Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 372 Canaan Valley & Environs 2015 Southeastern Naturalist 14(Special Issue 7):372–381 A History of Wildlife Management in Canaan Valley and Environs Walter A. Lesser1,* and Jack I. Cromer1 Abstract - Canaan Valley, a 40-mi2 (104-km2) basin situated about 3200 ft (975 m) above sea level in the mountains of northeastern West Virginia, supports a plant and animal community of largely boreal nature—a relic of the Ice Age. Removal of the original forest and subsequent fires drastically altered Canaan Valley’s flora and fauna. This paper summarizes actions by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WV DNR) to research, manage, and restore several wildlife species, most of which are indigenous to Canaan Valley and its environs. Of particular importance was the WV DNR’s research of Scolopax minor (American Woodcock), the findings of which have had broad management implications and brought national attention to hunting in Canaan Valley. Introduction “This River was Calld Styx from the Dismal apperance of the place Being Sufficen to Strick terror in any human Creature ye Lorals Ivey & Spruce pine so Extremly thick in ye Swamp through which this River Runs that one Cannot have the Least prospect Except they look upwards the Water of the River of Dark Brownish Cooler & its motion So Slow that it can hardly be Said to move its Depth about 4 feet the Bottom muddy & Banks high, which made it Extremly Difficult for us to pass the most of the horses when they attemp’d to ascend the farthest Bank tumbling with their loads Back in the River.” (Lewis 1746 in Wayland 1925) Those words, describing a crossing of the headwaters of the Blackwater River in Canaan Valley (hereafter, the Valley), were taken from Thomas Lewis’s Journal of 1746, as his party surveyed the southwestern line of Thomas Lord Fairfax’s domain in Virginia. We can only imagine what the Valley’s original forest looked like and the hardships encountered by those early explorers. The Valley has long attracted adventurers, sportsmen, and naturalists due to its wildness, unique presence of northern plants in a mid-latitude setting, and of course, the animals that lived here. The Valley was also described during the mid- 1800s by explorers such as David Hunter Strother and Philip Pendleton Kennedy (Kennedy 1978, Strother 1974). An early settler and hunter, Meshach Browning, generally described the area and countless hunting tales in his autobiography (Browning 1876). In more recent times, sportsmen have been drawn to the Valley in pursuit of Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann (White-tailed Deer; hereafter, Deer), Meleagris gallopavo L. (Wild Turkey), Scolopax minor Gmelin (American Woodcock; hereafter, Woodcock), Bonasa umbellus L. (Ruffed Grouse), and various 1Wildlife Resources Section (both retired), West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, PO Box 67, Elkins, WV 26241. *Corresponding author - wlesser@cebridge.net. Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 373 species of waterfowl and furbearers. Research on Woodcock, conducted by the WV Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) during 1964–1968, helped raise the popularity of hunting this species in West Virginia. This work also brought national attention to the Valley in terms of Woodcock research and hunting. Articles appeared in national magazines, and some books were written about Woodcock hunting in the Valley. A local author, George Bird Evans, devoted an entire book to grouse and Woodcock hunting (Evans 1997), which he had extracted from his gunning diary. Sited at the corner of Thomas Avenue and Third Street in Davis, the Worden Hotel served as a gathering place for hunters from 1927 until it was destroyed by fire. The Hotel even provided a dog kennel for bird hunters to house their gun dogs. Game Species This paper covers wildlife management activities from the 1930s through the 1990s, including efforts to restore White-tailed Deer and Castor canadensis Kuhl (North American Beaver; hereafter, Beaver) populations, as well as research and management projects on several other wildlife and a plant species. White-tailed Deer Deer originally ranged throughout West Virginia, but were nearly extirpated statewide by the early 1900s due to overhunting. As hunting regulations were enacted, game refuges established, law enforcement personnel hired, and restocking initiated, the Deer population was gradually reestablished. Although Deer were never extirpated in Tucker County, in which the Valley sits, eight deer that had been procured from Michigan were released in the Monongahela National Forest near Parsons in January 1930. From 1937 to 