The Manitoba Chapter Wildlife Society Newsletter

Presidents Corner

  I wish to thank the members of the Manitoba Chapter of TWS for allowing me the opportunity to serve as the president for the next year. It has been a real treat for me to meet the Chapter members at the various function this year. It has been particularly enjoyable seeing many of my former students who are now working professionally in the field of wildlife management. However, it is somewhat shocking to see just how much we have aged over the past 30 years!

The Chapter has been active with three scheduled events this year including its annual Delta-Get-Away in late February, a Research Series in March, and the AGM also in March. At the Delta-Get-Away we organized a series of six epidemiologists who presented information on the current status and spread of wildlife diseases and their impacts upon wildlife biologists. The presenters made all of us think differently about how we would deal with these diseases. For one, I know that I am now attempting to rid my cabin of Peromyscus and their dropping with more caution, and that I am going to pay much more attention to small ticks during the deer season this year!

At the research speakers session held on March 7th we were treated to a diversity of useful wildlife topics including survey techniques, waterfowl management problems, assessment of the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture projects, potential agricultural and wetland carbon sinks, experimental pond manipulation of carp, and the declining numbers of hunters. In addition three graduate students from the Zoology Department and the Natural Resources Institute at U of Manitoba presented their research findings.

At the March AGM the new Executive was announced. It includes Don Sexton (Past President), Alex Miller (President Elect), Jacey Scott (Secretary/Treasurer), Derek Kroeker (Student Representative), Garth Ball (Member-at-Large) and myself as President. From my experience as President Elect, last year, I realize that I am very lucky to have such a dedicated and competent Executive!

After the executive members were announced Rick Baydack provided the Chapter with a brief rundown on the upcoming TWS meeting in Calgary in 2004. This event will be co-hosted by the Alberta and Manitoba Chapters. Rick mentioned that there will be more than 100 papers submitted for presentation at the meeting, and that the Manitoba Chapter members will be asked to be involved on one or more of the review committees.

Candace Parks was awarded the 2003 Richard C. Goulden Memorial Student Bursary Award. Alex Miller, recipient of the 2002 award, made a presentation on her Piping Plover research. Shane Gabor, the keynote speaker, gave an outstanding lecture entitled "Canada’s Water Crisis: Opportunity for Wildlife". After the business meeting the winners of a Chapter photo contest were announced, followed by the winners of a silent auction. The AGM provided a full evening of information and comradery.

In the coming year the new Executive plans to continue the seminar series, mixers and Get-Aways, however, we believe it is important to make field activities a priority. We believe that strong interpersonal ties are made by members working together in the field rather than merely listening to presentations. Therefore, the Executive is open to any suggestions about possible field activities. With that in mind, Marc Schuster, from CWS, is looking for persons interested in being involved in a woodcock survey; and Hiedi den Haan, from the University Field Station, is willing to teach persons to band song bird at Delta Marsh (see the notices in this Newsletter). If you have any suggestions for field activities please let us know and we will spread the word.

Your Executive plans to make this an exciting year of wildlife activities, we look forward to seeing all of you at the upcoming events. By the way, it is time to renew your membership - please sent your $10 to Jacey Scott, Geography Department, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T 2N2.

Best regards, Rick Riewe 

Announcing a Contest for Design of a TWS Membership Poster

Winner to be Selected at TWS Conference, Burlington, VT, Sept. 6-10, 2003

Create a Poster that invites Membership in The Wildlife Society. Your poster should be designed for printing on a large format, high resolution printer/plotter. The winning poster(s) will be made available on TWS' website as a pdf file, and downloaded and printed as needed by TWS units for use at international, section and chapter meetings to recruit new members.

Contest Guidelines
Entries should promote the benefits of membership in The Wildlife Society. TWS membership offers many benefits. The list below will get you started. Please use as many as will fit your design, giving special attention to the nine items marked with an asterisk (*). Creativity is encouraged.
Join The Wildlife Society - an international organization of wildlife professionals and students dedicated to Excellence in Wildlife Stewardship through Science and Education*

• Take advantage of Continuing Education and Networking opportunities offered by TWS' annual conference, as well as section, chapter, and working group meetings*
• Bring wildlife science to bear on critical Wildlife Policy Issues*
• Receive six issues of The Wildlifer newsletter to keep up with professional news*
• Subscribe to the Wildlife Society Bulletin - a quarterly magazine covering all aspects of wildlife conservation and management*
• Subscribe to The Journal of Wildlife Management & Wildlife Monographs - the definitive source of wildlife science*
• Advance your skills by participating in special topic Working Groups*
• Receive recognition of your professional credentials by becoming an Associate or Certified Wildlife Biologist*
• Expand your Professional Network and Access to Jobs and Graduate Student Positions by subscribing to TWS' electronic discussion group
• Advance Science-Based Wildlife Management
• Present your Work to a large audience of your peers at TWS' Annual Conference
• Publish Your Work in the Bulletin or Journal
• Develop Leadership Skills by serving as a leader of one of our many sections, chapters, and working groups
• Give Service to your Profession by serving on a committee
• Take advantage of Membership Discounts on books and conference registration
• For a Membership Application, please go to http://www.wildlife.org*
  

Entries should be attractive, full color, include photos or graphics, and display the TWS logo. Posters should be 24" x 36" (horizontal or vertical).

