2025 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference

2025 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference

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7:00am CST

Continental Breakast with Exhibitors Grand Foyer (4th Floor) Conference Registration Desk Open Grand Coatroom (4th Floor)

8:00am CST

Fisheries Track: Conserving "native rough fish" through fisheries management in the Midwest Regency C (2nd Floor)Steve Herrington Fisheries Track: Population Characteristics of Buffalo in Wisconsin: Contribution and Resiliency to Bowfishing Harvest Regency B (2nd Floor)Daniel Isermann S-07: Aggregation for Eradication: An Exploratory Grass Carp Management Strategy in the Upper Mississippi River Regency E (2nd Floor)Max Monfort S-08: Crawfish Frog Conservation in the Midwest Grand B (4th Floor)Nate Engbrecht S-11: Molecular Surveillance of a Potential Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) Invasion in the Midwest United States Grand C (4th Floor)Eric Larson S-13: wdnr.fmdb – A case study of living data in Wisconsin DNR’s Fisheries Management Program Sterling 3 (2nd Floor)Paul Frater S-14: Managing for Resilient Walleye Populations: Avoiding an Ecological Tipping Point Regency A (2nd Floor)Greg Sass S-15: An Overview of the Sustainable Rivers Program Grand A (4th Floor)Heidi Mehl S-16: Migratory Birds and Climate Change: Symposium Opening Remarks Regency D (2nd Floor)Douglas Gorby S-17: The Public’s Perceived Importance and View of Midwest Fish and Wildlife Agencies Regency F (2nd Floor)Lisa Parks S-19: Midwest Landscape Initiative and the Midwest Conservation Blueprint Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Rachael Carlberg S-18: FishCAST: Introducing the North Central Division Fisheries Community Advocacy and Sustainability Team Mills 3 (4th Floor)Brittany Harried

8:20am CST

Fisheries Track: Evaluating Lake Sturgeon Spawning Site Use and the Relative Contribution of Spawning Tributaries to Harvest in the Lake Winnebago System Regency C (2nd Floor)Sam Embersits Fisheries Track: Looking Towards the Future: Individual Identification Tag Exploration on Bigmouth Shiners for use on Small-bodied At-risk Fish in Nebraska Regency B (2nd Floor)Joe Spooner S-07: Fisheries dependent and independent data inform a capture technique for an emerging invasive fish species in the mainstem Mississippi River; Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus Regency E (2nd Floor)Patrick Kroboth S-08: The Status of the Crawfish Frog, Lithobates areolatus, in Kansas Grand B (4th Floor)Daren Riedle S-11: Development of Point-of-Use Detection Tools for Prevention and Control of Red Swamp Crayfish Grand C (4th Floor)Caden Jungbluth S-13: Harmful Algal Blooms, Leveraging Remotely Sensed Data for Timely Decisions and Long-term Understanding Sterling 3 (2nd Floor)Nicholas Sievert S-14: How RAD are Walleye Fisheries at the Southern End of their Range? Regency A (2nd Floor)Melissa Wuellner S-15: Modifying Water Velocities to Promote Lake Sturgeon Spawning Success on the Mississippi River Grand A (4th Floor)Sarah Peper S-16: Climate Science in Service of Migratory Bird Management Regency D (2nd Floor)Olivia Ledee S-17: Is It Working? An Evaluation of a State's R3 Programs Regency F (2nd Floor)Cindy Longmire, PhD S-19: The Five Land Languages: How Differing Perceptions of Place Constrain Conservation Delivery, and What We Can Do About It Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Karl Malcolm

