Welcome to the Friends of Goose Pond’s quarterly
Founding Friends
Margaret Harger-Allen
Grace Chapman
Tom & Nancy Ciskowski
Chuck Davidson
Susie Dewey
Brad Feaster
Marilyn Flanders
Tammy Galm
Dawn E. Hewitt
Paul D. Hoernig
Kip O. Hoffer
Joan Ten Hoor
Sandra S. Miles
Mac Moulden
William R. Powers, MD
Nyle Riegle
Deborah Shonk
LuAnne Kohler Shonk
Sherrell G. Shonk
Timothy Shonk
Barbara Simpson
George R. Sly
The Wabash Valley
Audubon Society
Barbara Steele
Don Steward
Lee Sterrenburg
Cam H. Trampke
Peggy Wolfe
Becky Yung
newsletter. Hopefully you will understand that we are an allvolunteer organization. Believe it or not, some of us really do
have other lives that occasionally need attention. As a result,
we have had to make some changes in managing the
newsletter. With them has come a delay in getting this 4th Qtr.
2014 edition to you; our apologies.
Things are Hopping at GPFWA
One bit of good news that has resulted from our newsletter
tardiness is that we can give you info on the current bird
situation at Goose Pond FWA. As usual, the spectacular nature
of the spring migration into the area is manifesting itself again.
The Feb. 4th Weekly Waterfowl Survey reported 12,133
Greater White Fronted Geese on the property, a near state
record! On the 4th there were also 10,559 Northern Pintails,
10,000 Snow Geese, and 3500 Sandhill Cranes. The influx of
Snow Geese reached an amazing level this past week. A flock
of these spectacular birds, estimated to be 29,885 in number,
came onto the property. This is a glimpse of a portion of a huge
group that was resting in MPW on Feb. 11th.
photo by George Sly
American White Pelicans have made their return to GPFWA as
well. Six birds were observed by Lee Sterrenburg and Kathy
McClain, also in Main Pool West, on Feb. 8th.
Another piece of big news on the birding front was the first
ever appearance of a Snowy Owl in Greene County. A single
bird was observed on Jan. 23rd by Jeremy Ross. The owl
lingered for a few days, mostly in fields to the south of GP
property. On Jan. 25th, Steve Gifford observed the bird over the
south end of Goose Pond FWA. Thus, it also became a new
property record for the GPFWA. This is a photo of the Snowy
Owl captured by FoGP member Steve Smith.
The spring (and fall) migrations are great times to visit
GPFWA. Waterfowl activity is at its highest peak and a visit is
sure to be rewarding.
Don’t forget, you can keep up with the happenings at
GPFWA by visiting our Facebook page. If you haven’t done so
already, be sure to give us a “Like” and encourage your friends
to follow us there as well.
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Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane Festival
Presented by Friends of Goose Pond
Join us March 6 & 7 for the Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane
Festival sponsored by Friends of Goose Pond. Come see the
spectacular spring migration of the Sandhill Crane and
thousands of other waterfowl as they make their way
northward and stop at the Goose Pond to rest and refuel.
This year's keynote speaker and Saturday presenter will be Joe
Duff from Operation Migration. With his ultralight airplane,
Joe annually teaches a group of young Whooping Cranes the
migratory route from Wisconsin to Florida, Learn about
Operation Migration's work at www.operationmigration.org.
For a schedule of Marsh Madness events, go to
http://www.friendsofgoosepond.org/mars…/attractionsschedule
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Membership Renewal
Now is the time to consider renewing your membership in the
Friends of Goose Pond. We hope you will do so. Your
membership is important in helping us to accomplish our
mission of supporting wildlife conservation and habitat
restoration at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area through
environmental education, scientific research and recreational
activities and programs.
Membership in the Friends of Goose Pond has many
benefits. Please consider these and join us again in 2015.