Posters should be designed for printing on a large format, high resolution printer/plotter. The winning poster(s) will be made available on TWS' website as a pdf file, and downloaded and printed as needed by TWS units for use at international, section and chapter meetings to recruit new members.

Entries should be submitted as both a hard copy and cd-rom (pdf file format preferred, but also will accept jpeg, ppt, pm, wpd, and doc files) at the Burlington conference.

All contestants must send an email to catherine_hibbard@fws.gov by August 1 to inform organizers of your intent to participate so adequate display space may be made available. If you are unable to attend the conference, please contact catherine_hibbard@fws.gov for details on how to make your submission by mail.

All TWS members are eligible to participate. Limit of one entry per person. Conference participants will select the winning poster from among qualified entries.

Prizes will be awarded as follows:

• 1st - $500 TWS gift certificate
• 2nd - $100 TWS gift certificate
• 3rd - $ 50 TWS gift certificate
  

Gift certificates are redeemable for TWS (national) books, merchandise, membership, registration fees, or other services (expire Dec. 31, 2005). Winning entries may be modified by TWS to meet graphic and text standards. TWS reserves the right to unlimited use of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place posters, and use upon approval by the designer of any other poster submitted to the contest. The designer will be recognized on all posters used by TWS.

The Wildlife Society
5410 Grosvenor Lane Bethesda, MD 20814 USA tel. (301) 897-9770
fax. (301) 530-2471 tws@wildlife.org or www.wildlife.org

Catherine J. Hibbard
Refuge Program Specialist
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, Massachusetts 01035-9589
(413) 253-8200
(413) 253-8468 (fax)
Catherine_Hibbard@fws.gov

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1. Oppose further conversion of the public's native wildlife to private ownership.
2. Oppose high-fenced enclosures, regardless of size, if they exclude free-ranging native wildlife from critical seasonal habitats or migration routes.
3. Support regulations and enforcement to prevent escapes and facilitate recovery in the event of an escape.
4. Support state wildlife agencies as the primary regulatory authority over native North American ungulates, including those confined by high fences. State wildlife agencies should work cooperatively with other state and federal agricultural, wildlife, and health agencies as well as hunting groups, conservation organizations, private landowners and managers to prevent problems such as disease transmission and genetic exchange among native wildlife and exotic species.
5. Encourage anyone using a high fence to confine ungulates to thoroughly analyze and understand potential effects and commit to minimizing risks to native species. This requires a well-coordinated effort of state and federal agencies, hunting groups, conservation organizations, private landowners and managers.
6. For all ungulates confined by high fences, encourage management at or below natural carrying capacity in a manner that prevents inbreeding, diseases, habitat degradation, and effects on non-target species.
7. Encourage authorized agencies to collaborate with interested parties on funding and development of systems for detecting and monitoring wildlife diseases within enclosed and free-ranging native and exotic ungulate populations.
8. Support a moratorium on the construction of high-fenced facilities and any shipment of live cervids until live animal diagnostic tests are available for detecting and monitoring important infectious diseases.
9. Oppose the use of funds generated from traditional sources (recreational licenses, tags, and other fees) for confined-ungulate inspections and regulatory programs.
   

Delta-Get-Away

The annual Delta- Get-Away held at the University of Manitoba Field Station on the south shore of Lake Manitoba on the weekend of February 21 was once again a success. The weekend started out with an informal session which included igloo building on the Lake and a few beers in the lodge. Saturday was devoted to a series of outstanding lectures on critical wildlife diseases presented by professional epidemiologists. These lectures described the diseases and their impacts on wildlife and wildlife biologists. The following topics were covered:

• Lyme Disease, Dr. Terry Galloway - Entomology, U. of Manitoba
• Hanta Virus and West Nile Virus, Dr. Robbin Lindsay - Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health
• Duck Malaria, Dr. Lane Graham - Zoology, U. of Manitoba
• Flukes and Tapeworms, Dr. Vince Crichton - Manitoba Conservation
• TB and CWD, Dr. Terry Whiting - Veterinary Services Branch

About 35 persons attended this formal session. During the afternoon the participants relaxed by hiking through the marsh or ice fishing. Actually, we spent more time cutting holes in the ice and telling stories than catching fish. Saturday night we were serenaded by Ken Hodges on guitar and Terry Galloway on penny whistle. The serenade was followed by a midnight bonfire on the frozen beach. All in all it was a weekend of useful information and informal comradery enjoyed by all.

