Life Sciences Commons^™

Double-Crested Cormorant And Ring-Billed Gull Damage Management On Lake Champlain: Are Basin-Wide Objectives Achievable?, Richard Chipman, Dennis Slate, Larry Garland, David Capen

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Ring-billed gulls (Larus delewarensis) and double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorx auritus) have nested on Lake Champlain since 1949 and 1982, respectively. Recent increases in cormorant nesting populations and pioneering activities of both species to previously uncolonized islands have resulted in impacts related to accumulation of bird guano and interspecific competition with less common species. Of primary concern are: decreases in wildlife and plant diversity on islands; reduced aesthetics and property values of island associated with the loss of trees; and predation or competition for nesting space with other species such as the state-endangered common tern (Sterna hirundo …

Wildlife Damage To Agricultural Crops In Pennsylvania: The Farmers' Perspective, Margaret C. Brittingham, Walter M. Tzilkowski, James M. Zeidler, Matthew J. Lovallo

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Agricultural damage by wildlife is a major concern for both agricultural and wildlife agencies at the state and federal level. Our objective was to estimate wildlife damage to agricultural crops on a statewide basis. We sent questionnaires to 4,958 farmers and 1,003 were returned after 2 mailings. Twenty-five percent of farmers responding to our survey rated the level of wildlife damage to their crops as severe or very severe, 46% as moderate, and 29% had none or very little. Mean levels of crop loss to wildlife ranged from 6% for wheat to 10% for corn grain, and white-tailed deer ( …

Development Of The Virginia Cooperative Coyote Control Program To Protect Livestock, Martin Lowney, John Houben, Phil Eggborn

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Virginia Cooperative Coyote Control Program was created in 1990 to address increasing livestock losses to coyotes and the inability of producers to solve such problems themselves. The eastern coyote arrived in Virginia in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Lobbying efforts of agricultural groups, such as the Virginia Sheep Federation, helped create a cost-share program administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Wildlife Services (USDA-APHIS-WS). The objective of the program was to educate producers about control methods and to alleviate damage by removing offending coyotes where …

Wildlife-Caused Losses For Catfish Producers In 1996, Alice P. Wywialowski

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In January 1997, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) surveyed catfish producers about wildlife-caused losses in 1996, Of the 1,465 catfish producers in 15 states surveyed, 1,008 (68.8%) agreed to complete the survey. Surveys were conducted primarily by telephone, but some producers received mail surveys. The response rated varied among states. The majority of catfish producers were in Mississippi (n=-300), followed by Alabama (n=163), and then Arkansas (n=117). The remaining states each had < 100 respondents. Data were analyzed for 6 regions, each with a sample size of > 100 respondents. Overall, 69% of catfish producers cited a wildlife-caused loss of catfish. Producers cited losses to wildlife most frequently in Mississippi (81%), followed by states adjoining …

Nesting Populations Of Double-Crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, And Great Egrets In The United States And Canada: Implications For Management, Jerrold L. Belant, Laura A. Tyson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Populations of piscivorous birds in North America are receiving increasing attention in the southeast United States because of depredations at aquaculture facilities. We obtained recent (most since 1994) estimates for the number of nesting double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), great blue herons (Ardea herodias), and great egrets (Casmerodius albus) in the United States (US) and Canada from published references and by conducting telephone interviews with state and provincial biologists. Using previously-published data, we also determined annual rates of change in the number of cormorants since about 1990. Estimates for minimum numbers of nesting pairs (minimum …

Development Of A Double-Crested Cormorant Damage Management Plan For The Southeastern United States, Keith J. Andrews, Pete Poulos, Charles Bo Sloan, Jerrold L. Belant, Paige G. Ross, Paul Debow

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In response to needs within the aquaculture industry to alleviate increasing depredation by double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, in conjunction with Federal, State, and Canadian wildlife and fisheries agencies, the aquaculture industry, and other wildlife professionals, is developing the framework for a comprehensive cormorant damage management program that uses an integrated wildlife damage management approach. This cooperative effort will produce a meaningful, mutually beneficial program that will reduce the effects of cormorants on aquaculture and sport and commercial fisheries, improve understanding of cormorant biology, and avert …

Electric Fencing Reduces Heron Predation At Northeastern Trout Hatcheries, Mark E. Tobin, James F. Glahn, Erica S. Rasmussen

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Great blue herons (Ardea herodius) are the most common avian predator at commercial trout hatcheries in the northeastern United States. We evaluated a 2-strand electric fence for excluding this species from raceways at 2 commercial trout hatcheries in central Pennsylvania. Fences consisted of high density polyethylene 400-lb strength tape supported by fiberglass posts and energized by either a battery-powered or a solar-powered fence charger. Labor and material for constructing the fences at the 2 sites averaged $1.32/m of raceway. Bird visitation at the 2 sites initially declined, but returned to pre-installation levels. However, bird use of raceways declined …

