Louisiana Conservationist

It is hard to believe that 2012 is already here. When I joined the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries team in 2008 I could not have imagined how much I would enjoy my time here or how quickly the time would fly. True, we have had our share of disasters to work through, but overall, the past four years have been a wonderful experience. I look forward to several more years.

I think part of the reason time has passed so quickly is because the momentum at LDWF never slows down. When 2011 turned into 2012, LDWF never skipped a beat. A good example is our whooping crane project. In early 2011, we reintroduced whooping cranes into Louisiana. A group of 10 cranes was released in the southwest marshes around the White Lake Conservation Area. On Dec. 1, 2011, we brought in a second group of cranes and shortly afterwards, on Dec. 27, 2011 also released them into the marshes. By the time Jan. 1, 2012 rolled around our biologists were well underway tracking and documenting the new birds’ lifestyles.

Our Enforcement Division is another good example of forward momentum. During 2011, they made significant changes by introducing new technology for search and rescue operations, evidence recovery and field operations. Thermal imaging, sidescan sonar and mobile communication devices were incorporated into their programs, creating a more efficient and resourceful team. When 2012 started, the agents were skilled in using the new equipment, and unfortunately put it to use in early January to locate a drowning victim.

LDWF’s progressive nature is expressed in both examples and is one of the many characteristics that make this agency unique. We are always on the go, looking for new and better ways to conserve and protect our natural resources. Our employees enjoy their work and take pride in their contribution, which spurs that progressive nature.

If you want to learn more about the two examples I mentioned, keep reading. Both topics are covered in more detail later in this issue. The new year has just begun and the momentum is underway. We are already planning for 2013 and I expect 2012 will pass as quickly as 2011. After all, time flies when you’re having fun.

By Dave Moreland

If you have been in the woods this season then you have heard the sound: crunch, crunch, crunch. Every step in the forest produces this crunching sound. Normally, the sound is created by boots stepping on dry leaves, but this year the sound is caused from boots stepping on acorns, lots and lots of acorns. Water oak acorns, white oak acorns, striped oak acorns, cherry bark oak acorns, and live oak acorns are everywhere; the mast crop this year is super abundant. It is especially noticeable in the Morganza Floodway. The crunching sound can be heard in the woods, city parks, on sidewalks and in yards. This abundant crop has been the talk of not only hunters but of everyone who has oak trees in their yards; it even made it to the front page of the Baton Rouge newspaper. The common term to describe this acorn phenomenon is “bumper crop.” The 2011 acorn crop will provide food for many species of wildlife well into the new year.

Oaks are divided into two groups, the white oaks and the red oaks. This division of oaks is based on differences in the leaves, the wood and the fruit. The fruit (acorns) is the main focus of our story. White oaks flower and produce acorns, in one growing season; red oaks flower in the spring, but do not develop acorns until the second growing season. Pollination is delayed in red oaks, and acorns falling to the ground this year from a red oak are from the spring flowers of 2010. White oak trees in Louisiana include: white oak, cow oak, overcup oak and post oak. Common red oak trees in Louisiana include: water oaks, striped oaks, willow oaks, cherry bark oaks, southern red oak and shumard oak.

Many species of wildlife utilize acorns as food: white-tailed deer, foxes, turkeys, quail, ducks (especially wood ducks), raccoons, rabbits and the chipmunks in southeast Louisiana, gray squirrels. Acorns are also utilized by many species of song birds. Of course, feral hogs readily eat acorns and compete for this food with the native species. Because of this high use by wildlife, hunters seek out areas with abundant oak trees for their hunting activities. Feeding and planting food plots for deer are common practices of hunters in Louisiana, and an abundant acorn crop generally results in hunters seeing fewer deer in their food plots and around feeders. The smart hunter knows to leave the stands at these locations and get into the hardwood drains and ridges where the deer will be eating acorns. I counted the acorns in the stomach of a deer harvested in the Morganza Floodway, and there were over 600 water oak acorns inside.

Benefits to wildlife from an abundant acorn crop are many. Deer will increase in body weight during years when acorns are available and will have good fat reserves for energy during the winter months. When spring arrives and green-up occurs, deer will be healthy and in much better condition than if acorns had not been available. As productivity increases, does that may have only been able to produce a single fawn the previous year may produce twins or even triplets. The antler growth of bucks will be enhanced since the bucks are in good shape and do not have to use the spring nutrition to catch-up with their body growth and maintenance.

This can also be said for other species such as turkeys and squirrels. Squirrels generally produce two litters of young a year, a spring crop and a late summer crop, and when mast is abundant, the spring crop is generally excellent along with the late summer crop. Increased squirrel production means more squirrels for hunters come October. Body weights of spring gobblers are good due to the abundant mast crop, and hens should be in good condition for the spring nesting season.

These bumper crops of acorns do not occur every year. Generally, there is some acorn production every year, acorn production is dependent on the weather conditions in the spring when the oaks are flowering. Flowers are wind pollinated, so a wet spring can create problems for pollination. Furthermore, a late spring freeze can have a serious impact on the flowers as well. A late freeze that extended into the New Orleans area in 1993 resulted in no white oak production that year and no red oak production in 1994. Hurricanes prior to the acorn fall can also impact the trees, destroying the branches prior to the acorns maturing. The red oaks receive a double hit, the current season acorn production is impacted along with the acorn production for the next season.