Wildlife Management in Manitoba Speaker Session

On March 7th, 2003 from 8:00am to 5:00pm the Manitoba Chapter of TWS held a Research Seminar entitled Wildlife Management in Manitoba which was held at Ducks Unlimited’s Oak Hammock Marsh facility. This event ran from 8:00 am to 5:00pm. The seminar began with a welcome from Don Sexton, the MB Wildlife Society President, followed by a welcome from Jack Dubois, Director of Manitoba Conservation. The following speakers filled the rest of the morning and afternoon session with very useful presentations:

• Ken De Smet - Eastern Loggerhead Shrike Monitoring and Stewardship in Southwest MB
• Hank Hristienko - Management Strategies and their Impacts on Black Bear Populations in North America.
• Brian Knudsen - Wildlife Surveys in MB
• Vince Crichton - Chronic Wasting Disease and Bovine TB
• Jim Leafloor - Population Management of Mid-Continent Snow Geese
• Serge Lariviere - An Overview of Delta Waterfowls MB Research Programs
• Henry Murkin and Mike Anderson - Ducks Unlimited Canada
• Jim Devries - The Prairie Habitat Joint Venture Assessment Study
• Rhonda McDougal - Investing in the Carbon Sink Potential of Agriculture and Wetland Sustainability
• Stuart Slattery - Problems and Solutions for Boreal Breeding Waterfowl
• Dale Wrubleski and Bairn Mooney - MB Coastal Wetland Inventory and Experimental Pond Manipulation for Common Carp
• Linda Aidnell - Wolf Movements and Corridor Use in the Riding Mountain Park Region
• Leane Hill - Moose Management on Hydro Rights-of -Way in Riding Mountain Park.
• Monica Reid-Wong - Fire in the Boreal Forest
• Mike Campbell - I haven’t quit hunting, I just haven’t been out in 30 years.

Coffee breaks and lunch were graciously provided by Manitoba Conservation, Ducks Unlimited, University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Environment, and the Manitoba Chapter of TWS

Manitoba Chapter AGM

The Manitoba Chapter of TWS held its annual AGM at the Oak Hammock Marsh facility on the evening of March 7, 2003. At the business meeting, which followed a pizza and beer mixer, Don Sexton received the Past President pin and a warm thank you for serving the Chapter over the past two years. Then the new executive was proclaimed :

• Don Sexton - Past President
• Alex Miller - President Elect
• Jacey Scott - Secretary/Treasurer
• Derek Kroeker - Student Representative
• Garth Ball - Member at Large
• Rick Riewe - President.

Cory Lindgren was thanked by the new Executive for his dedication to the Manitoba Chapter as a past President, and Marc Schuster was thanked for continuing as editor of the Manitoba Chapter Newsletter.

Alex Miller, recipient of the Richard C. Goulden Memorial Student Bursary Award for 2002 presented her work on "Piping Plovers Stewardship Initiatives in Manitoba". The winner of this year’s award is Candace Parks for her work on the effects of common carp on Delta Marsh.

After the business meeting Shane Gabor gave an insightful keynote address entitled "Canada’s Water Crisis: Opportunities for Wildlife".

Then the winners of a photo contest sponsored by the Manitoba Chapter were announced, First Prize went to Terry while the Second and Third Prizes went to Alex Miller.

The day was jam packed with valuable information, new contacts and a revival of old friendships.

Meet your Executive
The first in a series of Bios from the Execuitve, more to come in the next newsletter - Ed.

Dr. Rick Riewe

Rick Riewe is a Professor of Zoology at the University of Manitoba where he has taught Wildlife Management, Ecology, Boreal Ecology, Resource Management, and Biology since 1973. His fields of interest include northern wildlife management, impacts of industrial development upon native hunters and trappers, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, native land use, native land claims, and the domestic economy of northern hunters. He co-ordinated the Land Identification Project for the Nunavut land claim. He and his wife, Jill Oakes have lived and studied with the Aboriginal peoples of northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Fennoscandia, and Greenland. For years he and Jill have taught courses in Arctic Survival which they have learned from the Circumpolar peoples.

Final Call for Papers 64th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference Voyage of Discovery - Exploring the Past, Present & Future

You are invited to attend the 64th Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference to be held December 7-10, 2003, at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. This is the 2nd and final call for paper and poster abstracts, and an opportunity to request space for group meetings. The deadline for paper and poster abstract submission in June 30, 2003. The website, http://www.Midwest2003.com, provides the most current information available. It is a one-stop shop for submitting an abstract, reserving space for your small group, conference registration, symposium topics, and to peek at the preliminary program. Visit often - new information is added frequently!

