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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Dogs Gone Wild: Feral Dog Damage In The United States, David L. Bergman, Stewart W. Breck, Scott C. Bender
Dogs Gone Wild: Feral Dog Damage In The United States, David L. Bergman, Stewart W. Breck, Scott C. Bender
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Feral dogs have been documented in all 50 states and estimates of damage in the U.S. from these animals amount to >$620 million annually. In Texas alone, it is estimated that over $5 million in damage to livestock annually can be attributed to feral dogs. We reviewed national statistics on feral dog damage reported to USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services for a 10-year period from 1997 through 2006. Damage by feral dogs crossed multiple resource categories (e.g., agriculture, natural resources); some examples of damage include killing and affecting the behavior and habitat use of native wildlife; killing and maiming livestock; and …
Numerically Common, Functionally Rare: Difficulties In Detecting Urban Coyotes For Population Monitoring, Daniel A. Bogan, Paul D. Curtis, Geriann F. Albers
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 …
Genetic Analysis Of Population Dynamics Of The Southeastern Coyote (Canis Latrans), D. Dennis, J. Armstrong, W. Arjo, K. Brock, A. Piaggio
Genetic Analysis Of Population Dynamics Of The Southeastern Coyote (Canis Latrans), D. Dennis, J. Armstrong, W. Arjo, K. Brock, A. Piaggio
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Coyotes (Canis latrans) have been extremely successful in dispersing and expanding their range that now includes all fifty states of the United States in addition to Canada and parts of Central America. These animals have generally been considered a pest species due to their adaptive ability, high reproductivity, and impact as a top predator on commercial agricultural business. Population dynamics of coyotes is still poorly understood, yet such knowledge would be beneficial to management of coyotes in all areas. The goal of this study is to determine population structure in Alabama by using microsatellite DNA markers. In addition …
Native And Naturalized Turf Species Suitable For Use On Airfields Managed For Wildlife Hazards In The Northeast, K. Dorsch, D. Vogler
Native And Naturalized Turf Species Suitable For Use On Airfields Managed For Wildlife Hazards In The Northeast, K. Dorsch, D. Vogler
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Habitat management is an important component of an integrated approach for reducing wildlife hazards on airfields. This research examines alternative turf species that are either native or naturalized in the northeastern United States. Many native turf species tend to not be attractive to wildlife due to their low palatability and seed production. These species may have uses on airfields, golf courses and in residential areas where geese and other wildlife are in conflict with humans. While the low seed productivity in some native species is a wildlife deterrent, this same trait is associated with poor establishment rates. Our goal was …
Vole Problems, Management Options, And Research Needs In The United States, Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, L. Humberg, T. Salmon
Vole Problems, Management Options, And Research Needs In The United States, Gary W. Witmer, Nathan P. Snow, L. Humberg, T. Salmon
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Voles (Microtus spp.) are ubiquitous to the northern hemisphere. Numerous species occur in North America and several species cause significant damage of various types: food crops, livestock forage production (e.g., alfalfa), nursery trees, reforestation, orchards, rangeland forage, and damage to lawns, golf courses and ground cover. Much research has been conducted with voles and a number of management options have been developed, including habitat manipulation, rodenticides, traps, repellents, barriers, supplemental feeding, and increased natural predation. However, significant damage still occurs because voles are not easily managed. Voles are small and secretive, prolific, active year-round, able to exploit refugia, and …
What Is The Latest On Endangered Species Changes?, Bryan Arroyo-Vazquez
What Is The Latest On Endangered Species Changes?, Bryan Arroyo-Vazquez
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
I address whether the new Administration will impact the Endangered Species Act. In general, the regulations under the Act have not changed and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will continue operating under the same statutory and regulatory framework as in the past. We focus on making the act work better and are working on a strategic plan to 1) focus species recovery actions strategically and 2) to avoid the need to list species by conserving them. Also addressed in this paper is climate change and its impacts on wildlife and its habitats.