One way for a landowner to prevent a total mast failure on his property is to maintain a diversity of oak species, both red oaks and white oaks. During the spring the oaks flower at different times; generally the cherry bark and water oaks will be the first to flower followed by the white oaks. While an early freeze may impact some species of oaks by maintaining a diverse composition of oak trees in the forest, chances are some of them will produce fruit for the wildlife.

While the crunching sound is somewhat annoying and makes for constant clean-up around the house, the benefits from this abundant mast crop are many and should result in good healthy game populations next season.

Photos and Story by Todd Baker

At the southern end of America’s largest swamp lies Louisiana’s largest public outdoor recreation area, the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area (ADWMA). Here the muddy waters of the Atchafalaya River mingle with the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico to create one of the largest river delta systems in the country and the only significantly accreting property in coastal Louisiana.

This 137,695-acre WMA is dominated by fresh emergent marsh and shallow mud flats created by the Atchafalaya River. It is home to a wide diversity of wildlife and each winter is home to impressive numbers of migratory birds including hundreds of thousands of waterfowl.

Like most isolated areas along the Louisiana coast, ADWMA hides many secrets known only to a local few. While this WMA is primarily known for its excellent waterfowl hunting opportunities, it is also one of the best public deer hunting areas in south Louisiana. For those hunters willing to brave the Atchafalaya River and make their way through the winding marsh, ADWMA provides an opportunity to hunt in a primitive setting, without firearms, corn feeders, or noisy neighbors, for deer that never hear or see automobiles and rarely a human. It is an opportunity to hunt deer in a truly wild setting.

The deer herd is closely managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), and recent hunting statistics demonstrate an annual harvest in excess of 100 deer taken by archery hunters. Each year hunters harvest bucks, weighing nearly 200 pounds, with impressive antler quality. Year after year, trophy bucks are harvested on the WMA, with several being included in the state record books. Last year’s harvest totaled 154 deer including, a 190-pound 11-point buck, a 200-pound 10-point buck, and a 175-pound 13-point buck.

Every year LDWF provides youth hunters an opportunity to apply for the youth lottery deer hunts on several WMAs operated by the Coastal and Nongame Resources Division. LDWF staff prepare food plots of various food mixes including iron clay cowpeas, soybeans, and select wildlife mixes to provide a diverse diet for the deer herd, as well as an enhanced opportunity for young hunters to observe and possibly harvest a deer. During these hunts, youth are allowed to use firearms in areas generally reserved for archery hunting. LDWF staff clear viewing lanes and maintain deer stands for the exclusive use of youth lottery deer hunters and their chaperones. New stands were constructed this year and erected on ADWMA for the participants.

Participants in the 2011 youth lottery deer hunts on ADWMA included 27 young hunters who observed 40 deer and harvested 10; six bucks and four does. An additional youth hunt on Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA attracted 19 young hunters who sighted a dozen deer.

Applications are available for interested youth hunters in August preceding the October hunts. Contact the New Iberia Field Office at 337-373-0032 for more information or visit www.wlf.la.gov/hunting/lottery-hunts.

By Adam Einck

Keeping up with technology can be a daunting task, but something every person, school and organization has to accomplish in order to conduct their lives and business in today’s society. Law enforcement agencies, including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division, are no different .

With ever increasing duties and responsibility on wildlife and fisheries enforcement, acquiring technological advances helps increase the efficiency and effectiveness of limited staff and resources. The LDWF Enforcement Division has recently implemented and acquired multiple technology driven tactics and equipment to provide public and agent safety, assist agents with boating safety, day to day duties, investigations, conservation cases, search and rescue missions, and maritime security.

During the past year, LDWF has acquired sidescan sonars and thermal imaging systems to help with search and rescue, evidence recovery, port and maritime security, commercial and recreational fishing cases, and night hunting cases. LDWF currently has three side scan sonars and 15 trained agents to use the sonars in the water, with plans to add two more sonars and 10 trained agents over the coming months. These sonars are strategically located throughout the state so that they can be deployed as needed to help look for missing boaters, sunken vessels, threats to port and maritime security, and case evidence in the water. The sonars are torpedo shaped and deployed into the water as they are towed by a vessel. The vessel’s speed determines how deep the sonars will dive into the water, and a laptop screen in the vessel displays the images the sonars capture. The 50-pound sonars can be deployed at a maximum operating depth of 2,000 feet and can capture up to 80 meters in a half moon shape of imagery from the water.

In addition, LDWF acquired 100 portable handheld thermal imaging systems that can be used in trucks, on foot and in boats. LDWF also has 25 thermal imaging systems that are mounted in boats, but are not portable and limited to the vessel. LDWF chose thermal imaging over traditional night vision because it is not limited by low light, restricted visibility and range. Agents must patrol at night in vessels, trucks, all-terrain vehicles and on foot, which can endanger them and the public. The purchase of handheld thermal imaging cameras provides LDWF agents with technology that is portable and useful for any night patrol situation.

“Providing agents with sonar and thermal imaging technology enhances their ability to provide resource protection, public safety and maritime security at night more safely, and collect more evidence for boating incident investigations including body recovery,” said Lt. Spencer Cole, who assisted in acquiring the sonars and thermal imaging equipment.

