Digital Commons Network^™

Epistomatal Wax Injury To Red Spruce Needles (Picea Rubens Sarg.) Grown In Elevated Levels Of Ozone And Acidified Rain, C. R. Krause, W. N. Cannon Jr.

Scanning Microscopy

Red spruce seedlings (Picea rubens Sarg.) were exposed to charcoal-filtered air, at 0.07 ppm or 0.15 ppm ozone (O₃), alone or in combination with pH 4.2 or pH 3.0 acidified rain, and examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine if epistomatal wax fine structure was affected. Acidified rain in combination with 0.15 ppm O₃ produced changes in wax tubule morphology. Changes were moderate at pH 4.2 and severe at pH 3.0. Needles collected from Whiteface Mountain, New York, displayed injured epistomatal wax structure similar to that observed on needles exposed in the laboratory to 0.15 …

Cellular Basis Of Aging In The Mammalian Heart, Piero Anversa, Joseph M. Capasso

Scanning Microscopy

This review is concerned with the functional and structural changes occurring in the aging heart. These changes were investigated in an integrated fashion in Fischer 344 rats at 4, 12, 20, and 29 months after birth. Mean arterial pressure, left ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressures, as well as stroke volume remained substantially constant up to 20 months. At 29 months, however, end-diastolic pressure was significantly increased, and dP/dt and stroke volume were depressed. Focal areas of interstitial and replacement fibrosis were markedly increased at 20 and 29 months, mostly in the subendocardial region of the ventricular wall. Also the aggregate …

The Role Of The Spleen In Lymphocyte Migration, R. Pabst, J. Westermann

Scanning Microscopy

In all species studied so far it was found that more lymphocytes migrate to the spleen than to all the lymph nodes together. Specific molecules on lymphocytes and endothelial cells regulate their entry into lymph nodes, but none of the known molecules play a role in homing to the spleen. The splenic compartments, comprising the red pulp, marginal zone, periarterial lymphatic sheath (PALS) and follicles, all show different kinetics for migrating lymphocytes. By combining ⁵¹Cr lymphocyte labeling with morphometry and two color immunohistochemistry, the migratory route of lymphocyte subsets can be followed through the spleen and absolute numbers of …

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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 camp grounds, but will be extended as the outbreak progresses to include urban parks and those residential communities having …

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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 …

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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

Wildlife Damage Management: Policy And Professional Considerations, Harry E. Hodgdon

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

I am honored by the opportunity to be part of this conference and to participate with such a distinguished panel this morning.

Today I have been asked to address policy and professional considerations as they relate to wildlife damage management. As an advocate of professional wildlife management, I will share with you some of the problems and issues that confront, frustrate, and confound us; some sense of the problems that lie ahead; and some thoughts on what we need to do to ensure the wildlife profession remains relevant in the future.

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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

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

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

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

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …