Proud to announce that HCC's Wildlife Society finished 2nd overall out of 24 schools in this years Wildlife Society Conclave!!!!  Most of our competition were seniors, graduate students, and even a few phds.  Not to shabby for a two year program.   Go Haywood!!!!!

news article 2 pigs, hogs, feral swine

       As of October 1, 2011 the wild boar, wild pig, or really any pig like animal in North Carolina is now considered feral swine according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission.    I could write a paper on the bad effects that the very invasive pigs have and continue to do.  The article I found sums up the "in the public eye" problem with wild pigs wreaking havoc on private property in the Tryon area in North Carolina.  Herds of wild pigs are going into homeowners backyards and destroying them by rooting the soils, gardens, and flowerbeds.  The article summarized how citizens who wanted to get rid of the pigs could dispose of them by killing them or trapping them and relocating them.  But as of October 1st, only people with a valid hunters license can hunt them and no one can relocate, or even take a live pig out of a trap, without a identification number issued by a state veterinarian.  The fine for noncompliance is $5000 per pig.  Also there is no longer a closed season for feral swine and hunters can even hunt them at night with spotlights on private land with a permit. 
      The article goes on to say that the change in status is due to pigs spreading across the state at an alarming rate and threatening commercial pig operations due to disease and habitat destruction affecting our native wildlife.  The article gives a history of how pigs, who are not native in America, became to be so abundant.  There is a problem with citizens trapping pigs and transporting them to areas that they don't currently populate to provide another hunting opportunity.  Before October 1st, there were no laws to prevent this.  A pig can breed as early as 7 months old and produce 1-10 piglets every 6 months or so.  (This is alot lower than I was taught in Wildlife Management at HCC).  To sum it up they make a lot of babies and they survive well, and live up to 12 years.  That's a lot of accumulation of destructive bacon.   http://www.tryondailybulletin.com/2011/07/22/wild-hogs-invade-hogback-mountain/

News article 1

      Hello everyone.  I found a link to an article in the E-forester(put out by SAF), to a paper in Spokane, WA.  The article caught my eye because it is titled, "Logging would avert fire, Otter said".  Governer Butch Otter went before congress with the warning that Idaho was at a risk of wildfires that would rival the 1910's "Big Burn".  Otter asked of congress, to allow Federal timberlands in Idaho be managed by the state.  Otter's argument is that trees that emerged after the 1910 fire, are at the end of their natural life.  This means alot of fuel to set the stage for another disaster. 
     Bill Higgins, resource manager for one of the larger timber companies in Idaho, agreed that logging near developed areas is helpful.  Over the last fifty years, fire suppression and lack of thinning by timber operations have increased the risk of a big uncontrolled fire.  Enviromental groups  and timber groups are all admiting that there is a risk, but state that the federal goverment is working with them, and that the state may have different agendas.  http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/29/logging-would-avert-fire-otter-says/

Course Tips

Here are some course management tips from a fellow student who aced the midterm. I asked them to provide some suggestions for those of you who may be struggling with the course:

 

In terms of time spent on each module, I usually do the following... 

(1) Open the quiz and read the questions.

(2) Watch all of the lectures on youtube, (sometimes I catch things that you mention in the lecture that aren't part of the powerpoint or written in the book.) 

(3) Read all of the powerpoint slides, and download them to a folder on my computer.  

(4) Read any additional reading material you've placed in the module.

(4) Answer any of the quiz questions that I may now know because of the powerpoint and lecture sequence.

(5) Start reading the book material.  (Some people read and highlight and take notes, I do not.  I feel that if I had to do that then it would just make me put off doing to work longer.  If it's a long chapter then I try to read 3-5 pages every night, if its just 10 pages I'll usually just read most of it at one time.  Some of the book material is fun to read and other parts aren't, as it is with any textbook.  I usually skim some parts more than others, unless I can't find a specific answer.)

(6) Answer any remaining quiz questions. 

I'd say that all in all this process takes about 3-4 hours, generally spread out over the course of the week.  It really all comes down to time management.

Awesome Midterms!

Great job on the midterm!! 2 students scored an un-adjusted 100% and overall class average on midterm was 89!! Not too shabby!!

Midterm Now Open

The link for the Midterm is now active. It is found immediately after Module 6. It will remain open until Sunday, March 4 at midnight. Be sure that you have a reliable internet connection before you begin. Also, I highly recommend reviewing the study guide and taking the practice exam beforehand.

The exam covers course material from Module 1 through Module 6. There are 51 questions. I will drop 1 incorrect response to make the exam worth 200 pts. Questions are in multiple choice, true-false, short-answer, and multiple answer format. Read each question and answer selections carefully. You have 1 hour to complete the exam. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE EXAM BEFORE YOU SUBMIT IT!

Good luck!

--Jim Hamilton

What's your favorite tree?

Please post a comment regarding your favorite tree:  what is it and why, its scientific name, and describe its leaf shape and arrangement....My personal favorite is dawn redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides, was thought to be extinct until some were found in an old monastery in Asia. It has an alternate arrangement of compound feather-like leaflets. Looks a lot like baldcypress.