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Overwater Nesting By Ducks: A Review And Management Implications, Stephen H. Bouffard, David E. Sharp, Carol C. Evans

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Nest success of overwater duck nests is generally higher than nests in upland sites. A review of the literature indicated that the major factors limiting success of overwater nests were fluctuating water levels, nest parasitism, predation, and human disturbance. Regional patterns of the occurrence of these factors could not be discerned. General management guidelines for improved recruitment and reduced nesting female mortality are suggested.

A Statistical Model Of Expansion In A Colony Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, R. P. Cincotta, D. W. Uresk, R. M. Hansen

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

To predict prairie dog establishment in areas adjacent to a colony we sampled: (1) VISIBILITY through the vegetation using a target, (2) POPULATION DENSITY at the colony edge, (3) DISTANCE from the edge to the potential site of settlement, and (4) % FORB COVER. Step-wise regression analysis indicated that establishment of prairie dogs in adjacent prairie was most likely to occur when an area was near a densely populated colony edge with high visibility through the vegetation.

Policy And Goals Of The U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, Harold A. Doty

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

A recent memo out of our regional office says that we shall refer to this subject as seasonal predator management. You know it covers a lot of other terms; we used to call it predator control and so on. But going back to the origins of predator management in this country, we generally think of protecting domestic crops, be it trees or grains or sheep or cattle.

If you turn in another direction and look towards Europe, you can see many centuries of involvement in use of the land. There game is a product of the land and is owned …

Historical And Present Status Of The Black-Footed Ferret, Dean E. Biggins, Max H. Schroeder

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was once widely distributed in the Great Plains and intermountain valleys of North America, its range overlapping the combined ranges of several species of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Most life history information has been obtained from studies of ferrets in southwestern South Dakota (1964-1974) and studies near Meeteetse, Wyoming (1981-present). The ferret's nearly complete dependence on prairie dogs was documented in both study areas. The recent collapse of the Meeteetse population of ferrets due to an outbreak of canine distemper underscores the threat posed by this disease, but reductions of prairie dogs …

Rodent Damage To Various Annual And Perennial Crops Of India And Its Management, Ranjan Advani

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The results of about 12 years' study deals with rodent damage to several annual and perennial crops of India including cereal, vegetable, fruit, plantation and other cash crops. The rodent species composition in order of predominance infesting different crops and cropping patterns percent damages and cost effectiveness of rodent control operations in each crop and status of rodent management by predators are analysed.

Radiosensitivity Parameters For Neoplastic Transformations In C3h10t1/2 Cells, M. P. R. Waligorski, G. L. Sinclair, Robert Katz

Robert Katz Publications

We have evaluated radiosensitivity parameters for cellular transformation from published experimental data on neoplastic transformations induced in C3H10T1/2 cells by BEVALAC ions. The measured RBE values are well reproduced by a track theory calculation using sets of m-target parameters with either m = 2 or m = 3, suggesting a quadratic or cubic extrapolation to low doses of γ rays. Using track theory one is thus able to predict transformation frequencies in those cells after an arbitrary radiation field, under known or assumed conditions of exposure, in a manner shown earlier for cellular survival. Extension of these calculations to interpret …

Diving Birds Of North America: Literature Cited, Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

14 pages, with more than 500 references.

Cougar Predation On Livestock In New Mexico, January 1983 Through June 1984, Gary A. Littauer, Ronald J. White

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

A telephone survey was conducted in which the objective was to obtain information from the entire population of livestock producers in New Mexico who had losses to cougars (Felis concolor) in 1983 and the first six months of 1984. A total of 103 ranchers reported losses in 1983 and 60 reported losses in the first six months of 1984. Verified (by examination of kills) losses of sheep and lambs to cougars totaled 1,202 in 1983 and 525 in the first half of 1984. Verified losses of cattle and calves totaled 230 in 1983 and 102 in the first half of …

