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The Need To Address Black-Backed Jackal And Caracal Predation In South Africa, David L. Bergman, Ho De Waal, Nico L. Avenant, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Michael C. Marlow, Dale L. Nolte

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Prior to 1990, the four provincial governments of South Africa had a variety of programs in place to manage predation by black-backed jackals and caracals through lethal and nonlethal management in close cooperation with livestock farmers. During the 1990s the official programmes were phased out due to a multitude of factors including lower predation rates. Today, thousands of livestock (primarily sheep and goats, but also cattle and wildlife) are lost each day in South Africa due to black-backed jackal and caracal predation. The actual numbers are not known because not all losses are accounted or reported. It also does not …

Numerically Common, Functionally Rare: Difficulties In Detecting Urban Coyotes For Population Monitoring, Daniel A. Bogan, Paul D. Curtis, Geriann F. Albers

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

When monitoring wildlife for research and management, researchers must cope with methodological limitations associated with idiosyncrasies of animal behavioral ecology and operational constraints. In addition to wildlife behavioral limitations, urban lands present hurdles to researchers because of fragmentation of land ownership, and limited access to land parcels, which may preclude appropriate sampling strategies. Across the coyote's (Canis latrans) range, it is difficult to detect animals for robust, yet inexpensive population monitoring. We tested the efficacy of howling surveys to estimate coyote presence in an urbanized landscape, Westchester County, New York. This was an inexpensive, non-invasive sampling technique that …

Alabama Wildlife Damage Management Website, J. Armstrong, D. Hesterman, M. Smith

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Alabama population growth rates have begun to soar in the last decade. A surge of new communities now exist where wildlands once stood; bringing humans into unexpected and unwanted wildlife encounters. Increasingly, citizens look to state agencies to remove unwanted animals that cause property damage or are perceived to be a threat to humans. While state agencies can provide assistance in some cases, they are not equipped to dispatch personnel to meet every individual's need. The Alabama Wildlife Damage Management website is presented as a resource for citizens to learn solutions for common wildlife damage problems in our area, learn …

Behavioral Ecology And Management Of Suburban Coyotes In Westchester County, New York, D. Bogan, P. Curtis, G. Batcheller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The coyote (Canis latrans) is now established as a relatively common inhabitant of nearly all landscapes in the northeastern United States. However, the ecology and management of this larger, mid-sized carnivore in urban areas is poorly understood, and creates much uncertainty for residents and wildlife managers alike. Detailed behavioral ecology studies are important to understand the role of the coyote in urbanized landscapes and their interactions with humans. We are studying the behavioral ecology of coyotes in Westchester County, N.Y., a predominantly urban county directly north of New York City. We investigated the diet of coyotes through trail-based …

Managing Meadow Vole Damage On A Natural Area Restoration Site, R. Collins, L. Humberg, G. Witmer, H. Forgione, J. Mclaughlin

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) can cause extensive damage to nursery and orchard plantings when food is scarce. Historically, significant research has been devoted to managing vole populations in agricultural or horticultural settings. Restoration of a former New York City municipal landfill to a native ecosystem has been hampered due to expanding vole populations. Due to location and sensitivity of the site, traditional methods of managing vole populations were restricted. In the fall of 2008 zinc phosphide-treated oats were applied to the site using PVC bait stations. Snap-trapping efforts indicate that the use of bait stations and zinc phosphide …

Fostering Greater Professionalism With Firearms In The Wildlife Arena, Joe N. Caudell, Ben C. West, Bob Griffin, Keith Davis

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife biologists often use firearms in a professional capacity. However, few wildlife professionals receive in-depth or specialized training in the use of firearms. Other professionals who use firearms in the course of their duties (i .e., law enforcement or the military) receive extensive training appropriate to the level of their intended use. But, in general, there are no such requirements or recommendations for wildlife professionals. In addition, the information that is often available regarding firearm selection, maintenance, and use, terminal ballistics on various species of wildlife, humaneness of shot placement, and other aspects related to the use of firearms on …

