertebrates on Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge in Maui.

Wright, Elizabeth B. (M.S., Chipps). Development and evaluation of a pallid sturgeon bioenergetics model.

Zimmerman, Teresa J. (Ph.D., Jenks). Restoration of bighorn sheep in Badlands National Park.

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

56^th Annual Buffalo Banquet

This year’s Buffalo Banquet, the 56^th, was held on October 29^th at the Brookings Inn. Approximately 200 were on hand to eat buffalo, listen to this year’s speaker, and learn of scholarship and award recipients.

Fred DuBray was this year’s speaker. He presented an interesting talk on “Buffalo: Wildlife or Livestock”. He recounted many interesting observations.

Scholarships and awards presented were as follows:

Sioux Falls Izaak Walton League Scholarship:

Jared T. Schwader, Mission Hills, SD, $500. Our oldest scholarship (46 years).

Lake Campbell Wildlife Club Scholarship

Paul J. Roghair, Okaton, SD, $350. 29^th year of award.

Bob Wakeman Memorial Scholarship

Joseph J. Rydell, Flandreau, SD, $500. 1^st year of award.

Karl E. Mundt Scholarship

Ray C. Schmidt, Marietta, MN, and Christian D. Schultz, Morgan, MN. $500 each, 24^th year of award.

Lloyd Fredrickson Memorial Scholarship

Thomas R. Cooper, Waconia, MN, $500. 3^rd year of award.

Joyce and Mayo Kjellsen Hunting Heritage Award

Wesley W. Bouska, Rapid City, SD, Shotgun. 7^th year of award.

Streeter Scholarship

Justin L. Sarvis, Pierre, SD, $450. 3^rd year of award.

Gay Simpson Memorial Award

Rachel M. Mockler, Portage, WI, Print. 15^th year of award.

Jerome Norgren Water and Wildlife Scholarship

Emily S. Lorenzen, Magnolia, MN; Laura A. Achterberg, Deshler, NE; David P. Coulter, Hartley, IA; and Nathan J. Gosch, Dennison, IA. $1,000 each, 1^st year of award.

Jerome Norgren Fisheries Ph.D. Award

Brian D. Graeb, Champaign, IL, $500. 1^st year of award.

Madison Izaak Walton League Scholarships

Tracy L. Stanley, Clark, SD; Jessica M. Panning, Bloomfield, NE; and Jared A. Lorensen, West Point, NE. $300 each, 16^th year of award.

McCook Lake Izaak Walton League Scholarships

Emily A. Hodne, Madison, SD; Sam J. Cahoy, Aberdeen, SD; Jason D. Nordmann, Eden Valley, MN; Michael J. Weber, Chamberlain, SD; Travis J. Runia, Sibley, IA; and Eric J. Rasmussen, Lincoln, NE. $1,000 each, 11^th year of award.

South Dakota Trappers Association Award

Jeremy J. Kuiper, Sheldon, IA, $250. 16^th year of award.

Wildlife M.S. Graduate Student of the Year Award

Kevin L. Monteith, Bristol, SD, $200. 9^th year of award.

Gerald Spawn Memorial Scholarship

Mark A. Kaemingk, Platte, SD, $500. 41^st year of award.

Brookings Wildlife Federation Scholarship

Dustin G. Plooster, Harrison, SD, $300. 18^th year of award.

South Dakota Conservation Officers Association Scholarship

Jack D. Lower, Sioux Falls, SD, $235. 9^th year of award.

Bjorklund Memorial Scholarship

Maude E. Livings, Sioux City, IA, $425. 5^th year of award.

Fisheries M.S. Graduate Student of the Year Award

Ryan M. Sylvester, Casper, WY, $200. 21^st year of award.

Outstanding Junior (Club Award)

Shawn L. Wichmann, Balaton, MN. Book from the Soward’s Memorial Fund.

Outstanding Senior (Club Award)

Angela R. Anderson, Newcastle, NE. Book from the Soward’s Memorial Fund.