LDWF initiated their tip411 program in October of 2011 as part of an enhancement to their existing Operation Game Thief program, which may offer a cash reward for information leading to arrests or convictions. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text “LADWF” and their tip, to 847411 or download the “LADWF Tips” iPhone app from the Apple iTunes store, free of charge. CitizenObserver, the tip411 provider, uses technology that removes all identifying information before LDWF receives the text so that LDWF cannot identify the sender. Texting or downloading the app enables the public to send anonymous tips to LDWF, and lets LDWF respond back, creating a two-way anonymous “chat.” Users of the app or texters can also send in photos to help support their claim and be used as evidence.

“We’re proud to make this technology available to our citizens free of charge. This tip411 program will help our citizens play an active role in helping us enforce current conservation rules and regulations,” said LDWF Col. Winton Vidrine, head of the Enforcement Division. “This program engages younger folks in the process and it will save our agency time and resources when actively responding to complaints.” The tip411 program has already led to multiple cases ranging from overlimit of ducks to alligator violations. LDWF monitors the tip411 program and Operation Game Thief toll free hotline (1-800-442-2511) for incoming tips 24 hours a day.

Starting this past summer, every LDWF agent was issued an Apple iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G cellular connectivity for field use. The LDWF Enforcement Division was looking at getting each agent a ruggedized laptop, but found that the iPad would cost thousands less per unit and offer more portability and connectivity. The iPad allows agents to file offense, investigation and boating incident reports; receive and respond to emails while patrolling on the water, or in the woods; run driver’s licenses, check for warrants and run boating numbers; and download fish identification, fishing and hunting regulations and daylight calculator apps.

“We couldn’t have asked for a smoother transition as the agents have taken to the user friendliness, convenience factor and usefulness the iPads provide,” said Capt. Cliff Comeaux, who assisted in obtaining, issuing and configuring the iPads for field use. “Now we can contact each agent in the state while they are on duty by email and the agent can respond. Agents can also carry the iPad in their trucks, boats or while on foot easily since the iPad is light and small, where they can easily access websites and apps that allow them to look up boating registration, license or regulation information.”

LDWF gave each agent a day of training with the device that included setting up a free iTunes account, installing their work email address and providing a policy of pre-approved apps and websites.

“With these technology improvements, agents can use their time more efficiently, cover more ground and focus their patrol efforts in a safer manner,” said Lt. Col. Jeff Mayne, the state’s boating law administrator. “The tip411 program has already paid dividends with helping us solve some high profile cases, sonar and thermal imaging has helped us search water bottoms and see at night, and the iPads have allowed agents to be mobile while still being in constant contact.”

Col. Winton Vidrine added, “Without receiving federal grant dollars these technological advances would have not been possible. State budget cuts and manpower reductions continue to hamper the operation of the department’s enforcement division. These equipment acquisitions and program advances have at least maintained the division’s technological improvements.”

By Gabe Giffin

Rodeos are something most of us have been to. Whether a livestock rodeo, a tarpon rodeo or a nutria rodeo, we’ve all done them.

Wait…a nutria rodeo?

That’s right, for the first time in Louisiana and probably the world, a nutria rodeo took place in Golden Meadows, La. The rodeo was held on December 3, 2011, but the actual event began the night before on Dec 2, when participants went out hunting for nutria, coyote, feral hogs and asian carp. Like the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo right down the road, hunters could bring in their harvest with a ticket. The animal would then be weighted and assigned a place. Not only was weight a factor, but the rodeo had other categories like which nutria had the brightest orange teeth.

The goal of this rodeo was simple, to attack a problem shared in most of coastal Louisiana: land loss due to nuisance wildlife. One person that knows this problem well is South Lafourche High School senior, Aaron Guidry. A Galliano native, Guidry has grown up around some of the problems that affect our land loss. “My senior project was on invasive species, and we had to have something tangible to show my work, that’s when I thought of having a nutria rodeo.” Guidry’s idea was first laughed at by some of his peers, but after doing research and crunching the numbers, he didn’t see a reason why this event wouldn’t be possible.

Guidry bounced the idea off his closest group of friends and the founders of Sassafras Louisiana, a newly formed non-profit organization. Sassafras Louisiana was started by Alex Naquin and Caroline Guidry, no relation to Aaron, shortly after the BP oil spill. After seeing the disaster unfold and wanting a way for the youth of Louisiana to get involved, they formed Sassafras Louisiana with one goal in mind: bringing the youth together in the restoration and preservation of Louisiana.

Shortly after forming, the group was busy applying for a non-profit status, talking with locals on a number of issues, and solidifying their “core group” as Naquin called it. “When we started, we wanted to set the foundation. Instead of house on sand, we built on rock. So we spent a year, going to people talking, getting the advice we need, so when we became a nonprofit we would have the foundation and were not all shaky, so we hope this can stay, our core group will stay.” Naquin’s core group includes himself, Caroline Guidry, Aaron Guidry, Ronnie Collins, and Olivia Bourgeios, all juniors except for Aaron.

The rodeo also had exhibitors with information on issues relating to land loss and invasive species, and a table with stuffed and mounted invasives. The local community came in droves, and less than an hour into the event there were over a hundred people there. The Hurricane Levee Protection Band would keep them moving to music as the pork started to get tender on the grills nearby. The food didn’t stop at pork, inside the park kitchen plenty of volunteers served up gumbo, white beans, jambalaya, and as Aaron Guidry put it, “everything you can think of cajun!”