Suburban Coyote Management And Research Needs: A Northeast Perspective, Paul D. Curtis, Daniel A. Bogan, Gordon Batcheller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Several factors may be responsible for increasing predator abundance in suburbia. These include an enhanced forage base associated with residential sprawl, and protection of predator species that were once persecuted and suppressed by hunters, trappers, and landowners. In the Northeast, anecdotal reports of coyotes (Canis latrans) killing pets in backyards are on the rise. The bulk of coyote complaints, concerns, and questions received from the public by state wildlife agencies are from areas with high human populations. Scant research exists on coyote behavioral ecology in human-altered landscapes. Biologists and managers need to understand changes in the social structure …

Overview Of The First Use Of Gps 1991/Gis 1992 During A Wyoming Skunk Rabies Epizootic, Craig A. Ramey, Kenneth H. Mills, Marshall Robin

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are one of the most important reservoirs of wildlife rabies on the Great Plains of North America. During a skunk rabies epizootic in a previously rabies-free area of northwestern Wyoming, we studied the spread of rabies from the index case occurring in 1988 until the Shoshone River epizootic ended in 1993. All specimens were sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory for Fluorescent Antibody Testing for rabies. The goal of federal, state, county, and local agencies was to address the public's fear about the health and safety of humans and animals. Following several rabid …

Ecology Of Coyotes In Urban Landscapes, Stanley D. Gehrt, Max Mcgraw

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have become common in many metropolitan areas across the United States. Recent research has focused on the urban ecology of coyotes to better our understanding of how they exist in urbanized landscapes. I summarize findings from a variety of ecological studies of coyotes in or near metropolitan areas, and focus on three areas of coyote ecology: survival rates, home range/activity, and food habits. Most studies have reported relatively high survival rates (annual S = 0.62 - 0. 74), with vehicle collisions often a common cause of mortality. Size of coyote home ranges (mean home range …

Coyotebytes.Org: A New Educational Website, Robert M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A web site, www.CoyoteBytes.org, has been developed as a tool to provide science­ based management recommendations to homeowners and municipal officials on methods to reduce conflicts with coyotes (Canis latrans) in urban and suburban areas. Such conflicts include aggression toward or attacks on children and adults; attacks on pet dogs and cats; attacks on hobby animals, such as poultry, sheep, and goats; and damage to drip irrigation systems, garden crops, and to other resources. In addition to providing information, the website allows individuals to upload photos or video clips of urban and suburban coyotes, and to submit first­hand …

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Colony Dynamics In South Dakota Over A 10-Year Period, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Howard P. Tietjen, James F. Glahn, Greg L. Schenbeck, Jean Bourassa

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Between 1968 and 1978, aerial photography was used to monitor distribution of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies on a 400-square mile area in South Dakota, including parts of Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and Badlands National Monument (now Badlands National Park). Aerial photographs were taken of the study area in 1968 and annually from 1974 through 1978 at a scale of 1:20,000 (1968) and 1:15,840 (1974-1978). Prairie dog colonies were identified on the photographs, outlined, and the outline transferred to USGS topographic maps for colony size measurements. This technique reliably detected changes in prairie …

In-Burrow Application Of Rozol To Manage Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Charles D. Lee, Philip S. Gipson, Jeff J. Wilson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Our experiment demonstrated that black-tailed prairie dogs(Cynomys ludovicianus) will consume rodenticide underground in their burrows. We demonstrated the efficacy of Rozol Pocket Gopher Bait containing the active ingredient chlorophacione (0.005%) 21 days post treatment for managing black-tailed prairie dogs in their burrows in Kansas. Active prairie dog burrows were reduced 90% when 54 grams of Rozol was placed in the burrow without prebaiting. Results indicate use of this toxicant when placed in the burrow can be an effective means of managing prairie dogs. In-burrow application of rodenticides for black-tailed prairie dog management should markedly reduce exposure of birds …

Badger Movement Ecology In Colorado Agricultural Areas After A Fire, Craig A. Ramey, Jean B. Bourassa

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

While investigating the American badger (Taxidea taxus) in eastern Colorado' s wheatlands, we studied 3 badgers which were affected by a 2.1 km² man-made fire and compared them to 2 adjacent badgers unaffected by the fire. All badgers were equipped with radio-telemetry collars and generally located day and night for approximately 1 month pre-fire and 3 weeks post-fire. Three point triangulation locations were converted into a global information system database. Adaptive kernel analyses compared pre- and post-fire horizontal: home ranges (i.e. 95% utilization areas, UAs), core activity areas (50% UAs), movements, den and habitat use patterns. Mean …