1939, a total of 17 more deer were released in the Flat Rock area of Tucker County (DeGarmo 1949). These 25 individuals are the only recorded Deer releases in the county. After Congress passed the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937, which provided funds for states to restore wildlife, the West Virginia Conservation Commission (WVCC) initiated a project entitled “Statewide Wildlife Survey” (W-8-R; Degarmo 1949). One of the survey’s first projects was a study titled “The Ecology and Pre-management of White-tailed Deer”. The Valley was one of 7 places chosen to study the population, life history, and range requirements of Deer. Several methods were used to estimate the Deer population. Observation points and airplane strip counts were unsuccessful. WVCC personnel counted Deer by visual observations from vehicles. Census lines of six-ft (1.8-m) and 11- ft (3.4-m) widths were established and run monthly to count Deer pellet groups. Although population estimate curves were roughly parallel, the 6-ft lines yielded higher counts. Population estimates ranged from 6.2 to 10.9 deer per 100 acres (40 ha) (Degarmo 1949). In 1945, the West Virginia Legislature passed a law providing for permits to kill Deer that were damaging crops. By 1949, such Deer damage became Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 374 critical in Preston and Tucker counties. In the Valley, cauliflower and broccoli growers patrolled fields at night to protect their crops (DeGarmo and Gill 1958). This set the stage for a three-day antlerless Deer season in 1950 in parts of Tucker County. Aging stations were started in 1949 to collect data on the physical characteristics of individuals in the Valley’s burgeoning Deer herd. Measures of body weight, antler beam diameter, number of points, girth measurement, and hindfoot length were collected from about 24,000 deer during the first statewide either-sex Deer season in 1951. Results showed that the Valley’s Deer, which lived in the Allegheny Deer Region of east-central West Virginia, were on average the second largest in the state. North American Beaver The Beaver was almost extirpated from the area now known as West Virginia by 1825 due to trapping by early settlers (Swank 1948a). The species’ gradual comeback started in 1933, when six were released in Beaver Dam Refuge in Randolph County. In 1935, 40 animals were released, with 10 placed in Tucker County. In 1941, Wendell G. Swank conducted “A Beaver Habits Study”, which led to a policy for managing the state’s Beavers. Tucker County was one of seven montane counties included in the study (Swank 1948b). From 1946 to 1948 Swank conducted a Beaver Ecology and Pre-management Study that included life history, ecology, and management of Beaver. In the Valley, Mr. Ben Thompson helped gather data on trapping and primeness of pelts. He also helped form a sound management plan by clearly presenting the viewpoint of a landowner with resident Beaver (Swank 1948a). During the summer of 1962, a graduate student at West Virginia University mapped all of the known Beaver colonies in Tucker County. Beaver colonies were concentrated along the Blackwater River tributaries and in the Red Creek drainage. The Blackwater tributaries supported 32 active Beaver dams; the Red Creek drainage held 55 dams, of which 49 appeared to be active (Berthy 1962). During 1973 and 1974, biologists of the WVDNR’s Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) surveyed Beaver populations in the Valley and adjacent areas. Using a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter, biologists counted the number of winter food caches they could see from the air. The study area held the greatest known Beaver density in the state. The surveys were conducted because of a steady increase in the Beaver harvest, a possible increase in trapping activity in inaccessible areas due to mild winters, and an increased fur value. Also, there was an almost complete lack of knowledge about the status of Beaver populations, and there was hope such surveys would provide a basis for monitoring populations. The technique used was generally the same as that described by Swank and Glover (1948), in which earlier researchers had studied the Valley, except with Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 375 a helicopter rather than a fixed-wing aircraft. With the helicopter, it took about three hours to survey 100 miles (160 km) of stream. Only winter food caches that showed sign of fresh activity were counted. Each food cache was interpreted as one active Beaver colony. They reported 90 and 127 active Beaver colonies per 100 stream-miles (160 stream-km) in 1973 and 1974, respectively. The number of colonies