The weigh master, Ronnie Collins, was in charge of taking in the wild game and getting weights and measurements. Not far from the scale was a table lined with color samples from a nearby hardware store, all to the hue of orange. As each nutria came in, Collins would lay the rat-like creature down and compare swatches of orange with the nutria’s teeth. While Collins would have the last say on which nutria took the prize, it made for a spectacle each time a fresh one came in. Kids and grown ups alike crowded around the table, to decide which swatch best resembled the orange choppers that do so much damage to marshland.

The day before the rodeo, as many of the participants were beginning their hunts, one of Sassafras’ own was on the hunt. The early afternoon heat began to lessen and a small breeze started to blow as Collins was getting settled in on his lease just out of sight of the South Lafourche Airport.

Collins was raised a hunter and fisher in Galliano, and his knowledge of the land and the wildlife that inhabits his area would show on the hunt. “I can I.D. most birds by call before I see them,” said Collins as a wintering snipe’s call came whining over the crawfish pond we were situated near. “My elementary school librarian was about to throw out the North American Birding book the school had because it was so beat up, but she gave it to me because she knew how much I liked it, I loved reading it and learning about all the birds.” As different birds flew overhead or distantly away from us, Collins would prescribe his thoughts on the species, after another call, a nod of confirmation and satisfaction.

Soon after getting settled, we saw our first coyote. Sitting on a ridge overlooking some low-lying farmland Collins took position, steadied his gun and got a shot off. “I think I got’em,” Collins said, yet once we went to trail the coyote, we were never able to find him. After trying a few other leases and seeing nothing, our hunt would end with out any nuisance to bring to the table, or in this case, to the rodeo.

Not long after the start of the rodeo, the nutria began rolling in, each one a little bigger than the one before. Next a coyote, followed by the first and biggest hog of the day, a 105.9-pound hog, brought in by Lane Gisclair. The nuisance wouldn’t stop there, before long a truck pulling a boat came in, and in the boat were seven hogs. Soon the crowd had gathered once again around the scales, as one by one, the hogs were dragged off the boat and into the weigh area.

“I find it funny that only girls have brought in coyotes,” teased Erin Gros, who would end up with a second place finish in the coyote category, falling short to Tritney Bagala’s 30.9-pound coyote. Josh Waguespack would take home first prize in the nutria category with a 20-pound nutria, but the teeth on his wouldn’t burn bright enough to beat Adeline Boudreaux. With a color hue of “blazin’ orange,” Boudreaux would take home the “Most Orange Tooth” award. Justin King would bag first place in the feral swine division with his 146.1-pound pig.

Not only were bragging rights out there for some of Galliano’s natives, but a table full of prizes awaited the bounty hunters. Gifts ranging from Saints memorabilia, to jars of filé and boiling sets to Bowie knives. “The support we received from our community in the short amount of time we gave them is unbelievable,” said Naquin. The rodeo, although in its first year, showed promise for another go at it next year. “This really is our first rodeo, we named it ‘first annual’ because it’s such a great idea, how can ya not have it again?” said Naquin.

Next, Sassafras Louisiana will focus their attention on the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. The 50-year plan is updated every five years and this year it will receive some edits. In January, the governor’s office released the 2012 draft version of the Master Plan for public comment. Naquin and his group would like to have involvement with the plan, especially in the realm of the youth. They plan on breaking down the document and bringing it to a youth level. From there they would like to go around the area hearing from other youth on what this plan should entail.

“This is our home and this is our future, we are the largest stakeholders in the state,” said Caroline Guidry, “I think if we educate the young people, they’ll rise to the occasion.”

For more information on Sassafras Louisiana, visit www.sassafrasla.org

By Carrie Salyers and Sara Zimorski

It’s been almost a year since the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), along with partner organizations, returned whooping cranes to the state for the first time since 1950. The year has been a rollercoaster of events, some being positive experiences and others that we could have done without. The following is a recap of our first year and a summary of the outcome of the first group of 10 juvenile whooping cranes that were released in the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WLWCA) on February 16, 2011.

It all began on a cold day in the middle of February. Before first light, the cranes were caught and put into individual transport crates at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) in Laurel, MD. They were then driven to the Baltimore airport where they were loaded onto a Windway Capital Corporation plane and flown to the Jennings airport in Louisiana. The cranes were in great shape after their flight from PWRC, and after a brief exam they were placed in a small top-netted pen within the larger 1.5-acre open release pen. They had no trouble adapting and were seen catching and eating crawfish the very next morning. Several days after they arrived, each bird was handled so their permanent bands and transmitters could be attached. Each bird received a solar powered GPS satellite transmitter on one leg, a unique combination of smaller color bands on the other leg, and a metal United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) band. While it sounds like a lot, the unique color combinations allow us to identify each individual and the transmitter collects GPS locations three times a day. This allows us to know where the birds are, and assess the habitat they are using at those different times.

After a month, the birds were ready to be released. It’s hard to imagine, but this would be the first time they had truly been allowed to fly free even though they had been capable of flying since they were three months old. While ultimately successful, the actual release day didn’t go quite as anticipated. Several birds were reluctant to walk through the narrow doorway into the open pen. The door was left open allowing those birds the opportunity to come out when they were ready, which took several days for a few of them. Reluctant to walk through the doorway on the first day, L5-10, had apparently had enough of the pen and the other birds, because once she came out of the top-netted pen she flew outside and never returned to the pen. She moved north in the marsh and after just a short while she moved further north to crawfish fields in Acadia Parish.