Current Trends And The Future Of Private Sector Nuisance Wildlife Control, Kevin Clark
Current Trends And The Future Of Private Sector Nuisance Wildlife Control, Kevin Clark
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Private sector vertebrate control continually interacts with many parties-all with a genuine interest in wildlife, and thus, the industry is always changing. In recent years, people expressed a desire for more humane treatment of animals and environmentally responsible control methods. The industry has also focused on vertebrates besides birds and rodents and is working to have the opportunity to handle species that are currently excluded from permit systems in some states. In the 1990s, there was rapid growth of private sector wildlife control businesses across the U.S., and increasingly, pest control companies added wildlife services in response to customer demands. …
Wildlife Services And The New Administration, William H. Clay
Wildlife Services And The New Administration, William H. Clay
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
To understand what can be expected from President Obama and the new Administration, we can look at past behavior. As a Senator, Obama served on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee showing great interest in environmental issues. He believes that federally-funded scientific research should play an important role in advancing science and technology. Moreover, President Obama has declared that decisions in his Administration will be made based on science and not politics. However, the biggest change from the new Administration is emphasis on making the government work more efficiently and at a reduced cost. During the next 4 years, …
Emerging Challenges In Wildlife Management, Michael R. Conover
Emerging Challenges In Wildlife Management, Michael R. Conover
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Several challenges confronting wildlife agencies today will become even more important in the future. These challenges include: reducing threats to human safety, preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases, increasing wildlife populations in suboptimal habitats, managing problems caused by overabundant native species and exotic species, and helping to sustain human food supplies by alleviating wildlife damage to agricultural production. Challenges such as these provide an opportunity for wildlife management to increase its importance in the future, especially for biologists and scientists within the field of wildlife damage management. We have the opportunity to enhance the value of the wildlife resource for …
What Is New On The Animal Protection Radar?, John Hadidian
What Is New On The Animal Protection Radar?, John Hadidian
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
American attitudes toward wildlife have often been cast as falling within an urban/rural dichotomy that separates protectionist from utilitarian value orientations. Long held as a major challenge to wildlife managers, the urban/rural dichotomy may be yielding to change as new attitude and value orientations arise from direct conflicts people have with wild animals as well as from a generational disenfranchisement of young people who lack direct experience with the outdoors. Both may loom as larger challenges for the future and shift the focus of once opposing interests more toward efforts to establish cooperation. Currently, much of the disagreement over wildlife …
Regulatory Coordination And Cooperation With The United States Fish And Wildlife Service At The State Level, Tim Julien, Eric Arnold
Regulatory Coordination And Cooperation With The United States Fish And Wildlife Service At The State Level, Tim Julien, Eric Arnold
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
We use Canada geese (Branta canadensis) as an example of the new federal permitting process to legally control the nests of these birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has regulatory authority to enforce the provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Under MBTA, depredation permits are needed to destroy nuisance nests of resident Canada geese. We outline the new permitting process and its welcomed benefits.