per mile (1.6 km) for the 2-year period was 0.90 and 1.27, respectively— a 40% increase in one year (Lesser 1974). Ondatra zibethicus L. (Muskrat) In an effort to develop a demonstration marshland, in 1948 the WVCC initiated the Muskrat Habitat Development Investigation Project (W-23-R). The study was intended to provide landowners with technical guidelines for establishing Muskrat habitat. The Valley was chosen because its large wet area was unsuitable for agriculture and its water was too shallow for Muskrats. The project was conducted on Mr. Ben Thompson’s land, which was located between the Blackwater River and an old railroad grade. The railroad grade served as a base line with eight ponds and eight ditches laid out in an established pattern. Ponds were built by using gelatin ammonia base dynamite; ditching dynamite was used to construct ditches. The total surface areas of the ponds was 11,832 ft2 (1065 m2) and of the ditches was 8334 ft2 (751 m2), giving the experimental area a total water area of 20,166 ft2 (1816 m2). Water depths were about 3.5 ft (1.1 m) in the ponds and 4 ft (1.2 m) in the ditches. Water level was not controlled. During the project’s development, the site’s primary vegetation was Carex rostrata Stokes (Bottle Sedge). In March of 1949, the fluff of Typha x glauca Godr. (White Cattail) was broadcast over the ponds and ditches. Rhizomes were planted in soil about 6 inches (15.2 cm) beneath the water surface, about 4 ft (1.2 m) apart around the ponds and 6–8 ft (1.8–2.4 m) along the ditches (Uhlig 1951). Although the cattails grew profusely in the summer of 1949, reaching 3 ft (0.9 m) high, Beaver and Muskrats moved into the area and virtually eliminated it by mid-November. In the summer of 1950, numerous cattails again grew but were about 1 ft (0.3 m) shorter than native cattails found elsewhere in the Valley. In the fall of 1950, no fruiting was noted on the cattails, and Muskrats did not use them (Uhlig 1951). The cattail’s failure to fruit was believed to have been due to acidic soil and water (pHs of 4.5–6.0). Although five Muskrats were trapped in the experimental area in 1950, it is believed they were transients. Further studies were proposed for developing more Muskrat marshes in West Virginia. The study ended in 1951. Woodcock Studies of American Woodcock began in the Valley in 1964, when birds were trapped with mist nets and ground traps. In 1966, an intensive banding campaign started with the development and application of a night-lighting method. This technique involved using battery-powered lights and a hand net. Birds were located by biologists walking or riding on a vehicle using a floodlight. The Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 376 spotlight was used to hold the bird until the net was placed over it. This capture technique was described in a paper presented at the Third American Woodcock Workshop at Orono, ME in 1969, and has been used extensively by researchers throughout the species’ range (Rieffenberger and Ferrigno 1969). Since 1965, randomly distributed singing-ground survey routes have been used to determine woodcock breeding in West Virginia. A similar survey was started in the Valley in 1966 to obtain an index of population size and annual changes in the number of breeding males. In 1966 and 1967, based on number of males heard, the annual singing male population in the Valley was estimated to be 146. From 1964 to 1968, a total of 1355 woodcock were captured and banded in the Valley. During the 1966–1969 hunting seasons, 1451 hunters reported killing 2102 woodcock in the Valley (Goudy et al. 1970). Hunter interview data showed that 38% of the hunters were unsuccessful and less than nine percent harvested the daily bag limit of five birds. Based on the numbers banded and reported killed, the Valley’s resident American Woodcock population was estimated to be about 1300 birds. It was believed that this population experienced the species’ most intense hunting pressure in North America (Goudy et al. 1970). A popular bulletin, American Woodcock in West Virginia, was published by the WVDNR in 1976. Lepus americanus Erxleben (Snowshoe Hare) In the winter of 1965–1966, with snow on the ground, field checks were used to map the range of Snowshoe Hares in the state’s eastern, mountainous counties. Snowshoe Hare range extended from the Tucker-Grant County area southward to the Cold Knob area in Greenbrier County. Casual observations were also recorded regarding plants, soil, elevation, snowfall, and predators within the hare’s range. Martes pennanti Erxleben (Fisher) At the turn of the 19th–20th century, the Fisher was believed to be rare in West Virginia. Its last reports had come from high-elevation