SportDOG Brand's Conservation Outreach Initiatives

Posted on September 16, 2006 by WaterdogTV.com Staff 

SportDOG Brand^{TM is assisting Brigham Young University graduate student Aaron Robinson along with the Nevada Division of Wildlife, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, The Utah Chukar and Wildlife Foundation, The Nevada Chukar Foundation, Carson Valley Chukar Club, Water for Wildlife Foundation, Pershing County Chukars Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife to determine life history characteristics of Chukar (Alectoris chukar) in the Western United States.}

Native to mountainous parts of Asia, Western Europe, and the Middle East, Chukar were first introduced in North America in 1893 and by 1954 California, Idaho, Nevada, and Washington considered Chukar successfully established. By 1968, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming had established sufficient enough self-sustaining populations that hunting seasons were established.

The project study area extends from Idaho into Utah and Nevada. Chukar have become one of the most popular upland game birds in the West, and the Nevada Division of Wildlife considers Chukars the most popular game bird in the state with Utah following the same trend. Yet, even with an increase in popularity, there is still little known about the species. Aaron’s research hopes to determine basic life history characteristics and determine home range, nesting and brooding habitat, life expectancy, and many other important biological questions.

The SportDOG remote trainers and locating equipment are essential to conducting Aaron’s proposed research. Dogs are used to find Chukar broods and nests in the summer months and the SportDOG equipment is an important asset in controlling the dogs and locating them once they have pointed study birds. Once the dog finds a brood or nest, habitat data is collected to determine vital variables surrounding Chukar use sites.

Turkey Creek Wood Duck Nesting Box Project
SportDOG Brand^{TM recently sponsored and participated in a conservation outreach wood duck nesting box project in Tennessee’s 58-acre Turkey Creek Wetland Area. This area is a unique resource, in that, it is located literally within the shadows of developments and malls in the downtown Farragut area of West Knoxville. The wetland not only hosts a variety of raptors, reptiles, amphibians, songbirds and native flora, but it is an important area for migrating waterfowl such as the North American wood duck.}

Seeing the chance to make a difference in this unique habitat, SportDOG Brand^{TM staff, along with the Turkey Creek Wetland Park Area manager, installed 11 nesting boxes at strategic locations. One consideration during the placing of the boxes was to reduce nest dumping. Nest dumping may occur when wood duck hens attempt to optimize as many of the nesting opportunities within a given area as possible, but are only able to successfully incubate a single nest. Therefore, it was important that boxes were strategically placed so that box entrances were not viewable from each other. Installed nesting boxes will need to be monitored prior to nesting season in order to discourage non-target species from utilizing the boxes.}

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Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever Sponsorship SportDOG Brand^{TM is proud to support Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as their organization's exclusive e-collar sponsor. SportDOG BrandTM supports conservation organizations like Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever with product donations, in-kind services, and as a forum for furthering Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's conservation message. Through its support of established conservation organizations, fledgling conservation groups and participation in local “on the ground” habitat improvement projects, to name just a few of its initial commitments, SportDOG BrandTM is committed to giving something back to the causes that its customers and employees care about.}