Digital Commons Network^™

Correlates Of Success For On-Site Releases Of Nuisance Black Bears In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jay E. Clark, Frank T. Van Manen, Michael R. Pelton

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Since 1990, wildlife biologists in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) have used capture and on-site release as a management technique to reduce recurrence of nuisance activity by black bears (Ursus americanus). On-site release involves capture and immobilization of bears that frequent developed areas, collection of biological data, and subsequent release in the area of capture. Our objective was to identify factors related to success of this technique. We classified 85 on-site releases of black bears as successes or failures based on post-release observations and subsequent management actions at the release site. The success rate of on-site releases in GSMNP …

Wildlife Damage Management Class And Curriculum At The University Of Georgia, Michael T. Mengak, Douglas I. Hall

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Warnell School of Forest Resources at the University of Georgia offers a course in wildlife damage management. The 3-credit hour course is taught at the undergraduate/graduate level. Enrollment is restricted to 10 students. The course is offered in spring semester every year and co-taught by a wildlife faculty member and the State Director of USDA - Wildlife Services (WS), who holds adjunct faculty status. The course consists of 2 hours of classroom lecture and a minimum of 3 hours laboratory time each week. Lectures cover basic principles of wildlife damage control. Lab time is devoted to field exercises related …

Oral Rabies Vaccination: Reducing Economic Uncertainty Via Response Surface Analysis, Ray T. Sterner, Matthew M. Kling, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Dennis Slate

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Economic uncertainty surrounds the distribution of Raboral V-RG7 as an oral rabies vaccine (ORV) bait for the containment or elimination of raccoon-variant rabies in the United States. This paper describes a costs-savings model of ORV. lt also describes Excel XP7 code that was prepared to compute potential net savings (NS) and benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) associated with Raboral V-RG7 bait distributions. Currently, baits and bait distributions are relatively expensive; individual baits are produced at a cost of $1.27 for federal use and typically dispensed at >75 baits/km2. Distribution is estimated at $8.62/km2, $15.80/km2, and $33.30/km2 for fixed-winged (FW), ground (Gnd), and …

Integration Of Wildlife Damage Management Into The College Curriculum, S. Nicole Frey, Michael Conover

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The addition of wildlife damage management (WDM) to the university curriculum creates a well-rounded, more prepared graduate. WDM is the arena in which "pure science" is put to the test. Through the application of hypotheses derived from our traditional curricula, wildlife damage management students utilize the scientific method to try and solve problems pertinent to our modem world. The need for professionals well versed in WDM grows annually. Therefore, it is the responsibility of universities to train their students such that they will have the skills to compete in the expanding field of wildlife damage management. Once students have learned …

Challenges Of Implementing The Double-Crested Cormorant Environmental Impact Statement, Kristina Casscles Godwin, Tommy King, Peter Butchko, Richard Chipman

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Double-crested cormorant populations have increased over the last 20 years within the continental United States. Problems associated with this increase include impacts to commercial aquaculture, damage to property, vegetation, recreational fisheries, and natural resources, as well as concerns over inter-specific competition. Implementation of the forthcoming Environmental Impact Statement for the management of double-crested cormorants will be a monumental task. Several state and federal agencies, along with private citizens and various interest groups will have parts to play. USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services is expected to have a large part in the implementation of the plan. We discuss the proposed actions to be taken …

Agricultural Bird Control, The Evolution Of The Tools Of The Trade, Michael R. Taber

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Agricultural bird control has been going on for years. Trapping, shooting, hazing, baiting and exclusion all have a historical place in the ongoing struggle between man and bird. While individual techniques have come and gone due to cost, effectiveness and regulation, the standard need for crop protection remains a constant from California to New York, in everything from premium varietal wine grapes to sunflowers.

Beaver Population Size Estimation In Mississippi, Seth R. Swafford, Dale L. Nolte, Kris Godwin, Charles A. Sloan, Jeanne Jones

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Methods to better quantify beaver (Castor canadensis) population size need to be developed to assist in the direct control methods being implemented by Wildlife Services. Many state game and fish departments rely on lodge counts, cache counts, or fur harvest reports to estimate a statewide or regional population of beaver. However, Wildlife Services is concerned with estimating population size on a per site basis to assist in estimating project costs and to minimize the number of non-target captures. Six sites in Mississippi were selected to test various methods of population estimation. Various methods included indexing population size based on the …

Characteristics Of Spring And Fall Blackbird Roosts In The Northern Great Plains, George M. Linz, Richard S. Sawin, Mark W. Lutman, H. Jeffrey Homan, Linda B. Penry, William J. Bleier

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

To successfully reduce blackbird (Icteridae) damage to sunflower crops in the northern Great Plains, wildlife damage managers must be able to identify sites where large roosts could form in spring and fall. In 1998 and 1999, we measured several habitat and land-use characteristics of spring and fall blackbird roosts. Our objective was to quantify the relationship between roost formation and wetland habitat and land-use. We used data from 7 spring roosts and 12 fall blackbird roosts to set search guidelines that might increase the efficacy of locating potential roost sites in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains. …

Charismatic Mega-Fauna Or Vermin Vertebrate - Where Are You?, Gary J. San Julian

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife populations throughout much of the United States were decimated by the end of the 1800s. Many states established game agencies to protect wildlife and generate revenue through the sale of hunting licenses. These efforts were successful, populations grew, and citizens enjoyed seeing the large herbivores and camivores--the charismatic mega-fauna. In the past, most citizens and students had some tie with the farming community. Today's students often lack that link to the land and hunting. Wildlife agencies and universities are looking at ways to improve young professionals' understanding of the role hunting plays in management. Citizens that once left their …

Efficacy Of Zinc Phosphide For Controlling Norway Rats, Roof Rats, House Mice, Peromyscus Spp., Prairie Dogs And Ground Squirrels: A Literature Review (1942-2000), John D. Eisemann, Brett E. Petersen, Kathleen A. Fagerstone

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Zinc phosphide has been used as a control agent for commensal rodents for over 60 years. Studies utilizing zinc phosphide as a population control agent were gathered and summarized to determine its efficacy when baiting the Norway rat, roof rat, house mouse, Peromyscus spp., prairie dog and ground squirrel. Efficacy information was abundant for rats, squirrels, and prairie dogs. However, efficacy data for baiting mice with zinc phosphide was limited. Overall the data show that in both laboratory and field testing, control levels of greater than 70% can be achieved for commensal rodent pests. Bait acceptance appeared to be the …

The Role Of Wildlife In Human And Animal Disease, John R. Fischer, Richard W. Gerhold

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Strategies to assess and reduce risk associated with disease agents in wild animals must be based upon thorough knowledge of the epidemiology of the disease agent, specific local information, and other factors. Risk evaluation and management efforts will involve organizations with differing expertise and cooperation will be essential between wildlife management, public health, and domestic animal health agencies. Risk reduction strategies may be based upon manipulation of the disease agent, the host, the environment, and/or human activities. Management of human activity, particularly the promotion of biosecurity, may be the most efficient strategy because other measures are more difficult and expensive. …

Development And Field Evaluation Of An Elevated Bait Station For Control Of Deer Mice In Almonds, W. Paul Gorenzel, Terrell P. Salmon

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Deer mice (Peromyscus spp.) have been identified as a serious pest in almonds in portions of the San Joaquin Valley of California. Broadcast anticoagulant bait is normally used to control deer mice, but is prohibited in areas where the endangered giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens) occurs, leaving growers with no practical means of control. The objectives of this study were to design and test in the laboratory a disposable, spill-resistant, bait station for deer mice, and to field test the bait station in almond orchards.

We obtained 20 captive-bred deer mice and observed them interact with prototype bait stations in …

Mycobacterial Diseases In Wildlife, Gary Witmer, Thomas Deliberto, Kurt Vercauteren, Peter Butchko

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Mycobacterium infections occur in numerous wildlife species worldwide and this bacterial genus can also cause disease in humans and livestock. Two Mycobacterium species and one subspecies that infect wildlife are important from a wildlife damage management perspective. Mycobacterium avium, avian tuberculosis, is a ubiquitous and cosmopolitan disease of wild and domestic birds. Wild and domestic ruminants are host to M. avium paratuberculosis, also known as Johne's disease. Finally, Mycobaterium bovis, bovine tuberculosis, is primarily associated with domestic and wild bovines and ungulates, but also infects many other species of mammals. Eradicating these diseases from wildlife populations is very difficult if …

The Ecology Of New World Rodent Borne Hemorrhagic Fevers, Darin S. Carroll, Emily Jentes, James N. Mills