8:40am CST

Fisheries Track: Assessing Age and Incremental Growth Rates in Cedar River Shovelnose Sturgeon through an 18-year Mark-Recapture Dataset Regency C (2nd Floor)Juliana Kaloczi Fisheries Track: Taxonomic and Functional Shifts in Riverine Fish Community Assemblages Across Midwest National Parks Regency B (2nd Floor)Lily Thompson S-07: Development and Assessment of Novel Tools and Techniques for Capture, Deterrence, and Monitoring of Invasive Carp Regency E (2nd Floor)Jesse Fischer S-08: Evaluating the Status of Crawfish Frogs (Rana areolata) in Oklahoma through Frog Call Surveys and Species Distribution Models Grand B (4th Floor)Kaleb Banks S-11: Red Swamp Crayfish Home Range and Movement in an Invaded Lentic Ecosystem Grand C (4th Floor)William Ota S-13: Integrating Long-term Assessment Data to Evaluate Muskellunge Stocking across Wisconsin Inland Lakes Sterling 3 (2nd Floor)Alexander Latzka S-14: Understanding and building resilience in Green Bay walleye populations Regency A (2nd Floor)Daniel Dembkowski S-15: Lake Sturgeon Response to Modified Flows on the Salt River Grand A (4th Floor)Annie Hentschke S-16: Microclimates and Species Life History Differences Inform Climate Vulnerability in a Grassland Songbird Community Regency D (2nd Floor)Benjamin Zuckerberg S-17: Attracting Diverse Participants to School Shooting Sports Programs (Formal Project Title: Youth Shooting Sports Diversity and Engagement) Regency F (2nd Floor)Hiroto Hayashi S-19: Promoting Habitat: Engage, connect, empower and instill an ownership. People protect what they value Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )

9:00am CST

Fisheries Track: If at First You Don’t Succeed: The Evolution of Capture Methods in Great Lakes Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) Control Regency B (2nd Floor)Robert Mapes Fisheries Track: Molecular Sexing of Lake Sturgeon Allows for Determination of Sex Ratios and Sex-Specific Growth Rates in the St. Clair – Detroit River System Regency C (2nd Floor)Andrew Briggs S-07: A New and Innovative Method for Invasive Carp Ichthyoplankton Dispersal Control and Monitoring in Open-River Conditions Regency E (2nd Floor)Ryan Jackson S-08: Current status and future directions for Crawfish Frog conservation in Arkansas Grand B (4th Floor)Amanda Bryant S-11: Habitat Selectivity by Invasive Red Swamp Crayfish Grand C (4th Floor)Sarah Walker S-13: A Long-Term Study of the Impacts of Patch-Burn Grazing with Cattle as a Prairie Management Tool on Remnant Tallgrass Prairie in Missouri Sterling 3 (2nd Floor)Tom Thompson S-14: The Recovery of Saginaw Bay Walleye, a Case Study in Resiliency Regency A (2nd Floor)David Fielder S-15: Assessing the effects of experimental flow releases on Shovelnose Sturgeon spawning in the Des Moines River, Iowa Grand A (4th Floor)McKensie Vaske S-16: Joint Venture Decision Support Tools: Brainstorming Ideas to Account for Climate Change Regency D (2nd Floor)Mohammed Al-Saffar S-17: Attracting New Adult Hunters with Tested Messages and Ideal Media (Formal Project Title: New Hunter Ads for Target Audience) Regency F (2nd Floor)Hiroto Hayashi S-18: Overview of DEIJA and Indigenous relations in AFS Mills 3 (4th Floor)Jory Jonas S-19: Missouri Habitat Strike Teams: Partnering for Collaborative Landscape Conservation Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Megan Buchanan

9:20am CST

Fisheries Track: Alternative Data Sources Predict (Dis)similar Connectivity Networks Among Minnesota Lakes Regency B (2nd Floor)Aaron Muehler Fisheries Track: WITHDRAWN Regency C (2nd Floor) S-07: Effectiveness of an invasive carp underwater acoustic deterrent system at Mississippi River Lock 19 Regency E (2nd Floor)Janice Albers S-08: Status of the Crawfish Frog (Lithobates areolatus) in Missouri Grand B (4th Floor)Jeff Briggler S-11: Influence of Environmental Characteristics on Procambarus clarkii Burrowing in Southeast Michigan Golf Course Waterbodies Grand C (4th Floor)Colin Assenmacher S-13: Incorporating Long-term Fisheries Data to Understand Fish Recruitment in a Dynamic Ecosystem Sterling 3 (2nd Floor)Andrew Foley S-14: Managing Sustainable Walleye Harvest on Lake Erie Regency A (2nd Floor)Travis Hartman S-15: Shovelnose Sturgeon Summer Habitat Selection on the Des Moines River, Iowa Grand A (4th Floor)Daniel Paulson S-16: Predicted Migratory Landbird Response to Climate Change in Texas and Louisiana Regency D (2nd Floor)T.J. Zenzal S-17: Harnessing the Growth in 35–44-Year-Old Participation Regency F (2nd Floor)Lisa Parks S-18: A History of STEM and DEIA: Challenges, Trailblazers, and What the Future Holds Mills 3 (4th Floor)Gweniviere Oubre S-19: Collaborative Conservation for the Next Generation Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Rachael Carlberg