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Distinguishing yourself within the community as
an individual devoted to inspiring citizens to
value conservation, habitat, and wildlife
Sharing the sense of purpose and satisfaction
gained by encouraging environmental
education and preservation
Achieving a sense of accomplishment by being
an active participant in the largest wetland
restoration project in the eastern United States
Being recognized by other members of the
Friends of Goose Pond for your important
contribution to conservation
Having an opportunity to learn and thus share
your knowledge of the Goose Pond Fish and
Wildlife Area with others in the community
Receiving the quarterly Friends of Goose Pond
newsletter
Making new acquaintances and friends who
share your concern for conservation and the
environment
Helping in the fundraising effort in support of
the new Goose Pond visitor center
Helping to promote economic development in
the Greene County area by promoting public
awareness of the many opportunities for
outdoor recreation provided by the Goose
Pond Fish and Wildlife Area
The Friends of Goose Pond is a 501C3
organization and your dues are tax deductible
You may renew your membership at our website –
www.friendsofgoosepond.org. Additionally, you can
renew during your visit to the Marsh Madness Sandhill
Crane Festival on Saturday, March 7th. A Family
membership is $30. Individual membership is $20 and
those 65 and older can join for $15.
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Critter Corner No. 9
Eastern Cottontail
by
George Sly
For this edition of Critter Corner, I’d like to shift gears and
return again to consideration of Goose Pond mammals. Since
the fall hunting season is well upon us, it seems appropriate to
ponder the habits of one of the state’s most popular game
animals – the eastern cottontail rabbit. This very familiar
animal belongs to a family of mammals known as the
Leporidae. There are about 27 species within this family in the
United States. Six of these are jackrabbit species, a couple of
them are hares (snowshoe & Arctic), and the rest are rabbits of
various kinds. Most of these are in the genus Sylvilagus (Latin
silvi- woods+ Greek lagōs hare), as is our native cottontail.
Incidentally, we do have one other species of rabbit here in
Indiana. Sylvilagus aquaticus, the swamp rabbit, is a larger
cousin of our eastern cottontail. This species occurs only in the
forested flood plains of Gibson, Knox, and Posey Counties. It
is protected as an endangered animal in Indiana.
Jackrabbits may be considered a type of hare and these
leporids differ from rabbits in a few ways. For example,
newborn hares are precocial while rabbits are altricial.
Precocial young are furred at birth, have opened eyes, and are
capable of being highly active within minutes of birth. Picture
a neonatal antelope or deer for example. Altricial rabbits on the
other hand are born furless, closed-eyed, and helpless. They
must remain in the nest (form) for several days before they
actively move about. Hares are generally larger than rabbits
and have bigger ears and longer hind legs. Jackrabbits are close
to two feet in length and can weigh upwards of 10 pounds. An
eastern cottontail is by comparison a little over a foot in length
and weighs an average of 2.6 pounds. Many years ago, my first
jackrabbit burst forth from beneath a creosote bush in SW
Texas. Initially, as my mind raced to identify the fleeing
missile, I was perplexed and mentally ran through a checklist
of fox-sized animals. Jackrabbits really do look huge when one
is only accustomed to seeing a rabbit darting out from
underfoot.
Eastern cottontails will utilize habitats of many
different types. However their preference seems to be for
oldfield type environments, particularly those which contain
briars and brush. Although they may occur in wooded habitat
and even in urban areas, thick ground cover is optimal for
them. Cottontails do not burrow but will readily utilize
subterranean dens made by other mammals such as
woodchucks.
Eastern cottontails eat a wide variety of plant materials.
Warm weather foods might include grasses, clover, and
plantain. During the winter, eastern cottontails turn from
grazing and become browsers. During this time they eat the
bark and sprouts of woody plants such as maple, sassafras, and
briars. The feeding habits of cottontails are interesting in that
they are able to consume large amounts of vegetation quickly
and then convert it into a form for later use. This allows them
to reduce the amount of time that they forage in the open where
they are vulnerable to predators. Later, withdrawing to a more
secluded spot they will produce fecal pellets that are nothing
more than undigested plant material. These pellets look very
much like little miniature versions of the alfalfa pellets one
might feed to livestock. The cottontails then eat these fecal
pellets and this time more completely digest the organic
material in them. A feeding behavior such as this is known as
coprophagy.