The Ecology Of New World Rodent Borne Hemorrhagic Fevers, Darin S. Carroll, Emily Jentes, James N. Mills

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Few, if any, human settlements are free of peridomestic rodent populations. The threat of rodent borne zoonotic diseases has been widely recognized since the bubonic plague outbreaks of the Middle Ages. In the last decades, outbreaks of human disease caused by the rodent borne hemorrhagic fever viruses, the arenaviruses (family Arenaviridae), and the hantaviruses (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus) have again generated interest in the general public and scientific community regarding the biology of these types of diseases. Recent studies have identified more than 30 new members of these two groups of viruses. Most are associated with rodents in the family …

The Use Of Border Collies In Avian And Wildlife Control Programs, Nicholas B. Carter

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Airports attract large numbers of wildlife primarily because they offer immense tracts of foraging and nesting habitats free from the threat of predation. Border collies can serve as an effective means of wildlife control in these environments by introducing a predator into the ecosystem. Many wildlife dispersal methods seek to imitate predators or the effect of predators and become increasingly ineffective as wildlife habituate to the stimuli. However, border collies are true predators, representing an actual, not perceived, threat to wildlife thereby eliminating the problems of habituation. Six airports and military bases have initiated use of border collies at their …

Wildlife Damage In The Suburbs: Conflicts In A Human-Wildlife Landscape, Rebecca Field

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The sprawling communities surrounding cities pose a paradox for wildlife. Suburban habitat, with parks, greenways, and planned open spaces, provide attractive habitat with abundant resources for some wildlife species. Yet the landscape is dominated by human activities and disturbances. Species with little tolerance for human disturbance and habitat changes have difficulty maintaining their populations in suburban environments. Yet more adaptable species flourish in suburban areas where there are less predators, increased food resources, and abundant habitat for cover and raising young. The resulting overabundant wildlife populations pose increasing problems for biologists, wildlife damage practitioners, and the public. Management of urban …

Attempted Relocation Of A Ring-Billed Gull Roost At Washington National Airport, Jessica Dewey, Martin Lowney

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Gulls, particularly ring-billed gulls [Larus delawarensis], have been identified as a threat to aircraft operations at Washington National Airport (now Ronald Reagan National Airport) in northern Virginia. Through bird surveys conducted in 1992, 1993, and 1997, an estimated 7,000 gulls were observed roosting during winter on the Potomac River near the airport. A harassment program was run on 5 consecutive evenings, 24-28 February 1997, to relocate the roosting gulls. Six to 8 people shot pyrotechnics from shore and 2 boats for 2 hours prior to dusk each evening. Each evening the gulls arrived consistently later than the prior …

Bird Abundance At Accomack County Southern Landfill, Melfa, Virginia, In Relation To Various Management Activities, Laura Francoeur, Martin Lowney

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Birds, especially gulls (Larus spp.), are attracted to landfills, and when landfills are close to airports, birds can pose a threat to aircraft safety. We conducted a 1-year ecological study to address concerns of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Accomack County, Virginia, officials over potential wildlife hazards caused by the Accomack County Southern Landfill. During 48 surveys conducted from December 1995 to December 1996, we observed 112,693 birds at the landfill (x̄=503). Nine species represented 97% of all observations. Bird numbers varied during the year, increasing during winter and declining during summer. Bird abundance appeared unaffected by …

Effects Of A Bird Hazard Reduction Force On Reducing Bird/Aircraft Strike Hazards At The Atlantic City International Airport, Nj., Andrew J. Montoney, H. Christopher Boggs

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Bird-aircraft strikes at the Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) increased from 18 in 1989 to 37 in 1990. The number of bird-aircraft strikes involving gulls (Larus spp.) during this time rose from 6 to 27, a 350% increase. The predominant species involved in bird strikes was the laughing gull (L. atricilla). Pursuant to an interagency agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/ Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)/ Animal Damage Control (ADC), ADC established a Emergency/Experimental Bird Hazard Reduction Force (BHRF) at ACY …

The Effectiveness Of Orco Mole Bait In Controlling Mole Damage, Dale K. Elshoff, Glenn R. Dudderar

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The tunneling damage caused by eastern moles (Scalopus aguaticus) and starnosed moles (Condylura cristata) is well known to professionals in lawn care, golfcourse maintenance, and turfgrass production, as well as many private landowners. Present damage control methods, including trapping, gas and smoke fumigants, and insecticide applications have a wide variety of limitations and prove impractical in some situations. An easily applied mole damage control method is needed that professional and nonprofessional applicators can use in a variety of environmental and physical conditions.