Efficacy Of Aluminum Phosphide For Black-Tailed Prairie Dog And Yellow-Faced Pocket Gopher Control, P. Rodger Moline, Stephen Demarais

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The efficacy of aluminum phosphide was tested on a total of 300 active black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) mounds and 68 active yellow-faced pocket gopher (Pappogeomys castanops) tunnels during June-August, 1986 on the southern Great Plains in Lubbock County, Texas. Efficacy of aluminum phosphide was higher than controls (P < 0.001) for both species. Efficacy was higher for black-tailed prairie dogs (94.7 - 96.0%) than for pocket gophers (61.5 - 85.7%). Soil porosity and moisture appeared to influence efficacy for yellow—faced pocket gophers.

Diving Birds Of North America: Frontmatter, Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Contents
List of Illustrations and Tables
Preface

Diving Birds Of North America: Species Accounts — Loons (Gaviidae), Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Loons are large diving birds having long, straight, and acutely pointed bills, with feathers covering the lores (region between eye and bill) and extending to the linear nostrils. There are 10 functional primaries and 22–23 secondaries, the inner secondaries shorter than the primaries. Molting of the remiges (flight feathers) is simultaneous, and the wings are not used for underwater propulsion. The 16–20 rectrices (tail feathers) are short and stiff. The body feathers are shiny and water-resistant; aftershafts and adult down feathers are present. The legs are set extremely far back on the body, making standing very difficult and walking or …

Diving Birds Of North America: Species Accounts — Grebes (Podicipedidae), Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds having bills that vary from short and rather blunt tipped to long and acutely pointed, with bare lores and head feathers not extending to the linear or oval nostrils. There are 11 functional primaries and 17–22 secondaries, the inner secondaries longer than the primaries. Molting of the primaries is simultaneous; the wings are not used for underwater propulsion, which is provided by the feet. The rectrices are soft, rudimentary, and hidden. The body feathers are small, water-resistant, and shiny. Aftershafts and adult down feathers are present. The legs are set extremely far back …

Demography And Population Dynamics Of Prairie Dogs, John L. Hoogland, Diane Kay Angell, James G. Daley, Matthew C. Radcliffe

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

For the last 14 years, we have been studying the sociobiology, demography, and population dynamics of blacktailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. Our study colony covers 6.6 hectares (16 acres) and has not expanded during the period of research; in late spring of each year the colony contains a mean ± SD of 133 ± 29 adults and yearlings and 81 ± 33 juveniles. We have discovered four surprising aspects of the demography and populations dynamics of prairie dogs. (1) Mortality during the first year is approximately 50% for both sexes. Those males that …

Control Of One Native Animal Species To Benefit Another Native Species, John T. Lokemoen

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

This paper expresses my feelings on the topic of controlling one native animal species (small carnivores) for the benefit of another native species (waterfowl). The relationship between the predator and prey has always been an interesting one. During much of man's experience with wildlife, predators were generally feared and persecuted. It was almost universally agreed that killing predators resulted in larger game populations, which man wanted for food or sport.

A Field Habitat Model For Black-Footed Ferrets, Brian J. Miller, George E. Menkens Jr., Stanley H. Anderson

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

We present a model to compare prairie dog complexes with known black-footed ferret habitat. The model assumes: 1) black-footed ferret populations require prairie dog colonies for survival, 2) prairie dog colonies can accommodate an additional black-footed ferret for each approximate 50 hectare increase in size, 3) a higher percentage of overall area covered by prairie dogs can accommodate more black-footed ferrets. We list four biological variables. They are: 1) total hectares in prairie dog colonies, 2) percent of total complex inhabited by prairie dogs, 3) intercolony distance, 4) an estimate of burrow density per hectare. In addition, two non-biological parameters …

Small Mammals: Pests Or Vital Components Of The Ecosystem, Carolyn Hull Sieg

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Small mammals regarded as "pests" should not be viewed separately from other components in the ecosystem. Small mammals have significant influences on vegetation and soils, exert predatory pressure on other animals, and provide food for predators. Future management efforts should include consideration of these diverse influences.