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Few, if any, human settlements are free of peridomestic rodent populations. The threat of rodent borne zoonotic diseases has been widely recognized since the bubonic plague outbreaks of the Middle Ages. In the last decades, outbreaks of human disease caused by the rodent borne hemorrhagic fever viruses, the arenaviruses (family Arenaviridae), and the hantaviruses (family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus) have again generated interest in the general public and scientific community regarding the biology of these types of diseases. Recent studies have identified more than 30 new members of these two groups of viruses. Most are associated with rodents in the family …

The Wildlife Society And Wildlife Damage Management Professionals, Robert J. Warren

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Wildlife Society (TWS) recognizes wildlife-human interactions as both a challenge and an opportunity whereby we can serve the wildlife profession and human society. TWS first officially supported wildlife damage management professionals in 1959 when it created the TWS Committee on Economic Losses Caused by Vertebrates. In 1994, this committee ultimately became the TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group (WDMWG), whose goal is to better understand and manage the biological, ecological, social, political, legal, and economic aspects of wildlife-human interactions. The WDMWG has sponsored numerous symposia, workshops, publications, etc., all of which are designed to serve TWS, wildlife damage management …

Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Reproduction-Monitoring And Predator-Removal Variables Associated With Protection Of The Endangered California Least Tern, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Ray T. Sterner, John W. Turman, Brian D. Foster

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The California least tern (Sterna antillarium brownii) is an endangered, small (<25 >cm), ground-nesting shorebird that winters along the Pacific Coast of Central America and nests in colonies on coastal dunes and beaches from southern Baja to San Francisco, California. It was one of the originally listed species contained in the Endangered Species Act in 1970. Major nest sites remain at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. During the past 15 years, adult tern counts have increased from about 300 to over 600 breeding pairs at the site. This poster provides results of an empirical analysis of annual fixed-cost agreements (1995-2001) …

Devices For Vertebrate Pest Control: Are They Of Value?, Robert M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Electromagnetic, sonic, and ultrasonic devices claiming effectiveness in controlling rodents and other pests have seen resurgence in the marketplace. Laboratory and field tests of such devices have generally failed to show they are effective, despite advertising claims. Rodent burrow exploders have been marketed for use against pocket gophers, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and other burrowing rodents since the 1980s. Field tests indicate these exploders are expensive to use and typically provide unacceptably low efficacy. Vehicle-mounted devices to scare deer off roadways, with many claiming to generate ultrasonic sound, have been widely sold. Studies reveal that deer are unable to hear …

Management Of Rodent Populations At Airports, Gary W. Witmer, Jessica W. Fantinato

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Birds pose serious hazards at U.S. airports because of the potential for collisions with aircraft. Raptors, in particular, are hazardous to aircraft safety due to their size, hunting behavior, and hovering /soaring habits. Reduction of rodent populations at an airport may decrease raptor populations in the area and therefore, reduce the risk that raptors pose to aircraft. Rodent populations can be reduced by population management (i.e., use of rodenticides) or by habitat management (i.e., vegetation management, barriers, and land uses) that reduces the area's carrying capacity for rodents. We discuss potential approaches to reduce rodent populations at airports within the …

Eradication Of A Bovine Tuberculosis-Positive Captive Cervid Herd In Northeast Michigan, Peter H. Butchko, Anthony G. Duffiney, Jr., Andrew J. Montoney

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In December 1997, bovine tuberculosis was detected in a white-tailed deer taken at a commercial deer hunting ranch in Presque Isle County, Michigan. Since captive cervidae are considered agricultural livestock in Michigan, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) ordered the depopulation of the herd. In 1998, USDA, Wildlife Services (WS) entered into a cooperative agreement with MDA to depopulate the herd from the ranch. The facility covered approximately 1500 ac of natural vegetation, including 400 ac of dense cedar swamp. The captive herd was thought to contain approximately 600 animals, most of which were white-tailed deer. This project presented two …

Attitudes Of University Students About Wildlife Damage Management: Effects Of Gender, Residence, And Classroom Experience, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Robert M. Timm

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We evaluated the pre-and post-class responses of 142 university students enrolled in a 3-credit course on wildlife damage management during 1989-1996. Their knowledge of the status, distribution, and behavior of coyotes (Canis latrans) was remarkably high in the pre-and post-class surveys, yet males and urban students demonstrated an increase in knowledge after taking the course. "Specificity" was the most important factor that would influence the selection of a management technique, across gender and residence groups. Females, however, had a higher affinity for "humaneness," and "cost" was more important among males. Lethal methods of control were more acceptable to students after …

Feral Swine---Are They A Disease Threat To Livestock In The United States?, Gary W. Witmer, Robert B. Sanders, Arnold C. Taft