Wilbur Allen Scholarship Recipients

Spring - Fall 2004

Angela Anderson (Spring and Fall)

Nathan Gosch (Fall)

Matt Hart (Fall)

Katie Herman (Spring and Fall)

Emily Hodne (Spring and Fall)

Mark Kaemingk (Spring)

Jared Lorensen (Fall)

Steve Reighard (Spring)

Travis Runia (Fall)

Justin Sarvis (Spring and Fall)

Christian Schultz (Fall)

Abbie Vander Lugt (Spring)

Michael Weber (Spring and Fall)

Alumni News

Gary Laib, ’66. Retired in 2000 after teaching high school biology and conservation for 29 years. Retirement is only a title, every day is a new busy adventure. Still do some teaching of Leopold and the Hamerstroms for the Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth. This is the best teaching in the world! Make a few public appearances to speak on Leopold and the Hamerstroms. In the area of Poynette, do stop in.

Don Hammer, ’68. December 2004. Greetings from Lee Farm and sunny Arizona. Another busy year attending Elks, Cowbelles, Historical Society functions and monthly field trips of the Gem and Mineral society. Hoping this finds you in good cheer.

Ernest Jahnke, ’76. M.S. Biology from Tennessee Tech University, 1979; U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Biologist 1980-Present.

James Lillie, ’76. After nearly 26 years with the U. S. FWS in hatcheries and refuges, I’ve transferred to the NPS. I’ll be the Administrative Officer for the Ice Age and North Country National Scenic Trails.

Wade Dolezal, ’94. Cindy and I are getting married July 24, 2004. She has a 9-year old son named Mike and we have a daughter named Kiarra, born 12/8/03. Member of Silver Lake, MN, fire department. Work at Hutchinson Technology as an analytical technician with the Corporate Chemical Services.

Merris Miller, ’94. I currently work for USDA-NRCS in Parker, SD, as the District Conservationist for Turner County. My wife Amy and I reside in Lennox, SD, with our two boys. Mason, born Nov. 16, 2002 and Tanner, born May 24, 2003.

Julie DeJong, ’98. Our new member of the family arrived on February 24, 2004. Jacob Lawrence DeJong arrived at 10:16 a.m., weighing in at 8 lbs. 11 oz.

Tim Bister, ’00. Jennifer gave birth to Travis Edward Bister on March 15, 2004, at 3:08 p.m. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz and measured 22 ¼ long.

Lowell Schmitz, ’00. On Thursday, February 26, my family expanded. At 9:11 p.m. Connor John made his worldly debut weighing in at 5 lbs. 13 oz. At 9:42 p.m. Carter Paul joined the family weighing in at 5 lbs 10 oz. Both boys measured 18 inches long. Marita Rose turned 3 on March 5. She (as usual) has been absolutely wonderful with the boys.

Carmen (Blausey) Thomson, ’01. Just wanted to let you all know that the newest Thomson finally arrived. Ty Ulan Thomson arrived at 8:01 p.m. on October 28, 2004. He weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 20 inches long.

Lost Alumni

Help us locate our lost alumni.

E-mail any contact information for these people to terri.symens@sdstate.edu.

Thank you.

Department Reputation

by Chuck Scalet

            People inside and outside the University often ask, “Why does the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at SDSU have such an excellent reputation across North America?” There is no short answer to that question because many activities contribute to the development, maintenance, and enhancement of our reputation.

Our program does have visibility that extends to the regional, national, and international levels. It is mandatory that we have much more than local and statewide visibility if we expect to successfully compete in the wildlife and fisheries academic arena. This is imperative for our alumni because they must compete with students from programs such as those at Michigan State, Oregon State, and Texas A&M. In addition, our faculty must often compete for grant and contract funding on a national scale, and we must also compete for faculty and graduate students on a national and international level.

It has taken a lot of planning and hard work by many people over a long period of time to attain our current status. What are some important items that contribute to the perception of program excellence?

University and College support is essential. Higher administration provides the faculty positions, facilities, budgets, programs, and other assistance that are required if a department is to have an opportunity to excel. Following are a few highlights demonstrating this past support.

In the late 1930s administrative foresight at the University led to the establishment of a fisheries and wildlife curriculum. Their support resulted in our M.S. program in 1957, and in 1963 the Department was formed. Also in 1963 the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit was obtained, followed in 1965 by the Fisheries Unit. The Units were combined in 1984. In 1978, 1989, and 1994 new positions were added to the Department. The Biological Sciences Ph.D. program was initiated in 1990, and in 1993 we moved into new facilities. In addition, we have always received excellent College support with research funding from the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.