A Chronology Of Prairie Dog Control Operations And Related Developments In South Dakota, Rew Hanson

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The black-tailed prairie dog is a South Dakota native with a long history of controversy regarding its activities and control. The first organized efforts in prairie dog control date back to 1914 but little information was recorded until 1919 with some county operations and the passing of a rodent control law by the South Dakota Legislature. Nine west river counties reported treating a total of 398,000 acres of prairie dogs in 1920.

Kansas Wildlife Damage Reporting System, Bart L. Hettenbach

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

In the past several years Kansas State University's Extension Wildlife Damage Control Program and the Kansas Fish and Game agency have developed a cooperative program for reporting wildlife damage complaints. The paper will present some data collected, describe the usefulness of this data and provide some data interpretation.

Diving Birds Of North America: 1 General Attributes And Evolutionary Relationships, Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Loons, grebes, and auks comprise a rather large number of species of aquatic diving birds that are fairly unfamiliar to most people, inasmuch as they tend to spend much of their time well away from shore and, when approached on the water, usually dive inconspicuously and reappear a considerable distance away. Thus in many areas grebes, simply called "helldivers," are often confused with coots or even diving ducks. Many people know loons only by their wild, penetrating cries and romantically associate them with northern woods and lakes, while auks are symbolic of arctic coastal cliffs. But ornithologists can find fascinating …

Diving Birds Of North America: 4 Comparative Diets And Foraging Ecologies, Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Auks, loons, and grebes are birds whose anatomies and behaviors have been sharply influenced by their foraging niche adaptations. In each species these have evolved through natural selection over extended periods of geologic time as a reflection of available food resources, the presence of competing species, and the limitations on innate variations in anatomy, physiology, and behavior imposed by available genetic mutations and recombinations. To a very considerable degree the auks, loons, and grebes seem to have adjusted to the effects of interspecific competition by evolving differences in bill shape and body size that sometimes open specific new foraging niche …

Diving Birds Of North America: Species Accounts — Auks (Alcidae), Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Auks are small to medium-sized diving birds having bills that are variably pointed and compressed but never acuminate and are sometimes covered with colorful horny sheaths in breeding adults. Feathering densely covers the lores and often extends to the nostrils, which vary from linear to oval. There are 10 functional primaries and 15–19 secondaries; the greater secondary and primary coverts are usually lengthened. Molting of the primaries is usually simultaneous but is gradual in some species; the wings are used for underwater propulsion, and the feet are then used mainly for steering. The 12–18 rectrices are short and normal in …

White-Tailed Prairie Dog Ecology In Wyoming, George E. Menkens Jr., Brian J. Miller, Stanley H. Anderson

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

White-tailed prairie dog populations and habitats were studied on six towns in Wyoming. Habitats and habitat structure varied greatly both within and between towns. Prairie dog populations on each town were found to fluctuate by more than 50% between consecutive years. Prairie dog density was not significantly related to burrow density indicating that burrow density was not a useful predictor of population density.

Diving Birds Of North America [Complete Book], Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Considering the great nostalgic attraction of such birds as the common loon for people who have lived at least part of their lives around the lakes of Canada and the northern United States, and given the endearing visual appeal of species like puffins and auklets, it is rather surprising that there are so few books on these groups of aquatic birds. During my childhood summers at our Minnesota lake cottage I used to spend hours watching loons and red-necked grebes, and I marveled at their wonderful diving ability and powerful voices. Much later, the wild puffins and massed breeding colonies …

Diving Birds Of North America: 6 Comparative Life Histories And Reproductive Success Rates, Paul A. Johnsgard

