Seminars & Discussions

Exploring the Impact of First-Time Hunters on Satisfaction with Tier II Duck Hunting Regulations

Abstract

Waterfowl hunting has long been essential for funding conservation in the United States, but fewer people are participating now than in previous decades. In an effort to reverse this decline, wildlife agencies in South Dakota and Nebraska introduced the two-tier duck hunting regulation designed to make hunting more accessible. This new regulation's goal is to simplify bag limits making it easier for first time hunters to begin. This study examines hunters' attitudes toward the two-tier duck hunting regulation, focusing on the experiences and the satisfaction of first-time hunters as compared to those with more experience. We analyzed survey responses from 418 participants across Nebraska and South Dakota, using ordinal regression to assess satisfaction across seven area components, including how easy it was to enroll for Tier II, report harvests, and comply with regulatory requirements. Our findings indicate that first-time hunters were more satisfied overall than their more experienced counterparts, especially regarding harvest reporting and regulatory compliance. Analysis of satisfaction levels among a population with diverse experience levels highlights these positive experiences and reinforces the importance of considering first-time hunters when making management decisions. Agencies can create a welcoming environment for first-time hunters by making processes simpler and offering support, helping to attract and keep new hunters while preserving the tradition of hunting and the conservation funding it provides.

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Species Preferences on Angler Motivational Factors in Kansas

Abstract

Understanding the factors that motivate anglers to go fishing is crucial for effective fisheries management and conservation efforts. People's engagement with fishing is deeply influenced by their motivations—a complex interplay of the needs, desires, and goals that propel people to engage in recreation. We analyzed anglers' motivations to seek their primary species—including trophy fishing, keeping and eating the catch, identity, social interaction, and gear use—across various species preferences, such as Bass, Catfish, Walleye, and panfish. Data were collected via a web-based survey distributed to a stratified random sample of licensed anglers across Kansas. We sent invitations to 7500 licensed anglers and had 771 total responses (a 13% response rate). Preliminary results indicate significant differences in motivational factors when comparing species preferences. Walleye anglers are more motivated by keeping the fish they catch and liking the taste of their preferred species. In contrast, Bass anglers place a much lower value on reaching the bag limit, fishing for nutrition, and keeping the fish they catch. Among all species, anglers placed the most importance on choosing a fishing location because of the presence of their preferred fish species. These results highlight the importance of species-specific management strategies catering to the angling community's diverse motivations. Through understanding differentiated motivations, managers can be provided with critical insights into the importance of various motivational factors of recreational fishing as they relate to sought-after fish species, helping to inform the development of targeted regulations and conservation strategies that address the diverse needs and values of fishing communities in the Midwest.

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Biology and Conservation of Nurse Sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) from Bimini, The Bahamas

Abstract

The nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) is abundant in coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, yet they remain relatively understudied, aside from their reproductive behavior. Previously listed as ‘data deficient’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), their status was updated to ‘vulnerable’ in 2021. This recent status update indicates additional research on this species is critical. Nurse shark populations in The Bahamas present an ideal study system as there are long-term datasets available for investigation on their morphometrics, movements, and genetics. To assess the age and growth of this species, we used mark-recapture data of 91 individual nurse sharks from Bimini, The Bahamas, and found that nurse sharks are slower-growing and longer-lived than previously thought, with the oldest individual predicted to be 43 years old. A long-term acoustic monitoring program of shark species in Bimini has additionally revealed that nurse sharks are capable of making long-distance migrations with evidence of repeated return migrations back to Bimini. In lieu of these discoveries, combining genetics with telemetry data has become increasingly important in fisheries management to assess population connectivity and diversity within species. Using over 350 samples of nurse shark tissues from The Bahamas, we aim to determine the population structure of nurse sharks in this area to help contribute crucial information to the conservation of this ‘vulnerable’ species.

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Community Engagement to Mitigate Transmission of Infectious Diseases and Antibiotic Resistance from Backyard Poultry

Abstract

Backyard poultry production is growing globally with 85 million backyard chickens estimated in the U.S. Whether kept as pets or to provide a local and sustainable food source, flocks can harbor pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can be transmitted to humans via the environment, pests, food products, and direct contact. Poultry waste can contaminate soil and water sources, posing risks to nearby humans and other animals. Flocks can attract pests that may carry diseases and disrupt local ecosystems. This project, which will launch in the summer of 2025, aims to improve understanding among backyard poultry farmers of potential health, environmental, community, and food safety risks associated with their systems and motivate the adoption and promotion of behaviors critical to public health and sustainability of local food systems using a peer-to-peer outreach approach.

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Identification of landscape features that may facilitate or impede gene flow among habitat patches within Wild Turkeys in Nebraska and Kansas

Abstract

Behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary process shape the spatial distribution of genetic diversity. Variation in behavioral and life history traits may have important consequences for the structuring of genetic variation across landscape. Assessments of genetic parameters can help identify populations, prioritize areas for conservation, identify barriers and corridors to movement, thereby informing management actions. The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is an upland game bird native to North America that has experienced declines throughout much of its range. Among some states, reintroduction efforts were carried out in the mid-1900s to bolster remanent or extirpated populations. Our research aims to evaluate the spatial arrangement of genetic diversity and identify features that may facilitate or impeded dispersal across the landscape. We collected reduced representation genomic sequence data (ddRAD) from wild turkeys sampled at 8 sites across North-west (NW) and South-west (SW) in Nebraska and 13 sites in across Eastern, Central and Western Kansas when birds are in winter flocks (Jan – Mar) on 338 individuals and isolated 5355 loci. We applied two complementary approaches with different underlying assumptions to evaluate spatial genetic structure: (1) principal components analysis (PCA, nonparametric method) and (2) fineRADstructure (shared co-ancestry). The patterns in genetic diversity were similar across analyses, individuals clustered into 4 groups based on geographic region with NW Nebraska, SW Nebraska, eastern Kansas and central and western Kansas. Within each region, subtle structure was detected based on co-ancestry analysis. We identified genetic structuring with limited gene flow between the NW and SW regions of Nebraska. We also uncovered evidence of gene flow between the SW region of Nebraska and the western and central sites in Kansas, suggesting greater connectivity between these populations. Spatial genetic structure detected among sample sites may be influenced by factors such as habitat continuity and dispersal behavior. The observed genetic differentiation is likely shaped, in part, by landscape features. These findings provide valuable insights into the population connectivity and genetic structure of wild turkeys in Nebraska and Kansas that benefited from translocation efforts, which can inform conservation and management strategies aimed at maintaining genetic diversity and connectivity across the landscape.

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