Bleier N., Hámori K., Kotán A., Márkus M., Terhes A. és Szemethy L.: A mezőgazdasági vadkár tér- és időbeli alakulása nagyvadas élőhelyeken. (Spatio-temporal dynamics of agricultural damages caused by big game in corn fields.) Game damages caused in agricultural field are one of the most characteristics problem of game management. In this study we analyzed this problems from two points of view: 1) Is there any relationships between the spatial distribution of damages and the distance to forests? 2) Are damages influenced by the phenological phase of crops? Our study was carried out in two different game management areas (Sükösd and Segesd). Sampling sites were located in corn fields and were organized in accordance with the phenology of corn. On average 1500 sample points were taken in each occasion. According to our findings, damages are significantly higher in field edges compared to the core of corn fields. The spatial distribution of damages are strongly influenced by the distance to the forests. Number of damaged sample plots exponentially declined as a function of the distance to the forest edges. The damages increased with ageing of corn plants probably as a consequence of the increasing amount of food offered by the individual plants. This can be connected to the development of corncobs when the available food is also increased. Corn in the milk stage was the most preferred by ungulates. Based on this study we could characterize the different damage forms by the ungulates species. Bleier N., Bíró Zs., Katona K. és Szemethy L.: Adatok a gímszarvas mezőgazdasági területhasználatának jellemzéséhez. (Data on the space use of red deer in agricultural areas.) We studied the importance of agricultural lands in the space use of red deer. The study site is located in south Transdanubia, and it is characterized by long and narrow forest patches directly joining to agricultural lands. Mostly corn were cultivated on these lands. The radio collared deer from the end of spring to mid-autumn gradually shifted their home ranges to agricultural lands. This was especially well expressed between August and October. Home range shift from the forest was not great, indicating that the forests are prime red deer habitats and the agricultural lands do not satisfy their all requirements. It can be assumed that during the plant growing season the forest and its surrounding zone is an increased habitat opportunistically used by red deer.
Bleier N., Katona K., Bíró Zs., Szemethy L. és Székely J.: A vadföldek, a kiegészítő takarmányozás, a sózók és a dagonyák jelentősége nagyvadgazdálkodásban. (Importance of game plots, salt stations, muddy pools and complementary feeding in big game management.) Presently, the profitability of large game management is rather fluctuating and possibilities to increase incomes are limited. On this basis, a study became necessary to review the necessity and effectiveness of expenses. We have little scientific knowledge about the efficiency of cultivating game plots and supplementary feeding. In this study we examined the importance of game plots, supplementary feeding, salt stations and muddy pools. The results of the studies allowed us to suggest that, although game plots, salt stations and muddy pools are quite important for large game, the use of these areas was not so intensive than we expected from the "classical hunting literature". Game plots of the study area seemed to be the most important for red deer. Wild boar and roe deer used these areas at a surprisingly low level compared to their estimated number. Moreover, even in the case of red deer, the use of game plots was significant only in summer and autumn. The basic aim of establishing these plots is to serve the mating season, as the main part of incomes comes in during that season. We also found significant preference of deer for the shrubby areas, which supports the results of our earlier surveys. We suggest a sustainable and causal treatment of the understory considering the game management. The plants produced in game plots and supplementary feeding just complete the natural food resources either in quality or in quantity. We recommend elaborating a cost efficient strategy of game plot cultivation which tries to optimize the interests of wildlife and game management considering our recent results, as well. Csányi S., Lehoczki R., Schally G., Bleier N. és Sonkoly K.: Az őz élőhely-használata alföldi, mezőgazdasági környezetben. (Habitat use of roe deer in agricultural habitats in the Great Plain, Hungary.) Roe deer are the commonest big game in Hungary occurring from forests to intensively used large-scale agricultural habitats. In order to reveal the seasonal space and habitat use of roe deer we started a radio-telemetry study in 2001/2002 winter and since that time we marked 39 roe deer by radio collars. The study area is located in central part of Hungary (Great Plain), covered with arable lands, typically used for intensive crop production with large field sizes (>100 ha). In this paper we present the results concerning habitat preference of 6 roe deer followed at least for 3 consecutive