9:40am CST

Fisheries Track: Tracking the Spread of Invasive Mollusks in the Illinois River Watershed Regency B (2nd Floor)Nicholas Iacaruso Fisheries Track: Using Eye Lenses to Identify Rearing Origin of Large, Fingerling Walleye Regency C (2nd Floor)BJ Schall S-07: Deterring Upstream Movement of Invasive Carp in the Kansas River Regency E (2nd Floor)Liam Odell S-08:A Brief History and Status Update of the Northern Crawfish Frog in Iowa Grand B (4th Floor)Paul Frese S-13: Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project: Adapting to change Sterling 3 (2nd Floor)Shelby Timm S-14: Using angler derived data to assess walleye fisheries and resilience Regency A (2nd Floor)Jeff Kopaska S-15: Movement of Pectoral Sandpipers from an Iowa stopover site Grand A (4th Floor)Victoria Fasbender S-16: Navigating Change: Creating Resilient Urban Landscapes for Migratory Birds Regency D (2nd Floor)Abigail Derby Lewis S-17: WAFWA Hunter Personas and Evolutionary Path Regency F (2nd Floor)Lisa Parks S-18: A Systems Approach to DEI Planning at a State Agency Mills 3 (4th Floor)Jory Jonas

10:15am CST

Time and Place DeBrief Meeting (For host team representatives from Missouri (2025) and Indiana (2026) Mills 6 (4th Floor)

10:20am CST

Fisheries Track: Assessing Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) Abundance Dynamics in Tailwater Habitats Using Side-scan Sonar Techniques Regency B (2nd Floor)Adam Jones Fisheries Track: History of Fish Production and Design in North America Regency C (2nd Floor)Matt Cochran S-07: Assessment of Sampling Gears for Adult Invasive Carp in Mid-Order Rivers in Nebraska Regency E (2nd Floor)Brett Anderson S-08: Status of the Crawfish Frog (Lithobates areolatus) in Illinois Grand B (4th Floor)Scott Ballard S-11: Habitat Associations of Invasive Rusty Crayfish and Native Virile Crayfish in a Shallow, Eutrophic Natural Lake Grand C (4th Floor)Dalton Clayton S-14: 40 Years of Walleye Observations in Pool 14 of the Upper Miss. River Regency A (2nd Floor)Jeremiah Haas S-15: USACE Mobile - Improving Fish Passage, Mussel Habitat, and Fish Spawning Habitat Through Modification of Federal Reservoir Operations Grand A (4th Floor)Terry Rickey S-17: Exploring R3 Opportunities in Midwestern State Parks Regency F (2nd Floor)Lisa Parks S-18: Survey Says: We are not meeting the needs of students and ECPs within the NCD Mills 3 (4th Floor)Shaley Valentine S-19: A Partner-Focused Path Forward To Conserve Grasslands and Midwest Communities Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Alex Wright S-16: Moderated Panel Discussion Regency D (2nd Floor)Mohammed Al-Saffar

10:40am CST

Fisheries Track: Bioprogramming: A Tool to Help Guide Hatchery Design into the Modern Era Regency C (2nd Floor)Baylee Thornton Fisheries Track: Evaluating juvenile Grass Carp behavioral responses to sound Regency B (2nd Floor)Christina Mackey S-07: Silver Carp Biomass Estimation Using Low-Cost Consumer-Grade Technology to Inform Management Strategies Regency E (2nd Floor)Josey Ridgway S-08: An Update on the Status and Conservation of Crawfish Frogs (Lithobates areolatus) in Indiana Grand B (4th Floor)Nate Engbrecht S-11: Stress levels of P. Clarkii and F. Rusticus differ along the Chicago River Grand C (4th Floor)John Bieber S-14: Lake Pepin - Perspectives from 60 Years of Annual Monitoring Regency A (2nd Floor)Nick Schlesser S-15: Native Freshwater Mussels in the Allegheny River: Science to Support the Sustainable Rivers Program Grand A (4th Floor)Teresa Newton S-17: Insights from the Offal Wildlife Watching Project: Engaging the Hunting Community to Advance Understanding and Conservation of Scavenger Species at Hunter-Provided Gut Piles Regency F (2nd Floor)Grace Milanowski S-18: Moderated Panel Discussion for FishCAST Symposium Mills 3 (4th Floor)Brittany Harried S-19: Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act: An Underutilized Tool for Conservation Planning Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Rebecca Sloan

