Louisiana Wildlife News - Volume 6, Issue 5 1

Wildlife NewsLouisiana

Volume 6, Issue 5 – September 2011

Use Caution When Providing Corn for DeerAnyone who will be using corn as a supplemental feed for wildlife this

hunting season is advised to use caution when purchasing the grain. Dry weather conditions over a large portion of the state this past summer have caused conditions to be favorable in isolated areas for the formation of dan-gerous aflatoxin levels.

Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by common fungi called Aspergillus flavus. These fungi live in the soil and on decaying plant material and when condi-tions are right for aflatoxin to grow, the food safety of the corn itself can be compromised. Even though studies have shown that aflatoxin levels as high as 800 parts per billion (ppb) did not harm white-tailed deer when fed corn as a short-term supplemental feed (during the hunting season), there are still reasons to use caution. Even levels of aflatoxin much lower than 800 ppb caused subclinical liver damage in white-tailed deer fawns. This higher susceptibility in young deer along with unknown long-term effects in deer of all ages may cause problems whereby stressed deer could succumb more readily to other diseases and parasites. The use of aflatoxin contaminated corn also poses a much greater health risk to non-target bird species such as wild turkeys, which are much more susceptible to the toxin.

Even corn that is removed from the fields with safe aflatoxin levels must be handled properly to avoid future contamination. Corn exposed to wet conditions by either improper storage or by dispersing more than what deer can consume prior to moisture exposure can lead to dangerous aflatoxin levels. Anyone planning on using corn as a supplemental feed this hunting season should make certain that they purchase their grain from a reputable source that sells certified corn with aflatoxin levels below 20 ppb.

Changes in Proposed Dates for 2012 Turkey SeasonThe Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has amended

its original plans for opening dates of the 2012 turkey season. The initial proposal called for dividing the state into a north and south zone with differ-ent opening dates. Based on public comment, officials now will revert to the same area designations used for the 2011 spring season. Plans now call for a uniform statewide opening date on the fourth Saturday in March. Newly proposed designated areas and dates include:

Area A: March 24 – April 22

Area B: March 24 – April 15

Area C: March 24 – April 8Daily and season bag limits remain at one and two gobblers, respectively.

A special private land youth hunt for individuals 17 years of age and younger, as well as hunts for wheelchair confined hunters, will take place on March 17 -18, 2012, in all areas.

Don’t forgot the Needy this Hunting Season

Various “Hunters for the Hungry” organizations will be active this fall in collecting frozen game and fish from hunt-ers and fishermen for donation to local food banks.

These programs, known as “Clean-Out-the-Freezer-Day,” have been ongoing for many years now. What originally start-ed as a way for outdoorsmen to make room in their freezers for game and fish to be harvested during the upcoming season has grown over the years to be one of the major suppliers of frozen meat products to food banks across the state.

Closely tied into the “Clean-Out-the-Freezer-Day” is a program where deer hunters can donate a whole deer (minus the tenderloins and backstraps which they can keep) to a local processing facility for a fresh meat donation to local food banks. Processing fees are handled through private dona-tions and food bank operating budgets.

The Baton Rouge area “Clean-Out-the-Freezer-Day” is set for Sunday, Sept. 25. Check local papers for the many drop-off points of frozen items as well as the dates and locations for other similar events in cities across the state.

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Wildlife Species ProfileEastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius)

The eastern coral snake is a fairly long snake, reaching lengths of up to 45 inches. Many specimens found in Louisiana are much shorter than this however. Regardless of their total length, eastern coral snakes are easy to distinguish from almost all other snakes in our state by the distinct pattern of alternating black, yellow and red rings across the body. The yellow and red bands are always in contact with each other and the tip of the snout is always black. The only other species that can possibly be mistaken for an eastern coral snake are the milk snake, scar-let snake and scarlet king snake. In all these other species, the alternat-ing red and black bands make contact with each other. A good rhyme to remember this pattern is “red on yellow, killer fellow; red on black, friendly jack.” Also if one can remember that when driving and approaching an intersection, a stop light will turn yellow and then red; in the same way if one sees a snake with distinct yellow and red bands touching each other, one should stop and use caution. The eastern coral snake has a statewide distribution except for areas along the coast. They are also extremely rare in the Florida Parishes. A sepa-rate subspecies known as the Texas coral snake occurs west of the Mis-sissippi River and is characterized by more numerous black markings within the red rings.

Both subspecies are primarily inhabitants of forested areas although they have been collected in open pastures and grasslands. My only personal collection of an eastern coral snake occurred in Washington Parish in a piney woods area on the LSU Lee Memorial Forest between Franklinton and Boga-lusa. This snake was located under a raised foundation building in several inches of pine needle litter.

Coral snakes will quite often have a mild disposition and even when handled freely, they may not attempt to bite. If bitten, however, serious consequences will result. Their venom is more potent than any other of our poisonous snakes and is known as neurotoxic venom, which attacks the central nervous system. All other poisonous snakes in our state possess hemotoxic venom, which affects the blood and organs. Coral snakes also lack fangs and deliver their poison into a victim by chewing vigorously, thus forcing the poison into multiple wounds.

Coral snakes feed primarily on a variety of small terrestrial snakes and lizards. The speckled king snake is a major predator of coral snakes in Loui-siana. Reproduction occurs by females depositing five to nine elongated eggs, usually in the spring.

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Plant Species ProfileCow Oak (Quercus michauxii)

The cow oak is one of our most distinctive white oaks, commonly occurring on moist or wet loamy soils which are inundated for short periods of time in the fall or winter. It is often found in association with sweet gum, water oak, willow oak and American elm. The leaves of cow oak are deciduous and 7 to 8 inches long. They are broadly obovate with a distinct crenate to coarsely dentate margin. Similar to other oaks within the white oak classification, the bark of cow oak is scaly and whitish to ashy gray.

The lumber quality of cow oaks is excellent. It is usually a well-formed tree with a straight trunk that averages 60 to 80 feet in height. It commonly reaches diameters of 2 to 3 feet with the current Loui-

siana champion cow oak having a diameter of almost 5 feet. Other common names for cow oak include swamp chestnut oak and basket oak. The name basket oak most likely came from its use in making basket splits. Like other white oaks, the wood possesses closed tylo-ses which allow it to be used for barrel construction and liquid storage.

Cow oaks produce the largest acorns of any oak in Louisiana. The fruits are short-stalked and ½ to ¾ inch in length. It has a bowl-like cap with thickened scales that encloses ¼ of the nut. Acorns have a low tannin content which, makes them a preferred food choice for a variety of wildlife species.

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Dr. Don ReedProfessor (Wildlife)

Idlewild Research Station(225) 683-5848

Reviewers:Dr. Andy Nyman

Associate ProfessorSchool of Renewable Natural

Resources

Dr. Dearl SandersProfessor & Resident Coordinator

Idlewild Research Station

Wildlife NewsLouisiana

Louisiana State University Agricultural CenterWilliam B. Richardson, Chancellor

Louisiana Agricultural Experiment StationJohn S. Russin, Vice Chancellor and DirectorLouisiana Cooperative Extension ServicePaul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director

The LSU AgCenter is a statewide campus of the LSU System and provides equal

opportunities in programs and employment.

Visit our website:www.lsuagcenter.com