The initial plan was to encourage the birds to roost in the pen at night to keep them safe from predators while they still learned the ways of the marsh, this only worked for the first few nights. We continued to encourage them to roost in the pen, but night after night they would fly out at sunset and roost at a location of their choosing. Initially this caused some worry, but each day all nine of them would return. Food was provided in the pen through early May, after which it was removed to encourage the birds to disperse, and disperse they did. The birds visited seven different parishes (not including Acadia, where L5-10 was already settled and Vermilion where they were released) and southeast Texas on their first weekend away from the pen. After that adventure they all returned to the pen site one last time before breaking up into smaller groups and moving to other areas.

Three birds, L2, L4 and L7, remained in the marsh but moved to the west side where more water was present. Four birds, L1, L3, L8 and L10, moved to a rice field in Evangeline Parish and remained there for almost two months. This left L6 and L9, independent females who moved to separate locations on their own.

Mortality was expected, and shortly after the birds moved away from the release pen we experienced our first death. In late May, data from L9’s transmitter indicated a likely mortality, but the area was inaccessible due to flooding. By mid-summer we were able to access the area and found her transmitter as well as a small amount of remains confirming our suspicions. Around the same time, L6’s transmitter stopped functioning, even though the data had looked normal until it stopped working. We searched the areas she had last been in, from the ground and air, but never found anything. She is considered missing but presumed dead since there has been no data or sightings of her since that time.

In mid-June a local landowner north of White Lake contacted us to report that L7 was injured. She was captured and placed in the top-netted pen to be evaluated and treated, unfortunately, she was quite sick. After two weeks of treatment and two trips to the LSU veterinary school, there was little improvement; she had developed a respiratory infection so the decision was made to humanely euthanize her.

Throughout the summer the remaining seven birds settled in their locations, and our focus shifted to collecting data on their habitats. Later in the summer and into the fall, agricultural areas that five of the birds were using changed. As rice maturing and later harvested, water being drawn down, and other fields re-flooded, the birds began moving around, making it more challenging to track them.

Sadly in early October, L8 and L10 were shot and killed by two juveniles in Jefferson Davis Parish. L1 who had been with them disappeared at the same time and has not been seen since, reducing the number of surviving birds to likely only four. While a disappointing setback, the project continued forward by offering more education and outreach to prevent this from happening again.

Every cloud has a silver lining and ours throughout the tragic shooting event was the sense of unity that developed among the people of Louisiana who support the whooping cranes; people of all ages, hunters and non-hunters voiced concern and outrage over the shooting incident. The state of Louisiana was stripped of two of its finest treasures that day in early October. This event caused residents to realize it has taken 60 years for the cranes to return home and that a senseless act such as an intentional shooting cannot occur on our state watch. We have had overwhelming support for the remaining birds and the project since that event and sincerely appreciate the support of our state and others across the nation!

In the remaining months of 2011, our focus shifted to the arrival of the second cohort of birds. Louisiana was scheduled to receive 16 new birds, seven males and nine females, on December 1, 2011. Sadly the excitement over the arrival of our 16 new birds was marred by the discovery that L2-10 was dead, likely killed by a predator. As the 16 new residents of Louisiana were unloaded, we were saddened to realize that our first cohort of ten was now down to three.

On December 1, 2011, the birds arrived on two USFWS aircraft equipped with floats for water landings. The planes landed in the Intercoastal Canal and taxied on the water to a nearby dock. The birds were unloaded and transported to the top-netted pen after all had passed their initial health check. A week after the birds arrived, they received their permanent identification, again in the form of a unique combination of color bands and transmitters. As with the first cohort of birds, several weeks later they were released into the open pen free to fly for the first time.

On December 27, 2012, the second cohort was released to the open pen and the marshes of southwest Louisiana. As the new cohort was adjusting to the area, a bird from last year’s cohort, L4-10, has returned to meet the new birds. Most of the cohort has taken a liking to him, and spend a lot of time with him, both in and outside the pen. The others are tolerant of him until he comes near the food shelter at which time they defend their territory and chase him away. Currently, there is still food in the pen for the cranes so they have stayed relatively close to White Lake but they are gradually ranging further away from the pen and exploring new areas, particularly in the evenings for roost and in the mornings.

In the next few weeks the food will be removed and the project will transition to tracking the birds, monitoring their habitats and evaluating the areas they frequent. Blog updates for both cohorts will continue on the department’s website at: http://wlf.louisiana.gov/wildlife/whooping-cranes.

Photos and Story by Todd Baker

Maps of the LAA’s talked about in this article are below.

It’s early morning on the second Saturday of November. That’s right, opening day of duck season on your favorite state wildlife management area (WMA). You’ve done your advance scouting and found the perfect spot. You’ve checked the tides to know where to position your blind. A frontal passage is expected today and the timing is perfect. You’ve just positioned your newly painted decoys in an elaborate display that no birds will be able to resist. Time to check your blind one final time to ensure that everything’s well covered before you sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee while waiting for the marsh to awake.

You hear whistling wings overhead and think you’ve heard the splash of unsuspecting ducks hitting your spread. As you click the safety off you hear a familiar sound in the distance coming closer. Then as the ducks take flight your worst fears are confirmed — the only thing that can disturb this hunt, the hum of a mud boat headed straight for your set up.

