In the mid‐Atlantic region, urban sprawl and development have resulted in habitat alterations and fragmentation; however, the effects on eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) populations are unclear. To investigate the status of eastern box turtle populations in a fragmented landscape, we used mark—recapture and radiotelemetry to estimate population density, sex ratio, age structure, and survival on 4 study areas with differing degrees of isolation and human disturbance in northern New Castle County, Delaware, USA. We estimated adult population densities ranging from 0.81 turtles/ha to 3.62 turtles/ha among our 4 study areas. Sex ratios were male‐biased at 2 study areas and balanced at 2 study areas. Proportion of juveniles ranged from 0% to 31%. Estimated annual survival rate ranged from 0.813 to 0.977. Mortality of radiotagged and marked turtles was primarily due to natural causes, but mowing was the primary cause of human‐induced mortality. We found evidence of population decline at one study area due to low survival and recruitment. Human disturbances, isolation, and habitat composition appear to have the greatest influence on the box turtle populations we studied. To minimize mortality from human disturbance, we suggest planting crops adjacent to forest habitat that require no mowing or mowing at a height ≥15 cm. (JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 72(3):745–753; 2008)

Several factors influence neonate survival rates in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and an emphasis on predation as the primary limiting factor to neonate recruitment may serve to detract researchers from understanding other influential variables. We estimated survival and cause-specific mortality of white-tailed deer neonates in the absence of predators with an emphasis on assessing how birth mass, dam maturity, and weather covariates affect neonate survival. Additionally, we examined the influence of capture method (opportunistic searches vs. vaginal implant transmitter; VIT) on survival estimates. We captured 109 neonates using opportunistic capture (n = 55) and VITs (n = 54) in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, during 2016 and 2017. There are no established predator populations (i.e., black bear, bobcat, and coyote) within the study area. We observed greater 90-d survival rates in opportunistically captured neonates (0.69, 95% CI = 0.55-0.87) compared to VIT-captured neonates (0.44, 95% CI = 0.34-0.61), a difference driven by inobservance of early-life mortality events among neonates captured opportunistically. Natural causes excluding predation (e.g., disease, emaciation, and birth defects) accounted for all observed mortality (n = 42). Mortality related to disease, emaciation, and birth defects typically occurred in the first 7 d of life and was underrepresented in the opportunistically captured sample. Birth mass, dam age class, and precipitation influenced neonate mortality risk within the first 7 d of life, but no variables were associated with survival from 8 to 28 d of life. Non-predation-related mortality causes in our study area resulted in survival rates comparable to regions with established predator communities. Non-predation-related mortality may be the ultimate driving factor controlling neonatal survival in other regions but can be obfuscated by more proximal mortality sources, such as predation.

American black duck (Anas rubripes) populations declined by more than 50% between the 1950s and 1990s, and the species serves as a flagship for conserving salt marsh habitats along the Atlantic Coast. Black ducks have generally been well studied throughout the annual cycle, but surprisingly, we lack a synthetic, quantitative understanding of their space use during the winter. This limits our ability to prioritize habitat acquisition and restoration efforts. We used >17,000 telemetry locations from 235 black ducks ranging from Connecticut to Virginia to study home range composition and space use during winter in relation to habitat quality, urbanization, and severe weather. Despite substantial environmental variation, home range sizes were similar among regions and years. Smaller home and core ranges contained a greater proportion of salt marsh habitat, and ducks experiencing more 4-day freeze events had larger home and core ranges. Ducks exposed to prolonged periods of cold weather had smaller core ranges when those areas comprised more energy-rich freshwater habitats. When we examined individual telemetry locations, we found that ducks used irregularly inundated high marsh more at night, presumably for foraging, and urban habitats more during the day and evening crepuscular periods. We found that black ducks used regularly inundated low marsh less on days where the temperature never rose above freezing, and instead used subtidal areas and forested wetlands more. Finally, we found ducks were marginally more likely to use freshwater habitats during high tides. Our study confirms that

Restoring male age structure in white‐tailed deer populations has become an important objective for many state agencies aimed at improving herd dynamics. Limiting mortality in the yearling (1–2 yr old) age class is a primary consideration, and regional differences in climate, habitat characteristics, hunting regulations, and hunter behavior complicate the understanding of how specific factors influence the risk of mortality. We used Cox proportional hazard modeling to determine the effects of body size, mean distance to road, dispersal behaviors, use of forested land, and use of land open to public hunting on the risk of mortality for a population of radio‐collared, yearling males (n = 76) in Sussex County, Delaware, USA. Annual survival averaged 0.55 (95% CI = 0.45–0.68), with harvest accounting for 79% (26/33) of all mortalities. Measurements of body size (chest girth, shoulder height, and total length; cm) influenced dispersal probability but not dispersal distance. The best approximating model for mortality risk included a covariate for landownership, whereby mortality risk increased on public land. Among males who dispersed, longer‐distance dispersal was associated with reduced mortality, which contradicts previous research describing dispersal as a high‐risk behavior. The effect of landownership on mortality risk has not been previously identified, especially when regulations regarding harvest of yearling males are similar between landownership types. We observed annual survival rates of 0.69 (95% CI = 0.57–0.82) for deer apparently using private land exclusively during the hunting season, and 0.20 (95% CI = 0.11–0.48) for deer that used public land during the hunting season. Survival rates on private land were comparable to those of other regions actively managing male age structure. These results suggest survival of yearling males in the region is influenced by hunter harvest and the risks associated with dispersal may be minimal in areas where harvest pressure is low, although hunter harvest on public land may limit male age structure on a localized scale. © The Wildlife Society, 2019

Previous human dimension research has reported negative perceptions among hunters toward Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and disease‐related regulations that may limit hunter participation, reduce harvest, and generally complicate management. During 2013, we surveyed 1,524 Maryland, USA, deer (Odocoileus spp.) hunters from 3 counties of varying proximity to the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area (CWDMA) regarding hunter behavioral changes due to CWD. We linked responses to each individual's harvest history to examine hunter retention, potential harvest reduction related to CWD presence and management, and degree to which distance from the disease affected behavior. Overall, 1.1% of respondents claimed to have stopped hunting because of CWD; however, 47.1% of those respondents continued to register deer after disease discovery, resulting in a true decrease in retention of no >0.6%. In the county containing the CWDMA, we observed the greatest percentage of negative perception (22.6%) and greatest reduction in harvest reportedly related to CWD (7.0%). In an adjacent county west of the CWDMA, we observed fewer negative perceptions (16.8%) and no reduction in harvest in response to disease discovery. Similar negative perceptions were reported in the county 200 km southeast of the CWDMA (14.1%), but also resulted in no reduction in harvest. Negative hunter perceptions did not seem to be directly related with hunter behavior. Behavioral shifts due to CWD were localized at the county scale and had less impact on annual harvest than normal year‐to‐year stochastic variability. Upon initial detection of CWD, we recommend implementing necessary protocols for disease management with the understanding that hunter perceptions may have negligible impact on harvest management. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.