INTRODUTION Today, 30 June 2012, we are starting to work on a wildlife

management plan. We are initially starting to cover map sixty five acres of

upland hardwoods and ninety acres of bottomland. The purpose is to identify

ideal habitats around Hocking College campus to manage certain wildlife

species. The purpose of cover mapping the area is to develop a management

plan for Fox Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Cerulean Warbler, Ruffed Grouse;

Woodcock, Northern Bobwhite Quail, and Eastern Cottontail Rabbit. The

management plan includes cover mapping the area to get a layout of the size

and types of cover; food plots, tree sizes and composition in the 65 acres of

hardwoods and bottomland. We will be making our decisions and

recommendations on how to best manage the area for these species, and how

to best manipulate the landscape to assure that these animals will take a hold

and survive on the property.

METHODS The methods we are currently using are mapping the area by

foot. At this time, we will be plotting the area and breaking it up into

sections. After the initial assessment, we will be breaking areas off into tree

and shrub types for food, cover and breeding availability. We will also be

making recommendations of changes, to make the habitat more suitable for

the species being introduced. We will map and color code our

recommendations on a map of the area being managed. We are using field

guides and wildlife management plan books to determine the best available

areas for the types of wildlife we will be managing.

LITERATURE CITED

ALTHOFF, D. P., 2003. Wildlife Management: Lab & Field Manual. Jomidon Incorporated, Lancaster, Ohio, USA. 1-17pp.

Braun, C. E, editor. 2005. Techniques for wildlife investigation and management.

Sixth edition. The Wildlife Society, Bethesda Maryland, USA.

Schwartz, Charles W, and Elizabeth R. Schwartz. Mammals of Missouri. 2nd. Canada: University of Missouri press, 2001.