The Legal Roles And Responsibilities Of A Community Concerning Crop Depredation By White-Tailed Deer, Eric G. Darracq, Stephen R. Chapman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The interwoven issues of the legal roles and responsibilities that landowners (i.e., farmers, foresters, and hunters) and a state agency have to control deer densities in rural areas that directly affect crop depredation and various stakeholders will be addressed in this paper. Because unmanaged deer populations severely can damage agricultural crops, the financial cost of this deer damage is borne entirely by individual private landowners. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is the regulatory state agency in South Carolina responsible for annually promulgating rules and regulations pertaining to white-tailed deer harvest by hunters. Even though deer are property …

Deer Damage Incurred By Homeowners During 1995 In Virginia, Ben C. West, James A. Parkhurst

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Damage caused by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is a problem for some homeowners in Virginia. As part of a broader effort to evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of agricultural producers and homeowners toward deer damage in Virginia, a mail questionnaire was developed and implemented during the fall of 1996. The survey yielded 732 useable responses and, of those, 261 individuals indicated they were homeowners and grew at least one planting during 1995. Many homeowners (36%) indicated that deer caused damage to at least one of their plantings during 1995. Of those who had experienced damage, most (61%, n=57) …

Control Of Ring-Billed Gulls And Herring Gulls Nesting At Urban And Industrial Sites In Ontario, 1987-1990, Hans Blokpoel, Gaston D. Tessier

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Large numbers of ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) and much smaller numbers of herring gulls (L. argentatus) have begun to nest at several industrial and urban sites in the Canadian Great Lakes causing a flight safety problem (nesting at end of a runway), disrupting commercial operations (nesting on roads and storage yards), and creating nuisances (noise and smell of the colony and defecations on equipment). Gulls were prevented from nesting by scaring (using tethered birds of prey, moving vehicles, and foot patrols equipped with cracker shells) or by physically excluding them (by installing monofilament lines). At some …

Sheep And Goat Losses To Predators In The United States, Guy Connolly

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

This paper analyzes and compares 3 recent estimates of the value of sheep, lambs, and goats killed by predators in the United States. The estimates, by Pearson (1986a,b), the General Accounting Office (GAO 1990), and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS 1991b), varied from $18 million to $59.7 million annually due to differences in scope, assumptions, data, and estimation methods of the 3 studies. Pearson's and NASS's estimates of the value of sheep and lambs lost to predators in 17 western states totaled $38.3 million and $18.3 million in 1984 and 1990, respectively. The difference between …

An Avian/Airport Study For Standiford Airport, Louisville, Kentucky: Results And Management Implications, Bernice U. Constantin, John K. Floyd

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

An avian/airport study was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Damage Control (ADC) from 9 February 1989-18 March 1990 to evaluate near-term bird control needs at Standiford Field Airport (SDF), Louisville, Kentucky. Field surveys were performed on SDF and the Outer Loop Landfill (OLL) to gather data on both daily and seasonal trends in bird activity and effectiveness of management efforts employed by the OLL operator to control bird activity. Data for high-interest species groups were sorted according to site, time of day, weather, and month. Raptors were present at the airport …

Effectiveness Of Drc-1339 Baiting For Reducing Blackbird Damage To Sprouting Rice, James F. Glahn, E. Allen Wilson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Under a Special Local Needs (Section 24[c]) registration, the effectiveness of a 2% DRC-1339-treated brown rice baiting program to reduce bird damage to sprouting rice was evaluated during 1989 and 1990 at the Millers Lake blackbird roost, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana. After prebaiting with untreated rice, treated bait diluted with untreated rice at a ratio of 1:50 or 1:25 in 1989, and 1:10 in 1990, was applied at a rate of 112 kg/ha at sites strategically located under blackbird flightlines. Total treated bait mixtures applied to these sites were 3,487 kg in 1989 and 3,071 kg in 1990, of which an …

Effectiveness Of A Vertical 3-Wire Electric Fence Modified With Attractants Or Repellents As A Deer Exclosure, Don M. Jordan Jr., Milo E. Richmond

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We conducted experiments with behavioral conditioning of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) using vertical 3-wire, electrified fencing modified with either an attractant or a repellent in order to test the idea that an attractant or repellent, coupled with an electric shock, would be a more effective deterrent than a random shock or no shock at all. Exclosures measuring 6 x 6 m with 3 wires at heights of 50, 100, and 150 cm were established at 2 study sites in Tompkins County, New York. Each site contained 4 exclosures which were either nonelectrified (control), electrified, electrified with an attractant, …

Training Tomorrow's Specialists In Wildlife Damage Management, Robert H. Scmidt, Michael R. Conover, Raymond D. Dueser, Frederick F. Knowlton, Terry A. Messmer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In 1990, Utah State University (USU) established a U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Damage Control (ADC)-funded center dedicated to research, education, and extension in wildlife damage management. USU's Program in Wildlife Damage Management is designed to increase appreciation for wildlife damage management among wildlife professionals, provide superior training for future practitioners of wildlife damage management through education and innovative research, and create better public understanding of the role of wildlife damage management in today's society.

