Digital Commons Network^™

Minimizing Deer Damage To Forest Vegetation Through Aggressive Deer Population Management, Raymond J. Winchcombe

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Controlled hunts were used annually between 1976-90 on the Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum in southeastern New York to control deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population expansion and prevent over-browsing of forested and landscaped areas. The primary objective of the hunts was to remove sufficient numbers of adult female deer each year to stabilize herd growth and minimize browsing pressure. Hunters had to register early, attend a preseason meeting, pass a shooting proficiency test, apply for a deer management permit, and pay a fee. Spring browse-use surveys, using several tree species as an index to browsing pressure, showed low use through …

The Need And Difficulty Of Bringing The Pennsylvania Deer Herd Under Control, Gary W. Witmer, David S. Decalesta

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Pennsylvania white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd has increased dramatically in the last several decades, despite greatly increased harvests. The high statewide deer density (11 + deer/km²) causes serious losses to agricultural crop production, forest regeneration, and diversity of forest flora and fauna. High deer numbers are associated with an excessive number of vehicle-deer accidents, and is implicated in the rapid increase in the incidence of Lyme disease in humans. Current efforts to reduce deer densities locally and statewide (extended antlerless harvest seasons and special farm hunts) are not solving the damage problem. Other solutions should …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Perceived Risks Of Deer-Related Vehicle Accidents: Influence On Deer Population Preferences Of The Residents Of Tompkins County, New York, Richard C. Stedman, Rebecca J. Stout, Barbara A. Knuth, Daniel J. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

High populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in much of the eastern United States have increased the probability of deer-related vehicle accidents (DRVAs). These accidents are very costly in terms of vehicle repair and have the potential for serious physical injury to motorists. DRVAs are increasing rapidly in suburban areas, where deer may also cause other types of damage (i.e., to gardens or ornamental shrubs). In these suburban areas, wildlife professionals have limited deer management options. We hypothesized that the peoples' perception of the potential risk posed by ORV As interacts with the perceived benefits provided by deer, …

Wildlife Damage Education At West Virginia University, Edwin D. Michael

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

West Virginia University has offered a formal wildlife damage course in each of the last 2 years (1990 and 1991). Prior to offering the formal course in 1990, the topic of wildlife damage was presented as one section of 2 different courses: Introduction to Wildlife Management (for non wildlife majors), and Principles of Wildlife Management (a senior-level course required for wildlife majors).

Wildlife Damage Education At Auburn University, Nicholas R. Holler

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife Damage Control is offered as a 3-hour course during winter quarter in alternate years at Auburn University. This course is taught simultaneously at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage (R. Timm, ed.) 1983. Nebraska Cooperative Extension Service, University of Nebraska-Lincoln) is the course text, but numerous outside readings are provided on specific topic areas. Graduate students are given additional required reading material, must complete a term paper, and are given examinations requiring greater synthesis of ideas than do those administered to undergraduates. An optional weekend field trip, arranged in cooperation with United States Department …

Agency And Stakeholder Evaluations Of Citizen Participation In Deer Management Decisions: Implications For Damage Control, Rebecca J. Stout, Daniel J. Decker, Barbara A. Knuth

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

As in many states, wildlife managers and biologists in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Wildlife (BOW) set white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population objectives in deer management units (DMUs). BOW has authority to regulate deer harvest through a deer management permit quota system. Decisions about regulating deer population levels have a direct impact on stakeholders concerned with the degree of damage to field and vegetable crops, orchards, nurseries, tree plantations, gardens, and ornamental shrubbery. Deer densities also affect economic and recreational benefits derived by other stakeholders. Developing management strategies that address these conflicting interests …

An Evaluation Of Roost Dispersal For Reducing Cormorant Activity On Catfish Ponds, Donald F. Mott, Keith J. Andrews, Gary A. Littauer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Pyrotechnics and helicopter flyovers were used to harass double-crested connorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) at 4 roost sites in the Delta region of Mississippi. Roosting connorants were easily dispersed from 3 of the 4 sites. Average numbers of cormorants observed at selected catfish (lctaluridae) ponds and day roosts near foraging areas also declined after harassment began.