Alabama Wildlife Damage Management Website, J. Armstrong, D. Hesterman, M. Smith
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 …
Development Of A Mammal Hair Identification Guide For Common Species In New York, L. Archer, D. Bogan, P. Curtis
Development Of A Mammal Hair Identification Guide For Common Species In New York, L. Archer, D. Bogan, P. Curtis
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Identifying mammals by hair characteristics is valuable for wildlife management applications, law enforcement, and regulation of international treaties. Researchers use hair identification in scat-and gastrointestinal-based diet studies, genetic-based hair-snare collections, and monitoring trade of rare and protected species. No accessible mammalian hair identification key exists for New York or other northeastern states. Identification keys are beneficial for researchers, wildlife managers and interested members of the general public that attempt to identify specific taxa. We created a guard-hair identification key for common mammalian species in New York State. This key was needed to identify diet components during a suburban coyote study. …
Behavioral Ecology And Management Of Suburban Coyotes In Westchester County, New York, D. Bogan, P. Curtis, G. Batcheller
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
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 …
Parameters Affecting Bird Use Of Stormwater Impoundments In The Southeastern United States: Implications For Hazardous Wildlife Management At Airports, B. Fox, B. Blackwell, J. Armstrong, J. Ground, W. Holland
Parameters Affecting Bird Use Of Stormwater Impoundments In The Southeastern United States: Implications For Hazardous Wildlife Management At Airports, B. Fox, B. Blackwell, J. Armstrong, J. Ground, W. Holland
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Stormwater impoundments within Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) citing criteria (10,000 ft from the air operations area) increase the risk of bird-aircraft collisions (strikes) by providing bird habitat. The number of wildlife strikes (97.5% involving birds) reported in the U.S. annually is increasing and, consequently, annual losses to the U.S. civil aviation industry from strikes now exceed $625 million. Wildlife managers must find ways to reduce this risk, while still managing stormwater for environmental quality compliance and safe aircraft ground movements. Existing guidelines for wildlife-hazard management at airports do not quantify the role of pond and landscape characteristics in attracting birds …
Southeastern Coyote Home Range Size Across An Urban To Rural Gradient, H. Jantz, J. Armstrong, W. Arjo
Southeastern Coyote Home Range Size Across An Urban To Rural Gradient, H. Jantz, J. Armstrong, W. Arjo
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
In recent years, both human and coyote populations have expanded in the southeastern United States bringing the question of what makes suitable coyote habitat in urban areas to the forefront. Home range size is based on population density, minimum resource requirements of the individual, and availability of resources; typically, the smaller the home range size, the better suited an area is for a coyote. We are investigating variation in seasonal home ranges throughout an urban to rural gradient in Lee County, Alabama, in order to determine coyote adaptation to areas with different levels of urbanization. Although coyotes in rural areas …
Changes In Sunflower Crop Distribution And Agronomic Practices In North Dakota May Affect Levels Of Blackbird Damage, G. Linz, T. Slowik, L. Penry, H. Homan
Changes In Sunflower Crop Distribution And Agronomic Practices In North Dakota May Affect Levels Of Blackbird Damage, G. Linz, T. Slowik, L. Penry, H. Homan
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
The National Sunflower Association considers high levels of blackbird damage in key sunflower growing areas of North Dakota as a major reason for growers replacing sunflower with less susceptible crops. We used an extensive dataset of blackbird damage in North Dakota from 1972 to 2008 to evaluate spatial and temporal changes in damage to ripening sunflower. Long-term damage assessments are invaluable tools for wildlife damage managers because of shifting cropping patterns and resultant new blackbird-crop interactions. For example, as corn acreages in North Dakota have recently increased, so have complaints from growers about blackbird damage to corn. This lends some …
Use Of Gallagher® 2-Layer Deer-Exclusion Fencing To Temporarily Deter White-Tailed Deer Browsing In Food Plots, J. Parris, M. Mengak, K. Miller
Use Of Gallagher® 2-Layer Deer-Exclusion Fencing To Temporarily Deter White-Tailed Deer Browsing In Food Plots, J. Parris, M. Mengak, K. Miller
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Warm-season food plots provide supplemental nutrition to white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Large-seeded legumes such as soybeans, lablab, cowpeas, and others are a common component of warm-season food plots that deer prefer to browse early in development, preventing the food plot from reaching the highest possible nutritional value. We tested a Gallagher® Animal Management Systems 2-layer deer-exclusion fence design at two 400 m2 warm-season food plots in Madison County, Georgia. Each food plot contained a mixture of cowpeas and Lablab Plus, marketed by Tecomate® Wildlife Systems. We enclosed a 125 m2 (31%) portion of each …
