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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 (Gayl ussacia baccata), thick carpets of hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula), and grasses. Managers are concerned that as the …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

Jersey, an experimental deer repellent, was field tested against 2 commercial repellents on Japanese yews (Taxuscuspidata) near Ithaca, New York, during spring 1990. In Experiment 1, plots (nnn = 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 nn =12) and 16 (4 x 4, nnn = 2) plants were used in Experiment 2, with individual plants being treated with Jersey, Hinder”, or Big Game RepellentR (BGRR) or left as controls. Photographs with a …

Training Tomorrow's Specialists In Wildlife Damage Management, Robert H. Schmidt, Michael R. Conover, Frederik F. Knowlton, Terry A. Messmer

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

In 1990, Utah State University (tJSLT) 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 Progress 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 pub understanding of the role of wildlife damage management in today's society.

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 DRVAs interacts with the perceived benefits provided by deer, to …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 is a …

Ecological Considerations In The Management Of Wildlife Damage , Robert K. Swihart

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

Strategies for managing wildlife damage may be divided into 3 broad categories: direct manipulation of populations, manipulation of behavioral or ecological traits of pest species, and manipulation of environmental features. For each of these categories, I review the importance of ecological considerations in determining the effectiveness of management strategies. Proper incorporation of ecological information is important to the success of management strategies in all 3 categories. I predict that future demands will increase for ecologically-based strategies that require minimal intervention, and for integration of management strategies that simultaneously address problems posed by both vertebrate and invertebrate pests. Several recent ecologically-based …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 …

Management Of Human-Raccoon Interaction In The Midst Of A Race Rabies Outbreak, Charles V. Trimarchi, John G. Debbie

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

The rabies epizootic that had affected raccoon (Procyon lotor) populations in the southeastern United States since the mid-1950s jumped to West Virginia in 1977, the apparent result of importation of raccoons from Florida. During the following 14 years, the disease spread through raccoon populations in the mid-Atlantic states, so that by early 1991 infected raccoons had been identified in areas of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Although raccoons have remained the primary vector of the disease throughout the affected areas, spillover has occurred into other wildlife, including skunks …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

A series of bioassays was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of soap and soap components as deer (Odocoi virginianus) repellents. Sweet-corn plots protected with tallow-based soap bars, nontallow bars, and those sprayed with commercial repellent Hinder”, experienced significantly reduced browsing compared with untreated plots. Damage top 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 native vegetation over a 126-day period. The addition of perfume did not enhance …

Volume 1 - February 1, 1991

What on Earth

What on Earth was a short-run student publication by the Providence College Environmental and Wildlife Club. (Volume 1 - February 1, 1991 - 8 pages total.)

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

The Pennsylvania Game Commission authorized an extension of the 1990-1991 anterless 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 completed 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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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

Extension Wildlife Damage Management In Alabama, James B. Armstrong

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 Mesuroll to control bird depredations felt that the severity of bird damage increased in 1989 when the registration for Mesuroll 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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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.

It will be my purpose to discuss the responsibilities of various agencies and stress the obvious imperative of coordination, cooperation, and support. In keeping with the conference theme, I would like to develop the concept that the cooperating agencies should assume a greater …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

During 1990 and 1991, feral pigeon (Columbia tivia) baiting programs using compound DRC-1339 were con in 6 cities in Kentucky and Tennessee. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Damage Control (ADC) personnel evaluated each problem site, selected bait sites, supervised prebaidng, mixed, and toxic bait. In most cases, local personnel conducted the prebaiting and disposed of dead birds. Seven pigeon flocks con 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 areas or on rooftops where they were not …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 terms 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 …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 1991), 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 these estimates was attributed …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

Urban populations of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) cause considerable problems when large numbers congregate in parks, playing fields, and backyards. In most cases, geese are drawn to these sites to feed on the lawns. I tested whether geese have feeding preferences for different grass species. Captive Canada geese preferred Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and disliked tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae) over colonial bentgrass (Agrostis tenuis cv. Highland), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and red fescue (Festuca rubra). They refused to eat some other ground covers such as pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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 …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

