NORTHERN BOBWHITE HABITAT USE AND SURVIVAL ON A SOUTH-CAROLINA PLANTATION DURING WINTER

Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) were radiotagged and monitore d to investigate habitat use and the impacts of hunting on survival in winter. The study was conducted November-March, 1991-1992 in 3 separa te study areas of the Ashepoo Plantation in the South Carolina coastal plain. We used a computer program that integrates analysis of radiote lemetry data with a geographic information system to determine habitat preference and avoidance. The Kaplan-Meier method with staggered desi gn was used to calculate survival estimates for 71 radiotagged bobwhit es representing 15 coveys. Little habitat preference was observed in c ovey home-range habitat compared with the plantation cover types. Sele ction within covey home ranges showed a general preference for agricul tural fields and little preference for pine habitat. No significant di fference in survival was found among study sites. Survival of bobwhite s in hunted coveys was significantly tower than in nonhunted coveys. P redation was a significant mortality factor on 1 study site and indica ted that hunting might be noncompensatory in late winter.