Hair Identification: The Mammalian Fingerprint, E. Santana
Hair Identification: The Mammalian Fingerprint, E. Santana
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Microscopic hair identification has been used as an analysis tool in a broad range of biological studies and has diverse applications in the fields of wildlife biology, anthropology, forensics, and natural resource management. Examining differences in cortex patterns, medulla characteristics, cuticular scale anatomy, shape, size, and color can be used to reliably identify mammalian guard hairs. Microscopic hair identification provides a diagnostic tool for identifying mammalian hair and has broad applications in the field of wildlife damage management. Hair collected from scent stations can provide presence confirmation and population density estimates on carnivores and ungulates, while hairs extracted from scats …
Investigations Into Earthworm Control On Airports, T. Seamans, G. Bernhardt, D. Steyer
Investigations Into Earthworm Control On Airports, T. Seamans, G. Bernhardt, D. Steyer
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Earthworms, though generally considered beneficial for soil conditioning, can become a hazard at airports. When found in large numbers on runways or taxiways after heavy rainfall, they create slippery conditions for aircraft rolling over them. Additionally, earthworms attract birds, especially gulls, thereby increasing the risk of bird strikes to aircraft that are landing or taking off. For example, during a 35-minute period on 3 September 2004 at Calgary International Airport (YYC), a B737 of Westjet and an A319 of Air Canada aborted takeoffs after multiple strikes with gulls attracted to the runways to feed on earthworms. The B737 had strikes …
Removal Of Feral Cat Colonies From John F. Kennedy International Airport: Operational, Biological And Social Challenges, J. Waddell, L. Francoeur, L. Humberg
Removal Of Feral Cat Colonies From John F. Kennedy International Airport: Operational, Biological And Social Challenges, J. Waddell, L. Francoeur, L. Humberg
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Feral cats (Felis catus) have been present at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) for approximately five years. Feral cats pose several zoonotic health risks, impact native wildlife, and interfere with airport operations. At the request of airport staff, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services conducted a cat-trapping effort between November 2007 and December 2008. Cats were live-trapped and surrendered to local animal control services where they were vaccinated, micro-chipped, and offered up for adoption. Due to the history of the colony, local cat advocacy groups expressed discontent with the removal efforts. …
Viral Disease Surveillance In Select Wildlife Populations In Mississippi, Amanda R. Deese, Richard B. Minnis
Viral Disease Surveillance In Select Wildlife Populations In Mississippi, Amanda R. Deese, Richard B. Minnis
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Raccoons and opossums are quickly becoming a common sight in urban areas, providing a higher risk of human exposure to zoonotic pathogens. Feral swine are also becoming more common and problematic for many. We conducted serological surveys for avian influenza (AI), West Nile virus (WNV), rabies virus (RV), and canine distemper virus (CDV) in raccoons (n=119), opossums (n=126), and feral swine (n=105) in two regions of Mississippi. Raccoons had antibodies to all four viruses, while feral swine had antibody responses to WNV and opossums exhibited responses to WNV and RV. Active wildlife disease surveillance is a vital aspect of wildlife …
Adaptive Management Of Winter Elk Feedgrounds In Western Wyoming As A Long-Term Strategy For Reducing Brucellosis In Elk While Maintaining Separation From Cattle: A Work In Progress, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon M. Scurlock, Eric J. Maichak, John C. Henningsen, Kate T. Belinda
Adaptive Management Of Winter Elk Feedgrounds In Western Wyoming As A Long-Term Strategy For Reducing Brucellosis In Elk While Maintaining Separation From Cattle: A Work In Progress, Jared D. Rogerson, Brandon M. Scurlock, Eric J. Maichak, John C. Henningsen, Kate T. Belinda
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Brucellosis is of large economic and management concern in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) where wildlife remain the last reservoir of the disease in the United States. Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) management of brucellosis has focused on separation of elk (Cervus elaphus) and cattle (Bos taurus) through operation of 22 winter feedgrounds, which originated to prevent elk starvation and elk damage. Although feedgrounds perpetuate the spread of brucellosis among elk, they are largely maintained to prevent disease spillover to cattle. Despite efforts, recent brucellosis occurrences in Wyoming cattle during 2004-2008 were linked to feedground …
Classical Swine Fever Surveillance In Feral Swine, Seth R. Swafford, Brandon S. Schmit, Kerri Pedersen, Mark W. Lutman, Thomas J. Deliberto
Classical Swine Fever Surveillance In Feral Swine, Seth R. Swafford, Brandon S. Schmit, Kerri Pedersen, Mark W. Lutman, Thomas J. Deliberto
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Diseases such as classical swine fever (CSF) and foot-and-mouth disease have been eradicated in the United States, but possible reintroductions merit the development of an enhanced surveillance system. Important foreign animal or transboundary diseases like these pose a significant risk to the health of wildlife and livestock in the United States. Wildlife Services (WS) performs surveillance in targeted feral swine (Sus scrofa) populations as part of a comprehensive United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service effort to demonstrate disease-free status in our nation's livestock and wildlife. Surveillance is based on risk assessments which identify …
Integrating Lethal And Nonlethal Approaches For Management Of Suburban Deer, Jason R. Boulanger, Paul D. Curtis, Michael L. Ashdown
Integrating Lethal And Nonlethal Approaches For Management Of Suburban Deer, Jason R. Boulanger, Paul D. Curtis, Michael L. Ashdown
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Evaluations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population management in suburban landscapes has included debate over lethal control (e.g., sharp-shooting and hunting). These management techniques are often stymied by political impediments, safety concerns, and public attitudes. We are implementing the novel use of surgical sterilization in combination with hunting to mitigate deer-related impacts on Cornell University lands near Ithaca, New York. The project lands are composed of 2 zones: a suburban core campus area (446 ha) and adjacent outlying areas that contain agricultural fields and natural areas where deer hunting is permitted (582 ha). Surgical sterilization will be the …
Is America Ready For A Humane Feral Pig Toxicant?, Steven Lapidge, Jason Wishart, Michelle Smith, Linton Staples
Is America Ready For A Humane Feral Pig Toxicant?, Steven Lapidge, Jason Wishart, Michelle Smith, Linton Staples
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
In 2005 the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre undertook an extensive literature review in an attempt to discover possible pharmacological weaknesses of pigs that could be inherently targeted with specific chemicals. For a chemical to have utility it ideally had to be: safe for human operators, highly toxic to pigs, bait deliverable, target specific, humane, residue-less, reversible, inexpensive, already registered for other purposes, patentable, acceptable to trading partners, and have a well documented toxicological profile. Numerous weaknesses and associated candidate chemicals were discovered, but only one, sodium nitrite, proved appropriate in gavage and bait delivery proof-of-concept pen trials. This paper …
Preliminary Results From A Study Of The Effect Of Deer Browsing On Bearded And Unbearded Wheat Yield, Matthew Springer, Jacob L. Bowman
Preliminary Results From A Study Of The Effect Of Deer Browsing On Bearded And Unbearded Wheat Yield, Matthew Springer, Jacob L. Bowman
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Wheat is an important agronomic crop that is a common winter food source for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in agricultural landscapes. In 2007 and 2008, I investigated spatial and temporal browsing on 2 types of wheat (bearded and unbearded) in fields bordered on one side by a forest. I placed 960 4.6 m2 plots in the middle of 10 m distance classes (5m, 15m, 25m, 35m, 45m, 55m). In 2007, I systematically assigned 1 of 2 treatments (no protection, protected at planting), and in 2008, I added a third treatment, protected prior to heading. After head emergence, I conducted weekly …
Effect Of Deer Density On Breeding Birds In Delaware, Liz Tymkiw, J. L. Bowman, W. G. Shriver
Effect Of Deer Density On Breeding Birds In Delaware, Liz Tymkiw, J. L. Bowman, W. G. Shriver
Wildlife Damage Management Conference
Previous research has suggested that high deer densities negatively impact bird communities. Most of this research was conducted using a very high deer density compared to no deer. Our research investigated deer impacts across a density gradient to determine an appropriate density for deer management efforts. Using Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data from 2005- 2006 and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) deer density data for the same time period, we compared avian richness and relative abundance for BBS points to deer density in Delaware. We divided deer densities into 3 categories: low (<12 deer/km2), medium …
Fostering Greater Professionalism With Firearms In The Wildlife Arena, Joe N. Caudell, Ben C. West, Bob Griffin, Keith Davis
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 …