The reproductive potential of the eastern cottontail is
indeed great. Given its many enemies, it is a good thing it can
quickly regenerate its numbers. Average litter size is around
five young and they can produce as many as half a dozen litters
per year although three or four is more common. The gestation
period is about one month. The young are born in a slight
depression in the ground made by the female which she lines
with grass and with fur plucked from her belly. Young rabbits
begin to leave the nest and forage on their own by the second
week following their birth.
Eastern cottontails really do have a tough go of it.
Although it is possible for some rabbits to live over three years,
the average life expectancy is slightly less than one year.
Decimating factors include parasites, disease, and predators. Of
course, nowadays automobiles are an extreme hazard to
cottontails. This is especially true where habitat availability is
minimal and may consist primarily of roadside vegetation.
Mumford and Whitaker (1982) list some twenty species
of parasites found on eastern cottontails. These included a
variety of fleas, mites, and ticks. An important disease of
rabbits is tularemia given that this bacterial infection may be
transmitted to humans. My grandfather was always insistent
that I thoroughly wash my hands with soap, and then give them
a good dousing with rubbing alcohol, after cleaning the rabbits
we harvested. Look out for “rabbit fever” he warned. Mumford
and Whitaker studied 68 case histories of tularemia and found
that 88% of them involved contact with rabbits. The disease
may also be transmitted by ticks. If this disease is unfamiliar to
you, there is an interesting discussion on Wikipedia.
The predators of eastern cottontails are many. These
include the red fox, gray fox, and coyote. Domestic cats will
also take them. Serpents such as black rat snakes may eat
young cottontails. Avian predators know to attack cottontails
include barn owls, long-eared owls, great horned owls, roughlegged hawks, northern harriers, red-tailed hawks, and crows.
Of course humans take a great number of eastern
cottontails during the hunting season. At Goose Pond FWA
however eastern cottontails seem to be an under utilized lateseason game resource. GPFWA Property Manager Travis
Stoelting reported that only 38 rabbits were taken by hunters
last year. This may be a reflection of the fact that the state has
seen a general decrease over the years in the number of hunters
pursuing rabbits. A 2011 article by Paul Moore, in Game &
Fish Magazine, reported that around 200,000 rabbits are taken
annually in Indiana compared to former numbers which were
closer to one million. Looking further back, the latter number
pales in comparison with the 2,243,000 cited by Mumford
(1969) as the average number taken annually during the
1950’s. The number of rabbit hunters has also declined over
the last few years from around 200,000 to 70,000. Moore
believes that a shift toward more hunters pursuing deer and
wild turkey have contributed to this decline. Additionally, he
believed loss of habitat had resulted in decreased rabbit
numbers. This is also a deterrent to hunters who might
otherwise pursue rabbits.
For those of us who have hunted the eastern cottontail
with avid interest, it is no wonder that this species was at one
time the most popular game animal in Indiana. These days I
find myself much more prone to photographing or simply
watching a game animal. Such, I suppose, is the waning of the
desire to take that comes with age. But I still recall with great
fondness the hours I spent afield, as a young man, in pursuit of
rabbits. The camaraderie of hunting companions, the genuine
enjoyment of watching a good pair of beagles happily at work,
and the thrill of the chase all bring pleasant memories. Of
course the remembrance of a plateful of fried rabbit backed up
by a healthy portion of biscuits and gravy is not to be lightly
dismissed either. There is no wild game of finer taste in my
humble opinion.
In considering the many interesting aspects of the
natural history of the eastern cottontail, as well as its historical
importance as a small game mammal, we are forced to accept
the presence of this little mammal at Goose Pond FWA as yet
one more reason to celebrate the property’s wonderful
biodiversity.
Useful Resources
Mumford, Russell E. 1969. Distribution of the Mammals of
Indiana. Ind. Acad. of Sci. Monograph No. 1
Mumford, Russell E. and John O. Whitaker, Jr. 1982,
Mammals of Indiana. Indiana University Press.
Bloomington, Indiana.
http://www.nhptv.org/wild/leporidae.asp
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3375.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tularemia
ww.gameandfishmag.com/hunting/indiana-rabbit-huntingoptions/