Economics And Effectiveness Of Control Methods: Fact And Fiction, Rick D. Owens, Dennis Slate

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife damage management decisions are often incorrectly viewed as being predicated solely upon economics. Although costs of wildlife damage and methods employed to reduce this damage are considerations in damage management decision-making, the selection and application of methods are also dependent upon environmental factors that include biological, physical, social, and legal influences. Professional decision-making involves an assessment of these factors on a case-by-case basis, to determine which methods and application strategies are environmentally cost-effective and therefore practical.

Bear Damage To Agriculture In Wisconsin, Laine R. Stowell, Robert C. Willging

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Black bear (Ursus americanus) are common in northern Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has established a population goal of 6,000 bears across 46,361 km2 of bear range. Bear damage to agriculture has occurred for over 50 years, and various strategies have been used to address these problems. Bear damage to agricultural crops and livestock became eligible for reimbursement by the state in 1939. The legislature terminated this program in 1980 in favor of a new program that placed greater emphasis on damage prevention than on compensation. Since 1984, WDNR has managed bear damage primarily through …

Evaluation Of A New Deer Repellent On Japanese Yews At Suburban Homesites, Roger W. Sayre, Milo E. Richmond

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Jersey, an experimental deer repellent, was field tested against 2 commercial repellents on Japanese yews (Taxus cuspidata) near Ithaca, New York, during spring 1990. In Experiment 1, plots (n = 24) of 4 individually-potted yews were established, with 2 yews at each plot randomly treated with Jersey and 2 left as controls. Plots of 4 (1 x 4, n = 12) and 16 (4 x 4, n = 2) plants were used in Experiment 2, with individual plants being treated with Jersey, Hinder^R, or Big Game Repellent^R (BGR^R) or left as controls. …

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 …

Status Of Coyotes And Coyote Depredations In Pennsylvania, Gary Witmer, Arnold Hayden

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The coyote (Canis latrans) population in Pennsylvania has grown in the last several decades to about 4,000. It continues to grow, despite a known annual harvest of more than 850 animals. There is a growing concern about the effects of coyotes on game and livestock populations. We discuss known and potential coyote-human conflicts in Pennsylvania and propose a program of depredation prevention and control. To be successful, the program requires cooperation, funding, research, educational materials, and training workshops.

Conference Summary And A Look To The Future, James E. Miller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

It is with mixed feelings that I agreed, somewhat reluctantly, to accept this challenge of trying to summarize the implications of this Fifth Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference. Even though it has been over 8 years ago, I still remember burning the midnight oil and working in the predawn hours on the last eve of the First Eastern Conference trying to prepare closing remarks for use by my former Deputy Administrator, Merrill L. "Pete" Petoskey. In fact, even though some of the guard has changed, at least one of the professionals who helped provide their insight as we prepared those …

Comparison Of Methods For Detecting Voles Under Apple Trees, Mark E. Tobin, Milo E. Richmond, Richard M. Engeman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We conducted a study in 2 heavily infested orchards in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York to evaluate methods for detecting the presence of meadow voles (MV, Microtus pennsylvanicus) and pine voles (PV, M. pinetorum) under apple trees. We quantified several possible signs indicating the presence of voles in each of the 4 quadrants under the canopy of each tree, and then set and monitored traps until capture success in the orchard declined to zero. There was no evidence that the 4 quadrants differed with respect to any of the variables examined. The apple slice index (ASI) was …

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, …

Perceptions And Realities: When Does 2 + 2 = 5?, Robert M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Perception and reality. One and the same, or are they different? There are certainly a diversity of perceptions. Are there also multiple realities?

The Quabbin Reservation White-Tailed Deer Impact Management Plan: A Case History, James A. Parkhurst, Robert W. O'Connor

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Quabbin Reservation, a 22,662-ha watershed management area located in west-central Massachusetts, is experiencing moderate to severe browsing pressure by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on much of the reservation's forested land. In many areas, park-like habitat exists where natural regeneration of the dominant mixed oak (Quercus spp.) forest has been severely repressed, or outright eliminated, due to repetitive browsing by deer. Understory composition is now dominated by patches of blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), thick carpets of hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula), and grasses. Managers are concerned that as the forest ages …