            These and many other forms of University and College administrative support have provided us with the tools that allowed us to develop the Department. Administration rightfully expects resources they provide to be effectively used; that is a department responsibility.

            Having the right people is the most important element needed for success of any organization. For a university program this includes alumni, faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Enthusiasm and hard work by many people are required.

            Alumni are an integral component of reputation enhancement. When a graduate of a program takes a position and is successful, it reflects positively on a department. When alumni publish papers, chair professional society committees, are elected to offices, or receive awards, it elevates a program. We have been fortunate in having a large number of very talented alumni; these people have paved the way for more recent alumni to obtain positions in which they could be successful. We have more than 1,600 undergraduate and graduate alumni. They represent a significant reservoir for reputation enhancement, they are spread across the U.S. and foreign countries, and they are employed by a wide variety of agencies, universities, and private entities. Their contributions are immeasurable.

            Current students are the alumni of the future; however, they contribute to program enhancement before they graduate. Having undergraduate and graduate students who are academically prepared and professionally motivated represents an important resource. Through their activities, both on and off campus, program reputation is enhanced. As a faculty we have long been committed to sending students to professional meetings and having them be active in professional societies. This has always been true for graduate students, and we are seeing an increased number of undergraduate students making contributions in professional settings.

            If a program is to compete at the highest levels, it must attract students, especially graduate students, from a wide geographic area. In addition, graduates of a program that continue on for additional degrees must be competitive for entrance into programs on a national and international level. Strong students lead to program enhancement.

The Department career service staff has made many significant contributions over the years, and they cannot be praised enough for their assistance. They do the day-to-day trench work that no one but the faculty sees. Without their good work, little would be possible.

            Faculty, both past and present, contribute extensively to program visibility. South Dakota State University does not have the same level of name recognition enjoyed by many larger universities. If a department at a smaller university is to maintain visibility at a variety of levels, even at the national and international levels, all of its faculty members must be especially productive.

Because we have a small faculty compared to most wildlife and fisheries programs, we need to use our human resources very judiciously. If we are to be recognized for excellence we need to excel in something specific, we cannot afford to dilute our limited resources into peripheral areas. As a faculty we decided early on that we would focus our teaching and research efforts at being a field-oriented program, with the majority of our research directed at applied activities. We have maintained that direction, and it has served us well. Maintaining our focus has been greatly assisted by having excellent faculty stability.

Maintaining focus also requires planning. The faculty has made a conscious effort at promoting Department visibility by including it in our strategic planning process. For example, if a program is to have widespread visibility and be recognized for excellence, the faculty must be professionally active.

            Elected or appointed offices are important contributors to reputation enhancement. In the last 25 years Department faculty have held many state-level offices, five regional offices, and five national/international offices in professional organizations. Awards are also important. In that same period of time Department faculty members have received ten University/College awards, seven statewide awards, six regional awards, and five national/international awards. All of these contribute to the reputation of a program.

            Every time a faculty member or student publishes, the department name appears under their name. Department faculty have published five books (as authors or editors), with more in various stages of preparation. Department personnel have published hundreds of papers describing their research; these have appeared in state, regional, national, and international peer-reviewed journals. Department faculty and students average 40 to 50 refereed journal articles a year. Publishing information and getting our word out to lay audiences is also important, and this has been an area of high achievement for us. It should also be obvious that the research conducted must be at a high level of excellence for it to contribute to program enhancement; poor research is cannot be published.

            By presenting research results at a variety of meetings as oral or poster presentations, a program gains visibility and credibility. Department faculty and students (both graduate and undergraduate) have made hundreds of presentations at all levels of meetings. Department personnel make about 70 oral and poster research presentations a year.

Faculty and students must present papers and must travel if a program is to have widespread visibility. These activities must be done in state, regional, national, and international settings, with the emphasis on the regional and above categories. Even if research is not presented at a particular meeting, faculty and students need to be present; their name badges identify who they are and where they are from. It is important that future employers, granting entities, and potential students recognize our presence at those scientific functions. Attendance at a variety of meetings also allows a program to stay connected to its alumni who attend those meetings; this promotes continued alumni engagement and support.