Picea rubens Sarg. (Red Spruce) forests. There were also reports of Fishers being trapped and their pelts being sold in the 1870s. However, by 1912 the species was believed to be rare or extirpated. At that time, no known fisher populations existed within 300 mi (480 km) of West Virginia. The Fisher was reintroduced into West Virginia during the winter of 1969. An opportunity became available to trade West Virginia Wild Turkeys for New Hampshire Fishers. Twenty-three Fishers were translocated to the following two sites within the Monongahela National Forest: Canaan Mountain in Tucker County and Cranberry Glades in Pocahontas County. Both sites were near locations where Fishers had been known to be abundant (Pack and Cro mer 1981). The Fishers were obtained from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in exchange for turkeys that had been live-trapped by the WVDNR’s WRS. The public was informed of this reintroduction via news releases issued Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 377 by the WRS. This information led to adverse public reaction, including an exaggeration of the animal’s ferocity. Newspaper columns and letters to the editors described aggressive behavior and expressed concerns for livestock and other wildlife. Some even thought Fishers would attack bears and pose a threat to small children. Public criticism subsided when people realized that the animals were not life-threatening and that only rarely were they observed, even after their populations had become established. Public opposition also arose because Wild Turkeys were being removed from the state. The amount of opposition was enough to stimulate legislation prohibiting the introduction of the Fisher and other predators. After the releases, biologists accumulated data on sightings of Fishers and their tracks. In 1975, the WVDNR instituted mandatory checking of harvested Fishers. Initial observations were as expected—near the release sites. A rapid range expansion from Canaan Mountain occurred during 1973–1976. By nine years after the translocations, the Fisher had expanded its range to nearly 20 mi2 (52 km2) (Pack and Cromer 1981). During the five years of 1998–2002, an average of 38 Fishers per year were legally trapped in 13 West Virginia counties. Most observers are excited to see a Fisher or its spoor, knowing that this animal is once again a part of our natural heritage. Even without the rare opportunity of an actual sighting, it is good to know that this native animal has returned to our woodlands. Branta canadensis (L.) (Canada Goose) After establishing a captive flock of Canada Geese on the McClintic Wildlife Station in Mason County, the WVDNR cannon-netted families of flightless geese for relocation elsewhere in the state. Their intent was to see if populations could be established using free-flying birds. The original transplant to the Valley included the release of 18 geese on the Ben Thompson farm, and then, between 1967 and 1971, a total of 72 geese were transplanted from McClintic to various sites in the Valley. The birds were leg-banded; some were fitted with plastic neck collars, bearing double-letter designations for determining movements, population status, and nesting success (Lesser 1982). This was the first successful establishment of nesting Canada Geese in the state, using the process of transplanting free-flying birds. The Valley’s flock quickly established a migratory pattern of leaving the Valley between the end of November and early December, and returning from the Raleigh area of North Carolina during the first 2 weeks of March (Clark 1984). A goose observer from Raleigh was invited to spend a few days at Canaan Valley State Park as a guest of the WVDNR. She and her family spent a short vacation in the Valley seeing “her” geese on their nesting range. Her trip was described with color photos in the Charleston Gazette. In 1976, the WV DNR embarked on a large-scale Canada Goose relocation program using surplus geese from Connecticut and New York state. After these flightless birds were relocated to suitable habitat in West Virginia, they quickly Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 378 established nesting populations. Based on band recoveries at capture sites in New York, less than two percent of the birds that had been moved to West Virginia returned to their point of capture (Clark 1984). In cooperation with a study of the Atlantic Flyway’s Canada Geese, birds in the Valley and elsewhere were captured during their flightless period. In addition to being marked with standard aluminum leg bands, they received soft plastic neck collars. Observations of these marked individuals were conducted on a regular basis. The