Interactions Between People And Wildlife In Urbanizing Landscapes, John Hadidian

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In little more than 100 years, America has been transformed from a rural to an urban society in which 8 out of every 10 people live in cities or associated metropolitan areas. This change has affected the way that people interact with wildlife and has introduced new and unique situations in which human-wildlife conflicts arise and must be dealt with. Most urban wildlife problems occur in and around primary residences or nodes (e.g., airports, golf courses, lake fronts) and involve only a few species. This relationship may change as urban landscapes mature or expand through restoration efforts, or as more …

Public Involvement In Coyote Management Decisions, Robert A. Inslerman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In 1990, the Legislature passed a bill that would have allowed year-round hunting of coyotes (Canis latrans) in New York's Northern Zone, as opposed to the current system of open and closed hunting seasons established annually by Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulation. The bill generated such controversy that it was withdrawn pending a study by DEC. The objectives of the study were to: (1) assess the role of the coyote in northern New York in relation to people, wildlife, and livestock; (2) provide adequate opportunity for citizens to express their opinions concerning coyotes; and (3) prepare a …

Tapping The Potential Of The Wildlife Rehabilitation Community For Public Education About Wildlife Damage Management, William F. Siemer, Tommy L. Brown, Patrick P. Martin, Randall D. Stumvoll

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife rehabilitators frequently interact with the public, but the extent and impact of their activities as public educators had never been well documented in New York State. In 1991 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) sponsored a mail survey of all 430 rehabilitators in New York to address this information need. Rehabilitators showed high interest and involvement in public education, and they reached a large audience, suggesting that they may hold potential as contributors to public education concerning wildlife damage control. Realizing that potential offers an incentive for DEC to work more closely with rehabilitators to provide …

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 …

Strategies To Control Rodent Damage In Sugar Bushes: An Update, Alan May, John Austin, Dennis Slate

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Efficacy trials using zinc phosphide (ZP) steam-rolled oats (2% a.i., EPA Reg. No. 56228-5), and cholecalciferol mixed (CHOL) grain bait (.075% a.i., EPA Reg. No. 12455-57), were conducted during summer 1990 to compare their effectiveness in controlling rodent damage to plastic tubing systems used to collect sap from sugar maples (Acer saccharum) in Vennont A 24( c) Special Local Needs registration for ZP to control rodent damage has existed in Vennont since the 19(i()s. However, no fonnal efficacy trials have been conducted for this specific use of ZP, and the previous supplemental label did not include instructions for …

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 …

Educational Opportunities At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Scott E. Hygnstrom

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

University students, particularly those enrolled in natural resources programs, make up one of the smallest, yet potentially most important and influential audiences for wildlife damage professionals. Considering that these students will be tomorrow's natural resources technicians, biologists, and administrators, I feel that it is critical that we provide them factual information about wildlife damage to increase their awareness of potential problems and solutions, and increase their ability to make well-informed decisions.

A Laboratory Study Of Predation On The Trinidadian Guppy, Poecilia Reticulata, By Two Natural Piscine Predators: Effects Of Predator Size, Prey Size, And Habitat Complexity, Hayden Thomas Mattingly

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Test populations of different-sized guppies, Poecilia reticulata, were exposed to individuals of two natural predatory species, the pike cichlid Crenicichla a/ta and the killifish Rivulus harti, under conditions of varying prey (guppy) density and habitat complexity in the laboratory. Rivulus fed most frequently on newborn and juvenile guppies < 14 mm. Crenicichla consumed more and larger guppies than did Rivulus. The mean guppy size eaten by Crenicichla was dependent on the length of the individual predator, but as a group, the 15 Crenicichla tested were non-selective with respect to guppy size and gender. The prey gender preference of Rivulus could not he determined …

The Identification, Distribution, And Status Of The Threatened Dismal Swamp Shrew (Sorex Longirostris Fisheri), Thomas M. Padgett

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Southeastern shrews (Sorex longirostris) were trapped throughout southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina to determine if any morphological characters could

be identified that would aid in the identification and distribution of the threatened subspecies Sorex l._ fisheri, endemic to the Great Dismal Swamp, the more upland nominate subspecies Sorex l. longirostris, and possible intergrades between the two subspecies. Animals were classified a priori into three groups, based on their location of capture. Animals collected from the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (GDSNWR) and associated bottomland habitats were designated as "fisheri", animals collected farthest from the Swamp as "longirostris", and …