Nelson W. Lafon

Capture of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is vital for telemetric studies of the species. A variety of methods such as drop nets, clover traps and rocket nets have been employed to capture deer. However, most methods require direct observation of trap sites, which has the obvious limitation of controlling human scent around trap sites. We describe a new technique for capturing deer using rocket nets coupled with wireless remote video. Capture rates for two periods in 2005 using remote video were higher (0.10 and 0.17 deer/h) than the traditional on-site observation method used...

Insects and herbaceous vegetation important to young eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris) may be enhanced in forested areas by managing clearings. Natural resource agencies in Virginia and other eastern states have committed significant resources to create and maintain forest clearings to provide habitat for wild turkey broods in predominantly forested areas. However, techniques used to manage clearings often lack definitive ecological justifications. We compared effectiveness of 4 management regimes on forest clearings typical of those used by wildlife managers in the...