Neithercut Management Plan

Central Michigan University

Wildlife Biology and Management

Bio 541

Fall 2007

Ruth Howell Paul Irving

Rebecca Davarn Sienna Britton

Introduction

• Predatory Mammals of Neithercut– Mustela erminea– Urocyon cineoargentus– Lynx rufus– Canis latrans

The Ermine: Mustela erminea

• Family Mustelidae-includes Mink, Otter, Ferrets, Badgers, Martens, Skunks.

• North American Distribution widespread.• Typically coexists with one other type of

weasel, except in the tension zone.• White pelt in winter.

Photo: Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

Steve Gehman

The Ermine: Mustela erminea

• Reproduction– No pair bonding– Early maturation– Delayed implantation

• 9-10 months• Early summer mating= early

spring birth. Litter size 4-6

• Behavior– Solitary – Territorial

• Females close to home

Photos courtesy of Animal Diversity Web

The Ermine: Mustela erminea

• Generalist predator• Diet differs between

sexes– Voles and deer mice

• Sexually dimorphic• Habitat : dens of prey

species, tree snags.

Deer Mouse Image courtesy of Smithsonian

Ermine eating a meadow vole courtesy of Google

The Ermine: Mustela erminea

• Small bodies – 180-200 gms in weight

• High pulse rate and Temperature– 360-390bpm– 102 F

• Short digestive tracts• High energy mammal

Photo from Usenet

The Gray Fox: Urocyon cineoargentus

• Canidae• 7 subspecies

– Extirpated– Recent range expansion

• Length and Weight– 2 - 7 Kilograms– 78 to 112 centimeters

• Gray vs. Red fox?

www.bear-tracker.com/grayfox.gif

http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/images/risk/maps/na-132.gif

http://www.northernwilds.com/press/moxiepix/a55.jpg

The Gray Fox: Urocyon cineoargentus

http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/images/taiga/red_rox_371.jpg

http://www.rivernen.ca/fox_4.jpg

• Markings– Black vs. white tail– Pelt color– Fur-bearers/ trappers

• Climbing ability

The Gray Fox: Urocyon cineoargentus

• Reproduction– Altricial – Monogamous

• Family aggregates• Generalist

– Plant matter to cottontails

• Predators– Golden eagles– coyote – bobcat

http://www3.cesa10.k12.wi.us/ecosystems/wetlands/animals/grayfox/greyfox.jpeg

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.greeneart.com/images/CH3_01-C.JPG&imgrefurl=http://greeneart.com/ladygray.html&h=558&w=700&sz=131&hl=en&start=43&tbnid=K30dhpJSbd_IdM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3DGray%2BFox%26start%3D40%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

The Bobcat: Lynx rufus

Description: • Michigan’s smallest non-domesticated cat• Still 2-3 times the size of a domesticated cat • Generally grey to reddish brown, and have a blotchy pattern on both

dorsal and ventral surfaces• Has ear tufts similar to lynx, yet smaller in size• Also has a bearded look similar to the lynx, yet less prominent• Has a white ventral side of tail, distinguishing it from the lynx

Measurements:The length of a bobcat is 750-1,100 mm, tail length is 130- 180 mm,

and the total weight is between 5-16 kg

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat.html - 44k -

The Bobcat: Lynx rufus

Location: • Once be found in all parts of Michigan • Now, bobcats range from southern Canada through most of the U.S.

and deep into Mexico • Due to an increase in roads, agriculture, and ultimately population,

there are now areas in southern Lower Michigan without bobcats

• habitat includes upland hardwoods, hardwood-conifer mixed forest,

lowland swamps, and also riparian zones

animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bobcat.html - 44k -

The Bobcat: Lynx rufus

www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/bobcat.html Behavior and Reproduction:

• Very solitary • Urine markings and feces will deter others • Scratching posts, 1-1.2 m above ground also define an adults

territory • Will travel up to 10-100 square km for food or mating purposes, and

up to 12 km in one night• female bobcat territory will not overlap with other females, but it may

overlap with adjacent male territories • Transient individuals sometimes have much larger home ranges

and will also often use sub-optimal habitat

The Bobcat: Lynx rufus

• Behavior and Reproduction Continued:• Nocturnal, diurnal• Carnivores and will prey upon rabbits, hares, voles, squirrels,

shrews, bog lemmings, opossums, porcupines, sick or young deer,

and mice; also it has been known to prey upon birds and eat carrion, and occasionally eats frogs and snakes

• Camouflaged colorings to ambush prey and will also sit alongside game trails and wait for prey to come to them.