Perceptions About Crop Yields And Losses To White-Tailed Deer On Farms Surrounding Gettysburg National Military Park, Gary M. Vecellio, Gerald L. Storm, Richard H. Yahner

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A questionnaire was developed and mailed to 340 farm operators within 8 km of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site, southcentral Pennsylvania. Names and addresses were derived from a list of farm operators and large-parcel landowners provided by the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service of Adams County. A cover letter and accompanying questionnaire were mailed on 11 November 1987. After 3 weeks, nonrespondents were mailed a postcard reminding them of the survey. Those still not responding were mailed another questionnaire on 17 December. Our objectives were to determine the perceptions of farm operators concerning crop yields, and …

Agricultural Producers' Estimates Of Wildlife Causing Damage In Eastern States, Alice P. Wywialowski, Robert H. Beach

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducted a nationwide survey of agricultural producers to determine what proportion of producers were sustaining losses caused by wildlife and which wildlife species were believed to be responsible for the damage. The survey was conducted in August 1989 for the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Damage Control (ADC). Results are based on useable responses received from 5,085 farmers in the eastern United States. The results presented here may differ from a previous press release by NASS because losses and animals causing losses were determined specifically …

Extension Wildlife Damage Management In Alabama, James B. Armstrong

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

I present a compilation of wildlife damage data collected via a mail survey distributed to 146 county agents of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. A 55% response rate was obtained with 2 mailings. Snakes and rodents were the cause of most wildlife damage complaints. Regional differences in the number of complaints were observed for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus). Information collected was used to: (1) determine the status of wildlife damage in Alabama from the perspective of the county extension agents; (2) target educational programs; and (3) …

Raptors And Racing Pigeons: An Analysis Of Avian Predation On Domestic Pigeons, James B. Armstrong

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Relationships among pigeons, raptors, and man are well documented. However, there has been little effort to study the conflict between pigeon fanciers and raptors that prey upon racing pigeons. A questionnaire concerning the characteristics of raptor predation on pigeons was distributed to members of the American Racing Pigeon Union (ARPU). Three hundred and sixty-seven responses were received from ARPU members in 39 states. Cooper's hawks were the most often implicated raptor. Lofts located at the edge of wooded areas experienced the most attacks (n = 182). Most fanciers (n = 154) indicated that raptor attacks were distributed throughout …

Survey Of Bird Damage To Blueberries In North America, Michael L. Avery, John W. Nelson, Marcia A. Cone

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In this survey of 15 states and British Columbia, 84% of the 49 respondents considered bird damage to blueberries (Vaccinium sp.) to be serious or moderately serious. As in a similar 1972 survey, the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), American robin (Turdus migratorius), and common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) were listed as the most serious pest species. Most of the people surveyed who formerly used Mesurol® to control bird depredations felt that the severity of bird damage increased in 1989 when the registration for Mesurol® use on fruit lapsed. Based on the responses to …

Animal Damage Management: Responsibilities Of Various Agencies And The Needs For Coordination And Support, Jack H. Berryman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

It is a pleasure and privilege to again have a part in the Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference and to return to Ithaca and Cornell. The opportunity is much appreciated. I commend the sponsors of the conference and their selection of the theme, "Human and Wildlife Interactions: Public Perceptions and Management Realities"–an increasingly important and compelling topic.

Efficacy And Methodology Of Urban Pigeon Control With Drc-1339, Keith M. Blanton, Bernice U. Constantin, Gerald L. Williams

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

During 1990 and 1991, feral pigeon (Columbia livia) baiting programs using compound DRC-1339 were conducted in 6 cities in Kentucky and Tennessee. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Damage Control (ADC) personnel evaluated each problem site, selected bait sites, supervised prebaiting, mixed, and applied toxic bait In most cases, local personnel conducted the prebaiting and disposed of dead birds. Seven pigeon flocks containing 95-735 birds were reduced by up to 100% with 1 or 2 baitings with 0.37% DRC-1339-treated bait Most birds died at their roosting areas or on rooftops where they …

Use Of Drc-1339 To Eliminate Gulls And Re-Establish A Tern Nesting Colony In Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, Bradford G. Blodget, Laura Henze

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

DRC-1339 was used in 1990 and 1991 to reverse gull (Laridae) domination at Ram Island in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, a site historically important to the endangered roseate tern (Sterna dougallii). Reduction of the very dense gull population at Ram Island and reclamation of the island for nesting terns is seen as a challenge, especially considering the site's proximity to New Bedford, the largest commercial fishery on the Atlantic Seaboard. During 1990 and 1991, gull productivity at Ram Island was completely suppressed. Eight hundred twenty-three and 172 gulls were recovered dead following treatments in 1990 and 1991. Females predominated nearly …