If faculty and students are to conduct, publish, and present research findings, funding is needed. We are dependent on outside grants and contracts and the Agricultural Experiment Station for research funding. Without the confidence of and support from these funding sources, little of our research would be possible. The contributions of these funding entities are absolutely essential for program visibility. We could not function at anywhere near our current level of productivity without the support and trust of these funding entities. The Department has consistently been near or even at the top at SDSU in generating outside grant and contract funding.

            Having up-to-date and employer-responsive curricula are also important to reputation enhancement. The Department is continually revising and improving its curricula as needs change in the wildlife and fisheries fields. For example, in the last 10 to 15 years we have greatly increased our efforts at incorporating human dimension, communications, critical thinking, teamwork/leadership, ethics, statistical/computer, and global competency skills into our coursework. If graduates are to be competitive and successful at a national and international level, emerging educational facets must be addressed. With positive curricular actions, undergraduate and graduate students completing a degree program will be poised to be successful. When they are successful the reputation of a program is enhanced.

            Many other aspects contribute to elevating program recognition. Having the South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit has been vital and essential in building our national and international visibility. Having the National Wetlands Inventory has been very important to us, as has being active at the national and international levels in GIS and GAP.

            All contributions add up over the years; a reputation for excellence is difficult to develop and requires a lot of time and work by many people. Such a reputation can be easily diminished without continuing efforts. Hopefully, with good planning and an effective use of resources, the Department can maintain and further enhance its widespread reputation for excellence into the future.

Fisheries Management Section of the American Fisheries Society

by Dave Willis

The Fisheries Management Section (FMS) is one of 22 sections recognized by the American Fisheries Society (AFS). The FMS is the largest of the AFS sections, with membership near 750. I am currently in my two-year term as President of the FMS.

The FMS is composed of people who wish to 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. 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 in governmental and private-sector activities, which affect the quality and extent of all fisheries.

Among FMS activities is the recognition of individuals and groups for contributions to fisheries management. The Conservation Achievement Award recognizes any significant action, program, or initiative by a nonmember individual, non-governmental organization, or state (provincial), local, or federal agency that contributes substantially to fishery conservation or fisheries science.

The Award of Merit recognizes a singular accomplishment of an individual or group acting as a team for contributions in fisheries management and research. The award can be given for outstanding leadership, administration, or project-related accomplishment in any aspect of the fisheries profession.

The Award of Excellence is given for inspirational leadership in the fisheries profession and substantial achievements for AFS and the fisheries resource. The recipients must have effectively communicated their work at the national and/or international level. The Award of Excellence is given for cumulative accomplishments.

The highest award bestowed by the FMS is selection to the Fisheries Management Hall of Excellence (HOE) located at the AK-SAR-BEN Aquarium in Gretna, Nebraska. Those selected for the HOE must have made significant contributions in fisheries management.

Awards and general functioning of the Section are ongoing activities. The President must also have an additional agenda for his or her tenure. There are a couple of things that I specifically want to accomplish during my two-year presidency.

Current SDSU Ph.D. student Brian Graeb is Chair of a committee to organize a sauger symposium at the 2006 AFS meeting in Lake Placid, NY. That symposium should greatly help our knowledge of sauger management.

In addition, I am working as a “junior coeditor” with Scott Bonar (AZ Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit) and Wayne Hubert (WY Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit) on a new book project: Standard Sampling Methods for North American Freshwater Fishes.

Standardization of procedures in data collection throughout industry, medicine, and science has led to many great advances. However, sampling of inland fish populations across North America remains essentially unstandardized. Our objective is to edit a text that will provide standard methods for sampling fish populations in various types of freshwater environments across North America, while recognizing that not everyone will be able to adopt the recommendations. The goal will be to provide standard ways to obtain the most commonly used indices of fish population structure and abundance, such as presence, length frequency, relative weight, relative growth, and catch-per-unit effort. We want to provide a companion text to the AFS books Fisheries Techniques and the soon-to-be-published Analysis and Interpretation of Freshwater Fisheries Data (coedited by SDSU Ph.D. graduate Chris Guy and current faculty member Mike Brown).

If I can accomplish these two special tasks during my presidency I feel I will have been successful. More information on the FMS can be found at our website (http://www.sdafs.org/fmsafs/).

Great Plains Natural Science Society

by Jon Jenks