• Changes sleeping and resting areas almost daily • rest under rock ledges, blown over trees, and inside of tree cavities

• gestation of approximately sixty days, birth in spring, usually during the month of May

• typical liter of bobcats contains 1-4 kittens

The Coyote: Canis latrans

Description

• resemble german shepards• small animals, males tend to weigh around

24-45 lbs. and females tend to weigh around 22-35 lbs.• coyotes have pointed and erect ears and a slender

muzzle

The Coyote: Canis latrans

Habitat use

• They occupy different areas from deserts to forested areas• Occupy different areas according to the different seasons• They require cover from vegetation, especially during breeding

seasons• Den sites are used for raising their young

The Coyote: Canis latrans

Behavior

• Very territorial

• Will defend territory by scent marking (urinating around the borders of their territory), by ground scratching, or howling

• Travel in packs or alone

The Coyote: Canis latrans

Reproduction

• Monogamous

• Breeding season is from late January and mid-February, birth occurs around mid April

• Average litter size is 5 to 7 pups

The Coyote: Canis latrans

Diet• Their food consumption consists of small

mammals, deer (fawn mostly), insects and fruit• For urban coyotes, they rely on pet food, cats

and dogs• Coyotes are known for eating livestock as well

The Coyote: Canis latrans

Range• Coyotes have expanded their ranges from the

upper peninsula of Michigan to the lower peninsula

• Home range for wild coyotes are 10 square kilometers

• Home range for suburb coyotes could be anywhere from 0.5 square kilometers- 40 square kilometers

• They are in every state in the U.S. except Hawaii

Management Goals and Objectives Small mammal surveys -

Via trapping Public and conservation officer sitings Mark and release

Management Goals and Objectives

• Maintain Mature forest– Interior habitat– Stable age/stage

• Thinning – ground cover• Recruitment rates

• Increase Prairie habitat– 20 acres in addition– Prey species benefit– With plantings of clover

• Big Blue stem• Winter wheat

Management Goals and Objectives

• Increase connectivity with habitat patches– Landowners– Corridor Assessments– Reduce edge effects

• Increase Denning/nesting sites– 2-4 Snags– 4-6 brush piles– Slash and burn: 3-5 year rotation

http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t051/T051606A.jpghttp://www.rw.ttu.edu/newsletter/images/mnote_15/photo_3.jpg

Management Goals and Objectives

Coyote management May require population reduction

Trapping

The Public Social Carrying Capacity Management recommendations Educational programs

Improving local understanding Town meetings Wildlife programs in schools “Neithercut Neighborhood Days”

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.art.com/images/-/Looney-Tunes---Wile-E-Coyote--C11754810.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.wiredandhired.com/2006/02/bleep-that-bleeping-road-runner/&h=425&w=309&sz=29&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=G6e2RXbYKszw9M:&tbnh=126&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCoyote%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Ca%2520to%2520H/COYOTE..jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Coyote.htm&h=403&w=600&sz=83&hl=en&start=77&um=1&tbnid=xRuqezZ0F7JPpM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCoyote%26start%3D60%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN

Management Area

• Neithercut Woodland• 252 acres• CMU owned• Previously owned by

Hazel Littlefield

Management Recommendations

• 20 acre slash, burn and planting of native grasses

• Thinning of 3 20 acre plots

• Hair snares• Tree snags• Dens with hair

snags

Current Conditions • Area used mainly for education• Soils: Carbondale muck, Linwood muck, Montcalm loamy sand, Isabella

loam, AuGres sand, Ingalls fine sandy loam and Butternut sandy loam • Mixed hardwood forest of aspen, oak, sugar maple and white birch. The

area also includes white cedar swamps, beech-maple communities, a cattail marsh, shrub swamps and an introduced prairie plot

• Elm creek transects the woodland from the northwest corner to the southeast corner

Evaluation and Monitoring

• Trapping and mark-recapture– Used to distinguish movement patterns

• Radio telemetry– For all 4 species

• Genetic analysis– Hair from snares

• Public surveys• Extensive track surveys

– Winter mostly

www.jesseshunting.com

www.flickr.com

Timeline • Fall: Trapping, Small mammal survey, Timber harvest of

maple/beech, Advertise NND, Create 4-6 den sites, First NND• Winter: 2 sessions of NND, Intensive track survey with WS, Maintain

hair snares, Begin genetic analysis, • Spring: Trapping, Small mammal survey/marking, Clear area around

prairie, Plant mix of warm and cold grasses/crops, 2 sessions of NND, Begin slash/burn rotation

• Summer: Continue trapping and genetic analysis, Several sessions of NND

Year 1

Year 5

Assess what has been done and what changes need to be made

Year 10

Assess management goals/objectives, also assess population numbers

www.flickr.com

Budget

Budget          

Funding          

Timber Sales   < $300      

Donations   ~$500      

Grants   ~$500      

Classes etc.   ~$100/yr      

Total:   ~$1400      

Traps          

Live Leg Hold Hair Snares Pitfall Trap Sherman Total:

(6) $600 (8) $80 (10) <$100 (10) ~$20 (3) $60 ~$900

  (4) $32        

Questions???