I am a Hunter
Why should I care about invasive species?
| Cogongrass, an invasive grass from Asia, is considered "the seventh worst weed in the world". This species is wide-spread in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi and is starting to spread in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Cogongrass will displace entire communities of native plants. Native vegetation supports a much wider variety of wildlife than exotic vegetation. The leaves of cogongrass are extremely unpalatable to native wildlife due to the high silica content. Large infestations can become so dense that many smaller animals find it difficult to travel through. Large infestations also diminish quality brood rearing habitat for quail and turkeys. |
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Cogongrass infestation Photo by: Mark Atwater, Weed Control Unlimited, Inc. |
Feral pigPhoto by: Dan Clark, USFWS |
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Feral hogs, although delicious and fun to hunt, can cause a wide variety of problems for hunters in the South. Hogs are omnivores and will eat almost anything, including nests of ground nesting birds, such as turkey and quail. Hogs also directly compete with native wildlife for forage. Acorns, a preferred food of hogs, are a significant part of the diet of deer, bear, turkeys and ducks. Hogs are wallowers and rooters; these activities can destroy water holes utilized by other wildlife. Feral hogs have also been shown to spread brucellosis to humans and livestock. |
| Red imported fire ants, as anyone from the South knows, are extremely aggressive and have a powerful sting. Pustules that result from fire ant stings are irritating and can cause permanent scarring. Ground nesting birds, such as quail and turkey, are also greatly impacted by the presence of the red imported fire ant. Fire ants have been shown to attack bird and reptile eggs, juveniles, and adults. Red imported fire ants have been shown to reduce bobwhite quail chick survival and, in one study, 38% of chick deaths were attributed to fire ant stings. |
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 red imported fire ant Photo by: April Noble, Antweb.org |
 laurel wilt Photo by: Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service |
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Redbay trees are extremely important to wildlife of the South. Deer eat the fruit and leaves. Fruit are eaten by turkey and quail. A high rate of mortality in redbay trees has been reported in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. The cause of the mortality was linked to a fungus (Ophiostoma sp.) that is carried by the redbay ambrosia beetle, an exotic beetle from Asia. New trees can also be infected by the movement of infected wood to new areas. Once a tree is infected it will wilt and die in a few weeks to months. The beetles and fungus also affect sassafras trees. |
I am a hunter. What can I do to help prevent the spread of invasive species?
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Written by Carey Minteer, Invasive Plant Species Program Coordinator, The University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
This publication based on: Midwest Invasive Plant Network. 2008. Why should I care about invasive plants? How invasive plants impact hunting, fishing, boating, gardening, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and other recreational activities in the Midwest. From MIPN.org/InvasivesBrochure.pdf.
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