11:00am CST

Fisheries Track: Using Side-Scan Sonar and N-Mixture Models to Estimate the Abundance of Invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in the Lamine River, MO Regency B (2nd Floor)Cade Roach Fisheries Track: Variation in Fatty Acid Composition of Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish in Two Central Ohio Reservoirs Regency C (2nd Floor)Steven Gratz S-07: Missouri River Tributary Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) Population Assessment Regency E (2nd Floor)Kellie Hanser S-08: Multiple lines of evidence reveal interspecific hybridization between the Crawfish Frog (Rana areolata) and two sympatric congeners Grand B (4th Floor)Owen Edwards S-11: Parasite-Induced Trophic Cascade via Trait-Mediated Effects on Invasive Crayfish Grand C (4th Floor)Cheyenne Stratton S-14: Devils Lake Walleye: History and Factors Impacting Sustainability. Regency A (2nd Floor)Todd Caspers S-15: Environmental Pool Management on Corps Pools and Reservoirs: A Clear Case for Ecological Benefits Grand A (4th Floor)Lane Richter S-17: Attracting Participants to LearnHunting.org (Formal Project Title: LearnHunting.org Pilot State Marketing) Regency F (2nd Floor)Hiroto Hayashi S-19: Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape – Making Connectivity Progress in a Fragmented Landscape Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Michael Spalding

11:20am CST

Fisheries Track: Enhancing proactive aquatic nuisance species management by developing a standardized risk screening workflow Regency B (2nd Floor)Lindsey LaBrie Fisheries Track: Influence of Thermal Variation on Paddlefish Thermal Tolerance, Recovery and Post-Release Behavior Regency C (2nd Floor)Shasta Kamara S-07: Length-based stock assessments for grass carp in Lake Erie Regency E (2nd Floor)Tammy Wilson S-08: Future headstarting plans for Indiana’s endangered Crawfish frogs Grand B (4th Floor)Blake Klocke S-14: Factors affecting year-class strength of Walleye (Sander vitreus) populations in western irrigation reservoirs Regency A (2nd Floor)Steve Chipps S-15: Sustainable Rivers Program E-Flow and E-Pool Efforts on the Kansas and Osage Rivers Grand A (4th Floor)Marvin Boyer S-17: U.S. and Midwestern Hunting and Fishing Participation Trends via R3 Dashboard Regency F (2nd Floor)Lisa Parks S-19: Development and Implementation of Missouri's Landscape Health Index Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Jon Podoliak

11:40am CST

Fisheries Track: Spatial and Temporal Variation of Invasive Carp Spawning Activity in the Illinois River Basin Regency B (2nd Floor)Braden Whisler Fisheries Track: Understanding fecal microbiome of Pallid Sturgeon Regency C (2nd Floor)Israt Jahan S-07: Limited Catch: The Use of Supplementary Biological Data To Further Develop Our Understanding Of Lake Erie Grass Carp Regency E (2nd Floor)Dillon Weik S-08: Management of crawfish frogs (Lithobates areolatus) based on breeding pond manipulation, head starting, and disease implications at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern I Grand B (4th Floor)Joseph Robb S-14: Seeing (bright) spots: Factors related to unexpected walleye success Regency A (2nd Floor)Christopher Rounds S-15: Where Do We Go From Here? - Advancing the Sustainable Rivers Program to New Rivers and Opportunities in the Midwest Grand A (4th Floor)Brian Johnson S-17: Quality Programs Deserve Qualitative Methods Regency F (2nd Floor)Amy Bousman S-19: Planning for Pollinators: How Voluntary Conservation Agreements Can Encourage Landscape-Scale Conservation Sterling 9 (2nd Floor )Catherine O’Reilly