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

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

Two commercial (ReJeX-iTR brand) formulations of methyl anthranilate (MA), at concentrations of 0.10 - 0.5096 (0 -0.32% active ingredient [a.i.]), were highly effective in repelling mallards (Anal plaryrhynchos), and ring-billed gulls (detawarensis) from pools of water in pen tests. For mallards, pool entries and bill contacts with water in MA-treated pools 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 1-choice test. For gulls, the repellency levels were even higher, with activity levels in treated pools being < 1% of levels untreated pools during I- and 2-choice tests. We recommend further pen tests to determine minimum effective concentrate levels and a field test to determine responses of free-ranging birds.

Modification Of Raccoon Food Resources In Parks To Reduce Rabies Risks To Humans, Stephen C. Frantz

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

In May 1990, the mid-Atlantic raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies epizootic crossed New York State's southern border. By the end of the year, 84 rabid raccoons had been identified from a 400-km "front" in the State's southern tier of counties. By about mid-February 1991, the number of confirmed rabid raccoons increased to 134. Major metropolitan areas are threatened and predictions for the future indicate a pressing need for information and services by various government agencies. High-risk areas currently are park campgrounds, but will be extended as the outbreak progresses to include urban parks and those residential communities having large raccoon populations. …

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

Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference: 5th (1991)

Relationships among pigeons, raptors, and man are well documented. However, there has been little effort to study conflict between pigeon fanciers and raptors that prey upon racing pigeons. A questionnaire concerning the characteristics 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. Lots located at the edge of wooded areas experienced the most attacks (n =182). Most fanciers (n =154) indicated that raptor attacks were distributed throughout the day.

Water Resources Review - February 1991 Vol 4 No 1, Annis Water Resources Institute

AWRI Reviews

No abstract provided.

Anaerobic Biological Treatment Of Incinerator Ash To Immobilize Toxic Metal Residues, Uma Parasar

Theses

In this study, a reliable and inexpensive method for biologically immobilizing toxic heavy metal residues present in very high concentrations in incinerator ash was developed. Desulfovibrzo, a genus of sulfate-reducing bacteria was cultured and treated with combined ash under anaerobic conditions. The carbon source, lactate, and the electron acceptor, sulfate, were provided to the cultures for their normal growth. Since the sulfate reducers utilize organic matter using sulfate as the oxidizing agent, sulfides are the corresponding end products of the reaction. Ash was added to well established cultures of desu f ovibrio. Immobilization of the heavy metals in the ash …

Gas Chromatographic Method For Determination Of 28 Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted From A Sewerage Plant, Yeming Sun

Theses

In this study, 28 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the Linden Roselle Sewerage Authority Plant (LRSA) were monitered. The determination by gas chromatography (GC) is presented. This work emphasizes the collection of whole air samples, using a canister-based sampling system with cryogenic concentration. An appropriate temperature program was selected to obtain the best sample separation. The procedure for the identification of 28 standard gas mixture was achieved by comparing the chromatograms of sample with those of the specific groups of target compounds, as well as by comparing the sample with the results from GC Mass spectrometeric analysis. Because of …

Thermal Desorption Of Contaminated Soils, Hsi-Ming Sung

Theses

A new method by employing the heating probe for the in-situ cleanup of soils that are contaminated with volatile organic hazardous substances is explored. This investigation is a laboratory simulation that was aimed to evaluate the feasibility of desorption of volatile organic compoumds (VOCs) from soil, and to determine the efficiency of the heating probe for maximum desorption.

Two organic compounds, Trichloroethylene, Carbon tetrachloride, were selected as simulants. The experimental results demonstrate that the removal efficiency range from 97.65% to >99.95% of Trichloroethylene and 98.14% to >99.95% of Carbon tetrachloride can be recovered for a 24 hour interval with a …