You peak through your blind cover just as the late-arriving hunters learn that your plastic ducks aren’t the real thing, about 20 yards prior to running through them. To make matters worse, you watch numerous ducks scatter from the pond you’d carefully selected, as the intruders move 200 feet away and begin to set up their temporary blind, just as shooting time begins. This situation can occur when inexperienced or uncaring hunters don’t use common sense and enter a hunting area like a train coming into the station. But WMA duck hunters now have an alternative.

Two years ago, avid WMA waterfowlers began making requests to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) for a primitive hunting experience that would reduce manmade disturbances to waterfowl on WMAs and offer hunters the opportunity to hunt from a pirogue, away from areas accessed by mud boats. After careful consideration, the department’s Coastal and Nongame Resources Division decided to survey hunters using four coastal WMAs (Atchafalaya Delta, Pointe-aux-Chenes, Salvador, and Pass a Loutre) as trial locations where limited access areas (LAAs) could be accommodated.

During the 2009-10 waterfowl season, 243 individual waterfowl hunters were interviewed and provided the following feedback:

Question — Would you support small tracts of land restricting motorized vessels?

Responses – 73 percent agreed with the concept, 26 percent disagreed, and 1 percent was undecided.

Level of support – 78 percent of respondents who regularly operate surface-drive engines on these WMAs supported establishment of LAAs, and 71 percent of routine, non-mud boat operators (pirogue hunters) supported establishment of LAAs. Most hunters interviewed agreed that “scouting” for waterfowl with surface drive engines was a problem that should be addressed. They felt that this activity simply harassed birds and pushed them off the WMAs.

In response to the positive public response, LDWF established LAAs on Atchafalaya Delta, Pointe-aux-Chenes, Salvador, and Pass-a-Loutre WMAs during the 2010-11 waterfowl season. For the 2011-12 season, Manchac WMA was added to the list of LAAs during the hunting season, and Joyce WMA began providing LAA acreage on a year-round basis.

The regulations in place for LAAs stipulate, that in these designated areas, “No internal combustion engines are allowed from September through January.” The LAA within Joyce WMA is currently the only year-round restricted area.

LAAs provide waterfowl hunters an opportunity to hunt ducks in a primitive setting without the disturbance of surface drives running through or near other hunters. Providing areas with reduced noise levels is designed to increase hunter success.

Hunters and fishermen wishing to enter an LAA must follow these basic rules:
• Enter using a vessel without an internal combustion engine.
• If using a vessel with a moveable outdrive system, it must be trimmed out of the water in an inoperable position.
• If using a vessel with a fixed outdrive system, the engine cannot be operated while in the LAA.
• Use of electric trolling motors is allowed.

The 2010-2011 waterfowl season was the first year LDWF provided LAA options for hunters. To evaluate the success of the LAA program, Coastal and Nongame Resources Division staff conducted waterfowl bag checks on WMAs with LAAs to determine the level of hunter participation and compare success rates both within the LAAs and outside. The following are the results from those routine bag checks in 2010-2011:

Atchafalaya Delta WMA

	Hunters Checked	Ducks/Hunter Effort
Main Delta	262	2.4
Main Delta LAA	23	3.7
Wax Delta	1,248	3.0
Wax Delta LAA	115	3.6

Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA

	Hunters Checked	Ducks/Hunter Effort
Grand Bayou Unit	760	1.4
*PAC/DU Unit	118	1.4
PACWMA outside all Units	950	1.6
LAA – Montegut Unit	20	3.0

*The LAA portion of the PAC/DU unit was not used during LDWF checks this year.

Salvador WMA

	Hunters Checked	Ducks/Hunter Effort
Davis Pond Outfall Area	152	1.8
WMA outside Davis Pond	185	1.3
LAA – Tank Ponds	80	1.4

Pass-a-Loutre WMA

	Hunters Checked	Ducks/Hunter Effort
WMA outside LAA	362	3.8
LAA	16	4.6

Initial review of the LAA hunting comparison statistics indicated that hunter participation was relatively low, but hunter success was notably higher for those using the LAA location option. The only exception to the trend was noted on Salvador WMA where hunter success within the LAA was comparable to success elsewhere on the WMA.

Observations made by LDWF staff support the success rates observed during the bag checks. Staff observations noted large numbers of waterfowl using the LAAs in comparison to neighboring areas where surface drives routinely operated. While additional data still needs to be collected in successive seasons, the early indications are promising that LAAs may be an option that should be expanded.

So if you’re a duck hunter who frequents public areas, and wants to experience a low pressure, high success, primitive style of hunting, it’s time to pull the pirogue out of storage and visit a coastal WMA with an LAA. You might get to see and hear those early morning flights while enjoying your morning coffee without a mud boat disturbing the moment.