oldest known bird handled in these banding activities in the Valley was a 17-year-old gander that was originally transplanted from McClintic (Lesser 1982). Lontra canadensis Schreber (North American River Otter; hereafter, Otter) A native species in West Virginia, the population of Otter declined due to loss of habitat and excessive trapping. The last Otter was reported to have been trapped in Tucker County in 1954. In 1976, the WVDNR completed a feasibility study on the reintroduction of the Otter. The report concluded that habitat, water quality, and food sources were suitable and recommended that a translocation effort be started (Allen 1997). The WVDNR toured otter translocation efforts in Pennsylvania and Missouri to learn about potential problems. Wildlife Resources Section trappers were then dispatched to Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia to trap Otters. In exchange for Wild Turkeys, Otters were also obtained from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Otters were captured in soft-catch traps, held in holding facilities for 1–2 weeks, and then transported to West Virginia. Health certificates and shots, which were required for interstate shipment, were completed. From 1984 through early 1997, a total of 245 Otters were released into 14 river systems in West Virginia. Their sex ratio was 137 males to 108 females, or 1.27 males:1 female (Allen 1997). Sixteen of these Otters were released in Tucker County: Shaver’s Fork River received 9 in 1996, Dry Fork River five in 1996, and Cheat River at Holly Meadows 2 in 1997. Based on sightings, sign, and trap mortalities, the Otter has been successfully translocated into the Mountain State (Allen 1997). Alder Plantings Using various species of plants, WVDNR biologists tried to revegetate old “beaver burn” areas—locations where all of the woody vegetation of these areas had been removed by Beavers, either directly or by flooding. In the Valley, one plant that was successfully established was Alnus rugosa (Du Roi) R.T. Clausen (Speckled Alder). The WVDNR collected alder cones in November and transferred the material to state forestry personnel at the then-active Parsons State Forest Nursery for preparation and planting. The seeds were cleaned, stratified, and planted the following spring. Germination was good, and the seedlings were grown in seedbeds until they were 2 years old. Removed as 2/0 planting stock, Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 379 they were large and were severely topped and root-pruned. The phrase “2/0 planting stock” means plants that were raised in their seedbed for two years followed by zero years in a transplant bed. This stock was planted at various sites in the Valley, Monongahela National Forest, and Handley Wildlife Management Area in Pocahontas County. The Valley planting site was an area called the “Potato Field”, sited along an old logging railroad grade south of Camp 70. The plants were spaced about 8 ft (2.4 m) apart in plowed furrows. On this site, with its light competition, the 2/0 stock achieved satisfactory success. One of the tractor drivers, bored with planting in straight rows, spelled out “Woodcock” with the plow. The furrows in the form of letters were planted with alders. To this day, “Woodcock” can be seen from the air. Hunter Access To assist hunters and other forest users, the WVDNR built 75 turnouts and small campsites along the Canaan Mountain Loop Road. Each site was marked with a wooden numbered sign and mowed annually. To encourage hunters to use the Valley’s remote areas, foot trails were built and maintained. For example, the Breathed Mountain Trail was constructed from the Stonecoal Run Trail head to the Red Creek Trail on Cabin Mountain. Although this trail lies within the Dolly Sods Wilderness, it was built before wilderness designation. To access the Stonecoal Trail, a footbridge was constructed by the WVDNR across Red Creek. This bridge defied engineering principles due to its long double span with a concrete pier built on a single round boulder in the center of the stream. It was dismantled, with difficulty, when the Dolly Sods Wilderness was designated. Pothole and Waterhole Development Recognizing that woodland potholes attract waterfowl, furbearers, and other forms of wildlife, biologists tried various ways to develop such features in normally dry habitats. Although bulldozers were used effectively, poor access and wet soils often limited their use. Blasting with dynamite was also used with some success, but it proved expensive in return for the amount of newly opened water. A technique involving the use of ammonium nitrate fertilizer as a blasting agent had been recently developed for improving waterfowl habitat in marshes. Realizing that this method might prove worthy for developing small ponds for waterfowl and upland game species, a coal-mine explosives technician was contacted for the experimental detonation of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to create a small waterhole. Following a successful detonation, the WV DNR received technical assistance and materials from the Austin Powder Company and were trained to use an ammonium nitrate-fuel oil (AN/FO) mixture as a blasting agent. Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 380 To experiment with materials and train personnel, a site was selected at the head of the South Prong of Red Creek on the Allegheny Front Mountain. Various small potholes were blasted using 150 pounds (68 kg) or more of AN/FO. Ditches were dug using up to half a short ton (0.45 tonne) of the blasting agent. Small waterholes were blasted, primarily to improve habitat for Wild Turkeys, using 75 to 100 pounds (34–45 kg) of AN/FO. Along with the development of forest openings, the water-source projects were generally done on Allegheny and Canaan mountains as a means of managing habitat for Wild Turkeys. Acknowledgments Much of this work reflects the cooperation among the Valley’s landowners, USDA Forest Service, and the State of West Virginia. Our gratitude is extended to these people and agencies. Because of their willingness and personal interest, considerable knowledge and developments have been accomplished to ensure healthy wildlife populations for generations to come. The authors especially recognize Mr. Ben Thompson, now deceased, who generously offered his property for wildlife projects and whose interest in wildlife was always a high priority. Literature Cited Allen, T.J. 1997. River Otter translocation and status. Final Report, P-R Project W- 48-R-13. WV DNR, Charleston, WV. 10 pp. Berthy, W. 1962. Report of Beaver dam investigations. Supplement to P-R Project W- 37-R-6, Job B. WV DNR, Charleston, WV. 14 pp. Browning, M. 1876. Forty-four years of the life of a hunter; being reminiscences of Meshach Browning, a Maryland hunter (revised and illustrated by G. Stabler in 1883). J.B. Lippincott and Co., Philadelphia, PA. 400 pp. Clark, K.E. 1984. Evaluation of the Canada Goose transplant program in West Virginia, 1982–1984. Final Report, P-R Project W-47-R. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Charleston, WV. 84 pp. DeGarmo, W.R. 1949. A White-tailed Deer study. Final Report, W-8-R, Phase B, Statewide Wildlife Survey. West Virguinia Conservation Commission, Charleston, WV. 184 pp. DeGarmo, W.R., and J. Gill. 1958. West Virginia White-tails. Bulletin of the Conservation Commission of West Virginia, Charleston, WV, vol. 4. 87 pp. Evans, G.B. 1997. Grouse and Woodcock in the Blackwater/Canaan: Sixty days in a gunner’s paradise. Kay and G.B. Evans, Old Hemlock, WV. 137 pp. Goudy, W.H., R.C. Kletzly, and J.C. Rieffenberger. 1970. Characteristics of a heavily hunted woodcock population in West Virginia. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference 35:183–195. Kennedy, P.P. 1978. The Blackwater Chronicle. McClain Printing Co., Parsons, WV. 223 pp. Lesser, W.A. 1974. Aerial Beaver census. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Charleston, WV. 2 pp. Lesser, W.A. 1982. A summary of West Virginia’s Canada Goose relocation program. WV Division of Natural Resources, Charleston, WV. 4 pp. Pack, J.C., and J.I. Cromer. 1981. Reintroduction of Fisher in West Virginia. Worldwide Furbearer Conference Proceedings (Frostburg MD) 2:1431–1442. Southeastern Naturalist W.A. Lesser and J.I. Cromer 2015 Vol. 14, Special Issue 7 381 Rieffenberger, J.E., and F. Ferrigno. 1969. Woodcock banding on the Cape May Peninsula, New Jersey. Third American Woodcock Workshop, University of Maine, Orono ME, 30 June–2 July 1969. Strother, D.H. 1974. Porte Crayon Sampler. Jim Comstock (Editor and Publisher), Richwood, WV. 531 pp. Swank, W.A. 1948a. Beaver ecology and management in West Virginia. Final Report, P-R Project W-16-R. West Virginia Conservation Commission, Charleston, WV. 70 pp. Swank, W.A. 1948b. Report on Beaver habits study. P-R Project W-16-R. WV Conservation Commission, Charleston, WV. 91 pp. Swank, W.G., and F.A. Glover. 1948. Beaver censusing by airplane. Journal of Wildlife Management 12. 214 pp. Uhlig, H.G. 1951. Muskrat habitat development investigation. Final Report, P-R Project W-23-R. WV Conservation Commission, Charleston, WV. 18 pp. Wayland, J.W. 1925. The Fairfax Line, Thomas Lewis’s journal of 1746. Pp. 29–30, In A.T. McClinton (Ed.). The Fairfax Line, a Historic Landmark. Shenandoah County Historical Society, Edinburg, VA. Commercial Press, Stephens City, VA. 88 pp.