The Wildlife Society Meeting
Calgary
September 18-24,2004

Planning has begun for the 2004 Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, to be held in Calgary, but its not too late to get involved. The Arrangements Committee is still seeking subcommittee co-chairs in a number of areas. This is the first time TWS has held the Annual Meeting in Canada and it will likely be several years before it gets back this way again. Organization of these events takes a lot of work but can also be fun. So, here’s a chance to get involved . For further information contact Rick Baydack at baydack@ms.umanitoba.ca or (204) 793-0247.

10th Annual Conference of
The Wildlife Society
Burlington, Vermont
September 6-10, 2003
Call for Papers and Associated Meetings.

The Wildlife Society will hold its 10th Annual Conference in Burlington, Vermont, September 6-10, 2003. The meeting will include symposia, workshops, contributed papers (oral presentations), and posters.

Preliminary Program
Symposia

• Stable Isotopes in Wildlife Studies
• Wildlife Toxicology Issues in the Northeast
• Woodland Vernal Pools in Northern Temperate Forests
• Globalization of Wildlife Education and The Wildlife Society
• Modeling, Estimations, and Decision Making in Natural Resource Management
• Sustainability Science and the Wildlife Profession
• Suburban Wildlife: Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities
• Wildlife Disease and the Urban/Suburban Environment
• Forest Management Effects on Songbirds: Strong Inferences and Syntheses
• Relationships Between Herbicides and Forest Biodiversity
• Assessing Risks to Wildlife Populations from Multiple Stressors
• Influencing Policies through Coalitions: Why Wildlife Biologists Should Participate
• Spatial Statistics in Wildlife Biology: Concepts and Applications
• Conservation, Controversy, and Modern Wildlife Management
  

Workshops

• Use of GPS Collars for Monitoring Wildlife
• Wildlife Investigator Series: Total Instructional Packages for Your Next K-12 Presentations
• GAP Analysis for Natural Resources Professionals
• Educational Competencies for Wildlife Students in the 21st Century
• Habitat Conservation in Burlington, Vermont: A Case Study
• Trapping Matters: Furbearer Management in Modern Wildlife Conservation

Special Poster Session

• Celebrating a Century of Conservation: The National Wildlife Refuge System
  

Contributed Papers and Posters

• Ecology and Conservation of Birds
• Ecology and Conservation of Mammals
• Ecology and Conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians
• Conservation of Communities, Ecosystems, and Landscapes
• Wildlife-Habitat Relationships
• Wildlife Population Dynamics and Management
• Wildlife Damage Management
• Human Dimensions, Conservation Education and Conservation Policy
• Wildlife Diseases and Toxicology
• Biometrics in Wildlife Management
• New Technology in Wildlife Management
• Other Aspects of Wildlife Management
  

3rd International Wildlife Management Congress Ki te raki ki te tonga - Ki uta ki tai (From north to south - From mountains to sea)

The beautiful coastal city of Christchurch, New Zealand will be the exciting setting for the 3rd International Wildlife Management Congress. December 1-5, 2003 is early summer, the perfect time to visit New Zealand!

Programme highlights:
The Congress will have a strong Pacific and Southern Hemisphere flavour, but the main focus will be on contrasting perspectives on wildlife management in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Within the theme of the Congress (Ki te takikite tonga - ki uta kitai: From the north to the south - from mountains to sea) we will bring these contrasting perspectives together for a fascinating global focus on wildlife management issues in the 21st Century.

Principal themes will be:

• Wildlife conservation
• Wildlife utilization
• Management of over-abundant wildlife
• Wildlife health and diseases
• Wildlife toxicology
• Contrasting wildlife management systems
• Wildlife population management and dynamics
• New technology in wildlife management
• Management of wildlife by indigenous people
• Landscape issues and wildlife management
• Wildlife-based tourism
• Other aspects of wildlife management
  

Hosts:
The Wildlife Society (USA)
Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research (New Zealand)
Australasian Wildlife Management Society
Ngai Tahu (Maori tribe of New Zealand's South Island)
New Zealand Department of Conservation

For more information, visit the conference website at http://www.conference.canterbury.ac.nz/wildlife2003/

7th Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conference Keeping the Wild in the West

The 7th Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Conferences is coming the Calgary February 26-29, 2004. This conference has a tradition of excellence due to strong support and attendance from a broad cross-section of society including conservation groups, industry, government, and academics. More than 600 people are expected to attend. Keeping the Wild in the West will focus on sharing information and ideas on conserving prairie ecosystems, both big & small. The conference will be interest to a wide range of participants from the agricultural community, First Nations, energy industry, government agencies, municipalities, universities and conservation groups. For more information visit the conference website at http://www.PCESC.ca.

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