STORY UPDATE: Below are the totals from the year

Atchafalaya Delta WMA

	Estimated No. of Ducks Harvested	Estimated No. of Hunters Checked	Actual Kill per Hunter
Atchafalaya Delta	8,484	2,595	3.3
Main Delta	1,080	330	3.3
Main Delta LAA	145	25	5.8
Wax Delta	6,559	2,050	3.2
Wax Delta LAA	700	190	3.7

Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA

	Estimated No. of Ducks Harvested	Estimated No. of Hunters Checked	Actual Kill per Hunter
Pointe aux Chenes	4,596	1,645	2.8
Grand Bayou Unit	887	360	2.5
Pointe aux Chenes Unit	276	105	2.6
Pointe aux Chenes Unit LAA	63	15	4.2
LAA – Montegut Unit	302	65	4.6
Un-managed Area	3,068	1,100	2.8

Salvador WMA

	Estimated No. of Ducks Harvested	Estimated No. of Hunters Checked	Actual Kill per Hunter
Salvador	882	390	2.3
Davis Pond Outfall Area	647	215	3.0
Salvador WMA	227	170	1.3
LAA – Tank Ponds	8	5	1.6

Pass-a-Loutre WMA

	Estimated No. of Ducks Harvested	Estimated No. of Hunters Checked	Actual Kill per Hunter
Pass a Loutre	2,446	540	4.5
Pass a Loutre	2,301	515	4.5
LAA	145	25	5.8

	Estimated No. of Ducks Harvested	Estimated No. of Hunters Checked	Actual Kill per Hunter
GRAND TOTAL	16,408	5,170	3.2

Maps of the LAA’s talked about in this article are below.
 

Atchafalaya Delta WMA

 

Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA

 

Salvador WMA

 

Passe a Loutre WMA

 

 

Louisiana Becomes First State to Adopt National Boat Training Curriculum for Marine Law Enforcement Officers

On Sept. 1, LDWF was recognized as the first agency to receive national accreditation in the BOAT program at the National Association of State Boating Law Administrator’s (NASBLA) Annual Conference in Milwaukee. The Boat Operations and Training, or BOAT, program establishes a national standard for the training and qualification of maritime law enforcement and rescue personnel. The adoption and implementation of the BOAT program provides a true national standard, ensuring that maritime agencies can interact together and will bolster their ability to act as force multipliers nationwide.

“Agencies who choose to adopt this national standard of training can assure their ability to conduct missions on our nation’s waterways safely and effectively and operate seamlessly with their federal, state and local partners on the water,” John Fetterman, NASBLA’s Director of Law Enforcement, said.

“Our goal was to be the first agency accredited with this new standard of training in the marine environment. We now shift our focus to training other law enforcement agencies so that we are all on the same page when it comes to securing the maritime domain and providing safety on the waterways,” said LDWF Lt. Col. Jeff Mayne, the state’s boating law administrator.

Wildlife agents met with NASBLA instructors in Grand Isle, La., for multiple training sessions in 2011. There, the agents were taught the national standards being used by agencies to help coordinate missions of pursuit, search and rescue, and national security. Learning these vessel maneuvers ensures safe practices on the waterways when multiple agencies, both local and national, work together to secure our waters.

LDWF will also offer BOAT program training courses for other state law enforcement entities in the future through their partnership with NASBLA. In order to improve the course, LDWF is asking for feedback from the law enforcement community; specifically how many of their marine patrol officers need the training and what part of the BOAT program they are interested in taking.

Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, Public Comment Open

A ground breaking planning effort by the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) shows that while the future looks bleak, we have the opportunity to take bold action to save the coast and secure south Louisiana’s future.

The CPRA’s draft 2012 Coastal Master Plan is based on a two year analysis involving some of the state’s best scientists as well as national and international specialists. The state used this analysis to select 145 high performing projects that could deliver measurable benefits to our communities and coastal ecosystem over the coming decades. The plan shows that if these projects were fully funded, at a price tag of $50 billion, we could substantially increase flood protection for communities and create a sustainable coast.

Louisiana is in the midst of a land loss crisis that has claimed 1,883 square miles of land since the 1930s. Given the importance of so many of south Louisiana’s natural assets—its waterways, natural resources, unique culture, and wetlands—this land loss crisis is nothing short of a national emergency, one that takes a daily toll on the lives of coastal residents. To address this crisis the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 8 in 2006, which created the CPRA and required it to develop a coastal master plan every five years. The first master plan was approved by the legislature in 2007. The new master plan, now under public review, will be submitted to the legislature for approval this spring.

Public comment period for the plan ends on Feb. 25, 2012. A PDF version of the plan can be read online at http://www.coastalmasterplan.la.gov/.

White Lake Wetland Conservation Area, Open to the Public

Members of the public will have the chance to visit the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WCA) this spring. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) plans to let people use the conservation area’s facilities on selected dates between Feb. 7 and May 31, 2012. The WCA facilities will be made available for day or overnight use and are ideal for birding groups, nature photographers, environmental ecology students or small business retreats.

Sites will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis pending facility and staff availability. Arrangements for site use must be made two weeks in advance to allow for staff scheduling.

White Lake WCA is located south of Gueydan and includes 71,000 acres of wetlands and marshland, and lodge facilities that can accommodate group meetings for 12 to 15 attendees, depending upon day or overnight use requirements. The lodge facilities, accessible only by water, will be available at rental rates that vary based on the level of services required by the group. Boat transportation to and from the site will be provided as part of the day and overnight use access. LDWF biologists will be available upon request for lectures on the ecosystem within the conservation area.

White Lake WCA and the surrounding Mermentau River Basin provide abundant habitat for a variety of avian and aquatic species. The property will seasonally have migrant passerine birds, shorebirds, wading birds, rails, gallinules and the common moorhen. Hawks and owls are also common. Coastal terns and gulls use habitat contained on White Lake at times. Several large breeding rookeries of waders are present on the property. Most notably, along Blackfish Bayou, buttonbush growth supports a rookery with a large number of black-crowned night herons.