years. Our findings show that the most important crops are less important for roe deer as they did show weak or no preference for them. Marked preferences were found for edge habitats and linear landscape structures (e.g., tree lines, water ditches with reed cover, abandoned bushes, pit holes). These preferences were clearly indicated in roe bucks especially during the territorial period. The positive relationships with linear landscape structures can be connected to their importance in the establishment, marking, and defense of territorial borders. Szőcs E., Lanszki J., Heltai M. és Szabó L.: A hullaték-analízis és a gyomortartalom elemzés összehasonlítása vörös róka táplálkozás vizsgálata során. (Comparison the results of scat analysis and stomach content analyis in red fox.) We examined 98 stomach and/or rectum and 295 scat samples of red foxes from three small game management units (Karcag, Abádszalók, Jászárokszállás). Our aim was to compare the two main methods used for estimating the feeding habits of predators, the stomach- and the scat- analysis. Both methods showed, that the main food sources of the red fox on every area were the small mammals, the relative frequency of occurence was at least 70%. The fewest hare was consumed in Karcag, and the most in Jászárokszállás. In case of the pheasant the fewest was consumed in Jászárokszállás, and the most in Abádszalók. These results were also proven by both methods. House animals (pig, cat, or chicken) were only found in the stomach samples. Comparing the results of different methods with chi -test there was no significant difference in the diet of foxes on the three areas. Comparing the results of the two methods on each area we found significant differences in every case. The cause of the differences must be the low number and the irregular collectings of the stomach samples. Our results show, that in case of a general diet composition estimation the scat analysis is suggested, due to it's advantages (for example the high number, easily collected, regular - seasonal - samples). If a detailed estimation of diet composition is needed the stomach-analysis is required too as a suplement method, because the consumed species could be identified easier (like: house animals, or bacon that does not have an indigestable remnant in the scat). But in case of a stomach-analysis a regular, seasonal sample collection is necessary for a closer result. Majzinger I.: Őzállomány-szabályozás számítógépes modell segítségével. (Planning roe deer harvest with the help of a spreadsheet model.)
The base of the population regulation is to have appropriate information about population density and structure (sex ratio, age structure). In practise the achievement of the certain target populatin is mostly difficult because of the lack of reliable data and trend information. With the help of the presented spreadsheet model one can easily simulate the action required to reach a target population. The model allows to track the effects of changes in parameters. The model can also be used in education because students can easily uderstand the logic, causes and relationships of changes in a game population. Szabó L., Heltai M. és Lanszki J.: A Tisza, mint zöld folyosó szerepe az aranysakál magyarországi terjedésében. (River Tiscia as a green corridor in the spread of golden jackal in Hungary.) The most numerous jackal population of Europe lives in The Balkans, from where it noticeably started to spread north- and westwards from the beginning of the 70s, probably along valleys of River Danube and other rivers. In Hungary spontaneous and intensive resettlement started at the southern border-land in the 1990s. The migration supposedly happened across River Drava from Croatia. According to our assumption, the direction of their fast spreading, typical for invasive species tend to north, jackal use mainly river valleys and galleries. The aim of our study was to test a hypothesis, whether River Tiscia functioning as green corridor for spreading of jackal. We used two methods, 1. collection of proof specimens and 2. monitoring the spreading of the jackal using acoustic method. Four proof specimens from the central part of our hypothetical green corridor, River Tiscia were collected. By acoustic survey we registered four individuals or packs in the region of Tiszakécske, Lakitelek and Csongrád, during three survey periods (autumn of 2004, spring and autumn of 2005). New and momentous reproduction area north- and east from Bács-Kiskun have not yet known. However registered sporadic packs and proof individuals support the spreading of the jackal. We suppose the spreading route in the direction of north- and eastwards are River Tiscia and its valleys and flood-basins of tributary streams. Tóth L., Papp S., Palatitz P. és Széll A.: Rádiós képtovábbító rendszer alkalmazása barna rétihéja fészkelésének vizsgálatánál. (A wireless camera-videorecorder system for monitoring reproduction of marsh harrier.) We used a wireless camera-videorecorder system to study the reproduction of Marsh Harrier
during the parental care period. During the 2003 breeding season nest visits of parents was continuously recorded over a three weeks period at a brood with four young from early morning to late evening using a transmitter-receiver video system (working on 2.4 GHz band width). The picture of the middle effect colour CCD camera got a transmitter through on a 50 m long cable, and the 12V voltage was similarly supplied. This voltage was necessary to operate both the camera and the transmitter. We sent the signal to about 1 km distance to a building supported with 230V. We saved the (composite) video signal with a videorecorder (Pal-VHS system) in extra-play operation over 12 hours a day. Controlling the picture of the camera was made possible through a monitor connected to the recorder. The camera head was in a rainproof metal box, covered by plant material. We placed the camera after the eggs hatched to 1 m distance from the nest. The observation system disturbed neither the adults nor the young as putting out the camera nest visits of parents happened in half an hour without showing any strange behaviour. We marked the nestlings with different coloured wingtags in order to recognize them individually. We analysed more than 130 hours of observation. A total of 205 feeding visits were recorded when parents brought food items. 60% of the visits were made by the male, while 40% by the female. 101 out of the 205 visits (combined for both parents) happened between 9 am. and 13 pm., while the rest (104 visits) belonged to the other 12 hours of the day. Parents brought 205 prey items to the nest. The proportion of main food types are as follows: lizards and frogs 46%, small rodents 22%, other mammals 2%, birds 15%, indet. spp. 15%. We compared the composition of nestling diet between the above results and those based on collecting food remains (e.g. pellets, feathers, bones) of other 16 nests in 2003. We found the most considerable difference in the proportion of frogs and lizards. That prey type dominated the food of the camera-observed brood with 46 % while that was represented by only 2-3% in the diet of the other broods. This difference indicates that food composition estimated by collecting food remains from nests might be biased (that prey type can be found as a surplus food in the nest, because young eat them in a whole and there may be no visible remains of that in the pellet). Thus frogs and lizards may be an important food type for the Marsh Harrier especially in low vole years (as was the case in 2003). Giczi E. és Egri B.: Helyzetkép a magyar gímszarvas- és őzállomány Fascioloides magna - fertőzöttségéről (2003-2004). (Current situation of fascioloidosis of red deer and roe deer in Hungary (2003-2004).)
The giant liver fluke (Fascioloides magna, Bassi, 1875) was first detected in a Hungarian red deer shot in 1994 and has become extensive up to date. We investigeted the infection of roe deer and red deer by Fascioloides magna in Hungary in 2003 and 2004. The mean-prevalence among red deer in 1997 was 72% in Szigetköz region, which decreased to 40-50% in the last two years. Medicated forages, that contained triklabendazol and levamizol was given to roe deer in Szigetköz region. The shooting area, Karapancsa (south Hungary) was untreated, that why the prevalence is very high (88,5%) there. The index of disrepancy was low in Karapancsa (D = 0,461), but it was high in Szigetköz region (D = 0,827 and D = 0,851), because the distribution of samples was not uniformed in Szigetköz region. Differences between the data on mean intensity, median intensity and prevalence of the two years were generally not statistically significant. Jánoska F., Gál J. és Marosán M.: Vaddisznós kertben tartott vadmalacok betegségeinek vizsgálata. (Data on the diseases of wild boar piglets kept in a hunting garden.) The authors investigated the occurrence and imporatant of different diseases and parasites in wild boar piglets kept in a hunting garden. On the basis of their findings they give paractical methods to solve this problems in similar hunting enclosures. Marosán M., Török V., Bálint P., Farkas L. és Gál J.: A vadhúst az elejtéstől a vadtároló hűtőig veszélyeztető tényezők elemzése. (Factors influencing the quality of venison from the kill of game to the storage room.) This study analyses the hygienic and microbiological factors influencing venison quality from the kill of game to the storage site.