Diving Birds of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

It is now well recognized that, like behavior, a species' life history characteristics, such as age at sexual maturity, clutch sizes, and incubation, brooding, and fledging patterns, are evolved traits that may be strongly influenced by a variety of ecological factors. Within the auks, loons, and grebes one can find variations in the age at sexual maturity and time of first breeding ranging from as little as 1 to as many as 5 or 6 years, average clutch sizes that range from 1 to 4 eggs, and substantial variations in adult survival rates and maximum longevity. However, compared with such …

Adc In The U.S. Department Of Agriculture, Gerald J. Fichtner

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

ADC transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture by Public Law 99-190. Parameters of ADC in USDA are that the program is biologically sound, environmentally acceptable, and economically feasible. Major program components are cooperative operational control, education and information, and research. The National Animal Damage Control Advisory Committee is being formed. The American Society for Testing and Materials is helping on research priorities. A line-staff organization has been put in place within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in USDA.

Field Evaluation Of Olfactory Attractants And Strategies Used To Capture Depredating Coyotes, George E. Graves, Major L. Boddicker

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Forty-five experimental and commercial olfactory attractants (lures) were tested under field conditions over a 30-month period to evaluate attractiveness to coyotes, elicited behaviors, and responses with lethal and simulated lethal coyote capture devices. The top 7 lures evaluated in spring and summer test periods that produced the highest simulated coyote capture rates with trap rings, M-44 heads, and break-away snares were WU 15-20%, Sheep Liver Extract, and (Carman's) Canine Distance Call Lure; (Carman's) Final Touch, Rotten Meat Odor, and TMAD 10%; and Estrous Urine Fractions, respectively.

Duck Nest Success And Predators In North Dakota, South Dakota, And Montana: The Central Flyway Study, Michael A. Johnson, Thomas C. Hinz, Thomas L. Kuck

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Data on duck nest success and the distribution and abundance of nest predators were obtained from nine study areas in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. Success rates were extremely low due to predation and duck production over much of the region may be insufficient to maintain populations.

Increasing Waterfowl Production On Points And Islands By Reducing Mammalian Predation, John T. Lokemoen, Richard W. Schnaderbeck, Robert Woodward

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

On 12 points, with electric predator barriers, there were 0.84 duck nests per acre with a hatching rate of 60%. On 12 control points, there were 0.23 nests per acre with a hatching rate of 8%. On 9 islands where predators were removed, there were 851 nests in 1986 with 87% nest success. In 1984 and 1985, before predators were controlled, these islands contained 52 nests with 8% nest success. The management cost to produce hatched young on treated points was $7.13 compared with $0.33 for each hatched young on islands.

Relevant Characteristics Of Zinc Phosphide As A Rodenticide, Rex E. Marsh

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Zinc phosphide has a long history of use and remains an important rodenticide for both commensal and select field rodents. A long list of significant characteristics contributes to its relative safety to nontarget species. It is zinc phosphide's relative safeness to humans, most livestock, and nontarget wildlife that has kept it in vogue, A most relevant and highly proclaimed characteristic is its general lack of potential secondary hazard to predators and scavengers. Poor or inconsistent efficacy on certain field rodents is a major shortcoming that can, in part, be compensated for by prebaiting. Zinc phosphide's favorable characteristics support its continued …

Rodenticidal Effects Of Zinc Phosphide And Strychnine Of Nontarget Species, Daniel W. Uresk, Rudy M. King, Anthony D. Apa, Michele S. Deisch, Raymond L. Linder

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

When three rodenticide treatments—zinc phosphide (prebaited) and strychnine (both with and without prebait)were evaluated, zinc phosphide was the most effective in reducing active burrows of prairie dogs; but, it also resulted in a reduction in deer mouse densities. One month after treatment, counts of fecal pellets of eastern cottontails were greater on areas treated with strychnine without prebait than on sites treated with zinc phosphide. Eight months after treatment, no differences could be detected among rodenticides for either leporid. Horned lark densities were reduced 61% on sites treated with strychnine only.