GulfSource.org: Louisiana’s Source for Seafood, Water and Sediment Safety Test Results

On October 7, 2011 Louisiana officials announced the launch of GulfSource.org. The site allows the public to view all of the seafood, water, and sediment safety testing information conducted since the 2010 BP Oil Spill under the Louisiana Safety Seafood Plan. Also, GulfSource.org utilizes information from the Louisiana departments of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Health and Hospitals (LDHH), Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF).

“Though we’ve been testing seafood, water and sediment since April 30, 2010 in response to the BP oil spill, the information has been difficult to widely distribute to the public until the launch of GulfSource.org,” said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham. “We hope the public will utilize GulfSource.org to find out what the safety test results in seafood from areas they fish or from waters they consume reveal. What is truly encouraging is that, to date, not a single sample has failed our safety tests. We now have the tool to share those results with the general public. Rebuilding our seafood brand starts with rebuilding consumer confidence in our product. We hope GulfSource.org helps us accomplish that task.”

“The public should have easy access to food safety information and GulfSource.org is a great companion to the work we’re already doing with eatsafe.la.gov,” DHH Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein said. “Transparency of critical health and safety information is a top priority at DHH, where we worked with our state agency partners to publish seafood testing results almost immediately after the BP disaster and throughout the following year. GulfSource takes that work to the next level and allows the world to see for itself that we have the most-tested seafood out there.”

“Now it will be easier for people outside of Louisiana to know what we already know – the seafood is safe and as good as ever,” said DEQ Peggy Hatch. “The goal of the plan was to ensure seafood safety for all the people who enjoy the best seafood in the world. With the launch of this new website, anyone will be able to see the results. This is the culmination of a statewide effort from many agencies to develop and execute a sampling plan like none other.”

Louisiana officials reached an agreement with BP to test seafood, water, and sediment across the Louisiana coast for traces of different toxins called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and for dispersants called Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS).

None of the samples have shown levels of PAHs or dispersants near the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-established “level of concern.” In fact, samples that had shown any minute traces of PAHs, none were above background levels (the levels found in seafood before the oil spill). Test results for dispersants are also available on GulfSource.org.

Through GulfSource.org the public can access information on how testing was conducted, where it was conducted, when it was conducted, and what those results show.

MIXED GREENS WITH APPLES, GOAT CHEESE, AND WALNUTS WITH AMPLE DIJON VINAIGRETTE

A subtle sweet Dijon vinaigrette perfectly complements apples, goat cheese and toasted walnuts for a light refreshing salad

6  cups mixed greens or fresh baby spinach (or combination)
1  green apple, cored, cut into small chunks
2  ounces crumbled goat cheese
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Maple Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Toss with maple Dijon Vinaigrette.  Serve.

MAPLE DIJON VINAIGRETTE

2  tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons canola oil

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.

GRILLED DOVE BREASTS

Beautifully grilled bacon-wrapped dove breasts have a surprise filling of jalapenos and cream cheese.

2 cups reduced fat Italian dressing
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
30 dove breasts
2 fresh jalapenos, cored and sliced lengthwise
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
7  ½ strip center-cut bacon, cut in half

1.  In a shallow bowl, combine dressing and Worcestershire sauce.  Add dove breasts and marinate in refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours.  Discard marinade.
2.  Place a jalapeno slice and about 1 tablespoon cream cheese on a dove breast and cover with another dove breast.  Wrap together with half of a bacon slice and secure with a toothpick.  Repeat with remaining dove breasts.
3.  Grill over medium heat.  (Watch carefully as bacon may cause flames to flare.)

 

BROCCOLI AND PECANS WITH CREAMY HORSERADISH SAUCE

Basic broccoli gets a makeover with toasty pecans and a spunky horseradish sauce

6 cups broccoli florets
¼ cup pecan halves
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup light mayonnaise
3 tablespoons skim milk
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350^oF.
2.  In a covered microwave-safe container, microwave broccoli in ¼ cup water for about 5 minutes, or until tender.  Drain and transfer to a baking dish.  Sprinkle with pecans.  Season to taste.
3.  In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk and horseradish.  Pour over broccoli.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

 

TWO POTATO ROAST

Any potatoes may be used.

1 pound sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into small chunks
1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into small chunks
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 450^oF.  Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, or line with foil.
2.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and transfer to prepared pan
3.  Bake about 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are browned, stirring every 15-20 minutes.

 

ORANGE MARMALADE BUNDT CAKE

Orange glaze soaks into the cake to make a moist and fruity wonderful desert.

1 (l8.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1 (6-ounce) container nonfat orange yogurt
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 egg
2 egg whites
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon orange liqueur or orange juice
½ cup orange marmalade, apricot or peach preserves

1.  Preheat oven to 350^oF.  Coat a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2.  In a mixing bowl, beat together all ingredients, except 1 tablespoon liqueur and preserves.  Mix until well blended.
3.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until center of cake bounces back when touched.  Let sit for 5 minutes and invert to serving plate.
4.  In a microwave-safe bowl, combine remaining liqueur and preserves.  Microwave for 45 seconds.  Pour over warm cake.

 

Recipes compliments of Holly Clegg, from her book “Trim &Terrific Gulf Coast Favorites”
To purchase a copy of this book got to:  www.hollyclegg.com