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Feral swine populations provide both benefits and liabilities to citizens of the United States. Their expanding range and increasing densities, however, have raised concern over the adverse environmental and agricultural effects and the increased risk of disease transmission between feral swine and livestock. We discuss the role of feral swine in the transmission of wildlife diseases and, in particular, in diseases of national significance to the livestock industry. We also discuss available management tools and strategies for reducing feral swine populations, minimizing damage or disease occurrences and eradicating populations when deemed appropriate. Finally, we note areas of research that may …

Double-Crested Cormorant Impacts To Commercial And Natural Resources, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Brian S. Dorr

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The North American population of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) has increased at an annual rate of 6.8% since 1966, with regional growth exceeding 20%/year since 1990 in Ontario and states bordering the Great Lakes. Population numbers, though operating under biological carrying capacity, have exceeded acceptance capacity with several wildlife stakeholder groups throughout Canada and the United States. Stakeholder concerns predominantly focus around social, ecological, and economic values associated with habitat destruction, changes in recreational fisheries, and loss of production at aquaculture facilities. We describe perceptible impacts to these commercial and natural resources, and discuss current research and management efforts focused …

The Use Of Toxicants In Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Management: An Overview, Gary W. Witmer, Kathleen A. Fagerstone

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Black-tailed prairie dogs pose management challenges to landowners and resource managers. They are viewed as either a pest when they cause damage to vegetation or property or pose a disease hazard or, conversely, as a valuable Akeystone@ species representative of reasonably intact prairie ecosystems. When conflicts arise with prairie dog colonies, the two main options are capture and relocation or lethal removal. There are a number of vertebrate toxicants registered for field use in the United States, but few are currently registered for prairie dog control. Only one, zinc phosphide, can be applied above ground as a grain bait. The …

A Review Of Pathogens Of Agricultural And Human Health Interest Found In Canada Geese, Larry Clark

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The roles that waterfowl in general, and Canada geese in particular, have in the dissemination and transmission of viral and bacterial diseases of human or agricultural importance are covered in this review. In addition to the biological information about the etiology of the disease, economic impacts and zoonotic potential of viral and bacterial pathogens are considered. In most cases existing evidence suggests the importance of waterfowl in disease dissemination and transmission, however, definitive data are often lacking, indicating the need for more directed studies before quantitative risk assessments can be made. Finally, a brief assessment of management options is considered.

Teaching Wildlife Damage Management Through Service-Learning, Greg K. Yarrow

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

As human-wildlife conflicts in South Carolina continue to increase, it became evident that students in the natural resource majors at Clemson University were not receiving the proper training and exposure to wildlife damage issues and management. To address this need, an undergraduate and graduate course was developed to expose students to various techniques used to reduce human-wildlife conflicts. Other topic areas included the philosophical, sociological, ecological and economic basis for controlling damage caused by individual animals or populations of problem wildlife. The course involves a high degree of service-learning addressing human-wildlife conflict issues in South Carolina.

Endangered Fish Passage Project At The Grand Valley Project Diversion Dam And Fish Screen In The Government Highline Canal, United State Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

Parker Mountain Adaptive Resource Management Plan 2002 Annual Report, Utah State University Extension

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Gunnison Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan Update San Juan County, Utah, Utah State University Extension

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Genre And The Invention Of The Writer: Reconsidering The Place Of Invention In Composition, Anis S. Bawarshi

All USU Press Publications

In a focused and compelling discussion, Anis Bawarshi looks to genre theory for what it can contribute to a refined understanding of invention. In describing what he calls "the genre function," he explores what is at stake for the study and teaching of writing to imagine invention as a way that writers locate themselves, via genres, within various positions and activities. He argues, in fact, that invention is a process in which writers are acted upon by genres as much as they act themselves. Such an approach naturally requires the composition scholar to re-place invention from the writer to the …

Water Wise: Native Plants For Intermountain Landscapes, Wendy Mee, Jared Barnes, Roger Kjelgren, Richard Sutton

All USU Press Publications

This comprehensive volume provides specific information about shrubs, trees, grasses, forbs, and cacti that are native to most states in the Intermountain West, and that can be used in landscaping to conserve water, reflect and preserve the region's landscape character, and help protect its ecological integrity. The book is an invaluable guide for the professional landscaper, horticulturist, and others in the Intermountain nursery industry, as well as for the student, general reader, gardener, and homeowner. Water Wise is both convenient and comprehensive. The heart of the book presents hundreds of species, devoting a full page to each, with a description …