This study tested the effectiveness of Orco Mole Bait, a chlorophacinone pellet placed in …

Population Dynamics And Harvest Response Of Beaver, Neil F. Payne

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

"For when we speak of the fur trade, we mean the beaver trade. Other furs were handled; others -- notably the rich sea otter -- were more valuable by far. But the beaver was the root and core of the trade... Many men died, a continent was explored, an indigenous [human] race degraded and its culture crushed; all because beaver fur, with its tiny barbs, felted up better than any other" (Berry 1961:18).

Use Of Drc 1339 To Control Crows In Three Roosts In Kentucky And Arkansas, Frank L. Boyd, Douglas I. Hall

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Field tests utilizing DRC 1339 (3-chloro-4-methylbenzamine hydrochloride) 98% concentrate on whole kernel com for crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) control were conducted in January and February 1981 in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, and in 1982 in Ashdown, Arkansas. Treated bait was placed in staging areas near the roosts after prebaiting indicated good acceptance at the sites. The rate of acceptance varied with bait placement. Best results were obtained when bait was placed on bare ground at habitually used staging areas close to the roost site. Population reductions of up to 25% were obtained with limited baiting. DRC 1339 appears to …

Histoplasmosis And Its Impact On Blackbird/Starling Roost Management, A. R. Stickley Jr., R. J. Weeks

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Histoplasrnosis is a common and sometimes serious fungal disease that primarily affects the lungs, but can also involve other parts of the human body. The disease is characterized by 3 major forms: acute pulmonary, chronic cavitary, and disseminated histoplasmosis.Two fungicides are effective in treatment of the disease, but serious side effects often result. The occurrence of the fungus, Histoplasma capsulatum, is associated with large quantities of bird and bat excreta that have come in contact with soil. Roost sites must generally be occupied by birds for at least 3 years before soil conditions are conducive to its growth. Once established, …

Dispersing Blackbird-Starling Roosts With Helium-Filled Balloons, Donald F. Mott

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Large (120 cm diameter) helium-filled balloons (2-10 per ha of roost) tethered about 8 m above the vegetation were effective in dispersing blackbirds and starlings from roosting sites. Bird population estimates before, during, and after balloon exposure showed that the balloons frightened the birds and caused most of them to abandon the roost. Roosting bird numbers at each of 5 test roost sites (0.3 to 1.7 ha) were reduced an average of 82% (min-max 47-100%) during 3 to 4 evenings of balloon exposure. Winds >16 km/h during the study made it difficult to keep the balloons aloft and not entangled …

Evaluation Of Induced Sterility For Beaver (Castor Canadensis) Management Problems, J. J. Kennelly, P. J. Lyons

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The concept of controlling animal damage problems by reducing fecundity of offending species through induced sterility first was proposed by Knipling (1955) for insect control and was applied successfully by that author (Knipling 1959) for eradication of the screw-worm fly. The potential application to vertebrate pest problems was recognized immediately by David (1961) and, subsequently, by many other workers for a variety of pests (e.g. Balser 1964; Kennelly et al. 1970: Murton et al. 1972; McDonald 1980; Potvin et al. 1982) including beaver (Arner 1964; Blanchard 1964; Nevers 1968; Hill 1977). Unfortunately, the method remains today largely unavailable for routine …

Ecology And Management Of Depredating Blackbirds In Ontario Field Corn, J. D. Somers, F. F. Gilbert, R. J. Brooks, D. E. Joyner

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Blackbird damage to field corn in southwestern Ontario has been a problem for farmers for many years (Whitney 1954; Dyer 1968). Historically, Kent and Essex counties were the major corn-growing regions in Ontario, and the most significant centers of corn depredation by blackbirds were in these counties. However, the development of new short-season cultivars has afforded the expansion of field corn production and corn depredation problems throughout southern Ontario. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (OME) provided funding commencing in 1976 in response to these increased instances of corn depredation for a 4-year research program on the importance, ecology and …