OutdoorNebraska

32 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission • 2018 Annual Report R E S E A R C H S T U D I E S E F F E C T S O F V A R Y I N G C A R P P O P U L A T I O N S O N W E T L A N D S In 2018 the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission initiated a 3-year EPA-funded project to examine effects of invasive common carp on Nebraska's Sandhills lakes and wetlands by relating carp abundance to assessments of water quality, vegetation, and fish and bird communities. The study examines effects of lake renovation (carp removal) and varying levels of carp abundance on wetlands and their biotic communities. From March to November 2018, Game and Parks staff conducted fieldwork, including surveys of migratory and breeding birds, fish, water quality, and vegetation, on 24 lakes and wetlands. Additional research included weekly avian point count surveys to assess waterfowl and shorebird usage during spring and fall migration, as well as summer call-broadcast surveys for breeding birds to quantify breeding activity and detect secretive marsh birds (American and least bitterns, Virginia and sora rails). Populations of carp and other fish species were estimated in each lake through gill-netting and electroshock surveys. Surveys will continue in 2019 and 2020. N E W R E S E A R C H A I M S T O S H E D L I G H T O N D E C L I N I N G M U L E D E E R N U M B E R S In 2018, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln began a multi-year study aiming to address the concerns of mule deer populations in Southwest Nebraska. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations throughout the western states have been declining since the 1990s, causing concern for many state wildlife agencies. In Nebraska, declining harvest trends, challenges associated with hunting permit allocations, and inquiries from the public regarding declining numbers have underscored the need to look into this issue further. Geographic areas of concern include southwest, northwest and central Nebraska. Through this study, the Commission hopes to assess the factors contributing to these declines, primarily focusing on cause-specific mortality and habitat use. This year, UNL researchers successfully placed radio collars on 59 adult mule deer does and 91 fawns. Next year, the project will expand to include Northwest Nebraska. GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKEN DISPLAYS ON A LEK IN VALENTINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MULE DEER BUCK

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