Landowner Attitudes Regarding Pennsylvania's Extended Antlerless Deer Season On Deer-Damaged Farms, Robert C. Boyd, William L. Palmer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Pennsylvania Game Commission authorized an extension of the 1990-91 antlerless white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) season to reduce deer abundance on farms having excessive crop damage. A mail survey of the 574 participating landowners was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the program. After 2 mailings 93% (n = 531) responded, and 444 returns had complete information for numbers of hunters, hectares, and harvested deer. Based on landowner responses, an estimated 2,674 deer were harvested by 35,181 hunters on 58,525 ha. An average of 4.6 deer were harvested/km² of huntable land, which compared to a statewide …

Perspectives On Wildlife Nuisance Control: Results Of A Wildlife Damage Control Firm's Customer Survey, Lynn A. Braband, Kevin D. Clark

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Customers of Critter Control, Inc. offices were surveyed in 1990 and 1991 to examine their views and experiences with nuisance wildlife. Most of the survey respondents were having problems with raccoons (Procyon lotor), squirrels (Sciurus spp.), skunks (Mephitis mephitis), woodchucks (Marmata monax), and moles (Talpidae). Approximately 25% of the respondents attempted to control the nuisance situation themselves before contacting Critter Control. Most customers approved of the lethal control of rats/mice (Muridae), moles, snakes, bats (Chiroptera), pigeons (Columba livia), and skunks. Most disapproved of the lethal control of deer (Odocoileus spp.), …

Reducing Nuisance Canada Goose Problems Through Habitat Manipulation, Michael R. Conover

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Urban populations of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) cause considerable problems when large numbers congregate in parks, playing fields, or backyards. In most cases, geese are drawn to these sites to feed on lawns. I tested whether geese have feeding preferences for different species of grass. Captive Canada geese preferred Kentucky bluegrass and disliked tall fescue more than colonial bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, and red fescue. They did not eat other ground covers such as pachysandra and English ivy. These results suggest that goose numbers at problem sites could be reduced by changing the ground cover. I also compared the …

Synopsis Of A Course On The Principles Of Wildlife Damage Management, Michael R. Conover

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Five courses were offered by Utah State University's Program in Wildlife Damage Management (WDM) in 1991: (1) Principles of WDM, (2) WDM Techniques, (3) Wildlife–Livestock Relationships, (4) WDM Policy, and (5) Urban Wildlife Management Principles of WDM was the introductory course in this series. It was an upper-division course; most students were in the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In this paper, I provide a synopsis of this course hoping such information will be useful to other people designing a course on this topic.

Rather than using a textbook for Principles of WDM, students were required to read papers …

Public Involvement In Wildlife Damage Management: The Situation In Wisconsin, Scott R. Craven

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wisconsin currently supports record populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Canada geese (Branta canadensis), and wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). These species are real or perceived causes of substantial wildlife damage, and many sectors of the public (i.e., farmers, motorists, suburbanites, etc.) are impacted. Thus public interest, both in a broad sense and in the form of special interest groups, is intense.

Pen Tests Of Methyl Anthranilate As A Bird Repellent In Water, Richard A. Dolbeer, Larry Clark, Paul P. Woronecki, Thomas W. Seamans

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Two commercial (ReJeX-iT^® brand) formulations of methyl anthranilate (MA), at concentrations of 0.10-0.50% (0.06-0.32% active ingredient [a.i.]), were highly effective in repelling mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) from pools of water in pen tests. For mallards, pool entries and bill contacts with water in MA-treated pools were 1.4 and 4.0% of the levels in untreated pools during a 2-choice test, and 4.2 and 8.8% of the levels in untreated pools during a 1-choice test. For gulls, the repellency levels were even higher, with activity levels in treated pools being < 1% of levels in untreated pools during 1-and 2-choice tests. We recommend further pen tests to determine minimum effective concentration levels and a field test to determine responses of free-ranging birds.

The Effectiveness Of Soap In Preventing Deer Browsing, Michael J. Fargione, Milo E. Richmond

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A series of bioassays was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of soap and soap components as deer (Odocoileus virginianus) repellents. Sweet-corn plots protected with tallow-based soap bars, nontallow bars, and those sprayed with the commercial repellent Hinder^®, experienced significantly reduced browsing compared with untreated plots. Damage to plots protected with tallow-based soap was less than damage to nontallow soap plots, while Hinder^®-treated plots had intermediate damage. In a second bioassay, 2 spray applications of soap were found to be as effective as soap bars in preventing browsing to native vegetation over a 126-day period. …