On Oct. 13-16, the Wildlife Society attended the SEAFWA, South Eastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. During this conference, wildlife professionals shared research that they have done.
First, Vice President of the Wildlife Society of UTM David Ferrell presented information on the seasonal diurnal habitat use by raccoons in an agricultural landscape. Next, Ryan Jerrolds presented information on the feral swine population and distribution in Tennessee.
The group returned home with the Southeastern Student Chapter of the Year Award.
“Networking through the Wildlife Society has been a benefit for me. I met my current boss through a squirrel hunting game we were having. I sent in my resume and I got the job,” said Brant Luker, Executive Wildlife Officer.
There is a state chapter meeting every spring. The local chapter competes against other universities in the Southeast that are on their level for three days. Last year, the UT chapter placed 1st in cervid calling and 3rd in a team obstacle course. They placed 7th overall out of 30 schools and 3rd overall in the team competition.
Every year the Wildlife Society does a spring cleanup in Weakley County. They choose a local stream and gather all the trash they can find from it. They are also active with the Boy Scout troop here in Weakley County. Their job is to help the young boys obtain their merit badges. They have also given small informative lectures at the Martin Elementary School to help make the children aware of the importance of keeping the community clean.
This month, they will be assisting Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency by collecting biological data from harvested deer on the opening day of muzzleloader and rifle deer seasons. They will also be helping out with the Great Outdoors University (GOU) to encourage and teach inner-city children to enjoy the outdoors by going hiking, fishing and other sorts of outdoor activities.
“In the world we live in, we tend to take for granted the habitat and wildlife here. More and more humans are coming in every day. The farther away we get from the city, the more land we take up. The wildlife needs the land to survive, so preserving it is the key. We must take care of the land, but it must be managed properly, and that, in a nutshell, is what we do,” Romsdal said.
