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United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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A Review Of Pathogens Of Agricultural And Human Health Interest Found In Canada Geese, Larry Clark Jan 2003

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

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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.


Wading Bird Management And Research On North American Aquaculture Facilities, Brian Dorr, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii Jan 2003

Wading Bird Management And Research On North American Aquaculture Facilities, Brian Dorr, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Aquaculture in North America varies geographically with respect to species cultured, annual production, size, complexity, and spatial arrangement of facilities. Species assemblages of predacious birds using aquaculture facilities also vary with many of these industry characteristics. Wading birds are highly adaptable, relatively ubiquitous throughout the aquaculture industry, and often associated with fish depredation problems at aquaculture facilities. Suitability of information regarding the impacts of wading birds to aquaculture varies dramatically by depredating species and industry sector. Great blue herons (Ardea herodias) cause considerable depredation losses on trout aquaculture in the Northeast, and current research suggests that little blue …


Restoration Of The Red Wolf, Michael K. Phillips, V. Gary Henry, Brian T. Kelly Jan 2003

Restoration Of The Red Wolf, Michael K. Phillips, V. Gary Henry, Brian T. Kelly

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

"WOLFERS" IN NORTHEASTERN North Carolina were busy on February 5, 1768. Records from the Tyrrell County courthouse read: “Giles Long and Thomas Wllkinson awarded one pound for a certified wolf scalp; Jeremiah Norman awarded two pounds for certified wolf and wild-cat scalps; Davenport Smithwick awarded one pound for a certified wolf-scalp. Such was the nature of the war on the wolf: people killed them for money. The belief of the time held that the war was necessary because it was humankind's manifest destiny to tame the wilderness. And for the wilderness to be tame, the wolf had to be exterminated. …


Chemical Defense And Mammalian Herbivores, Bruce A. Kimball, Frederick D. Provenza Jan 2003

Chemical Defense And Mammalian Herbivores, Bruce A. Kimball, Frederick D. Provenza

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Plant Metabolism 2. Phytochemical Variation in Plants 3. Plant Defense Theory 4. Mammalian Metabolism of Phytochemicals 5. Mammalian Herbivory Related Chapters


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 Jan 2003

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

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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. …


Training Deer To Avoid Sites Through Negative Reinforcement, Dale L. Nolte, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Kelly R. Perry, Suzanne E. Adams Jan 2003

Training Deer To Avoid Sites Through Negative Reinforcement, Dale L. Nolte, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Kelly R. Perry, Suzanne E. Adams

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Deer frequently visit areas where they may cause damage. Incidents along roadways and runways inflict numerous injuries to animals and humans, and cause considerable economic losses. Concerns are increasing that deer interactions with domestic animals may contribute to spread of disease. Deer foraging in residential areas, agricultural fields, or plant propagation sites can impede growth and possibly survival of desirable plants. We conducted a series of trials to determine whether mild electric shock would induce place avoidance in deer. Shock was delivered through a device attached to a collar. A noise cue was emitted as an animal approached a defined …


The Influence Of Predator Odours And Overcrowded Mouse Odours On Regulation Of Oestrous Cycles In House Mice (Mus Musculus), Natalia Yu. Severtzov, Svetlana V. Naidenko, Anna E. Voznesenskaia, Georgy J. Krivomazov, Larry Clark, Vera V. Voznessenskaya Jan 2003

The Influence Of Predator Odours And Overcrowded Mouse Odours On Regulation Of Oestrous Cycles In House Mice (Mus Musculus), Natalia Yu. Severtzov, Svetlana V. Naidenko, Anna E. Voznesenskaia, Georgy J. Krivomazov, Larry Clark, Vera V. Voznessenskaya

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We investigated the influence of chemical signals derived from different sources—urine of feral cats (Felis catus) and urine from overcrowded mice (Mus musculus) on regulation of oestrous cycles in Mus musculus musculus under laboratory conditions. Cat urine and urine from mice housed in overcrowded conditions caused very similar effects. Application of urine from feral cats and from overcrowded conspecifics to the bedding of experimental animals for a period of 21 days caused a significant increase in numbers of animals with extended oestrous cycles. Application of cat urine or overcrowded mouse urine to the bedding of female …


Beaver Population Size Estimation In Mississippi, Seth R. Swafford, Dale L. Nolte, Kris Godwin, Charles A. Sloan, Jeanne Jones Jan 2003

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

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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 station-wide 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 …


Double-Crested Cormorant Impacts To Commercial And Natural Resources, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Brian S. Dorr Jan 2003

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

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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 …


Feral Swine---Are They A Disease Threat To Livestock In The United States?, Gary W. Witmer, Robert B. Sanders, Arnold C. Taft Jan 2003

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

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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 …


The Use Of Toxicants In Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Management: An Overview, Gary W. Witmer, Kathleen A. Fagerstone Jan 2003

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

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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 …


Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Management In Urban-Suburban Settings: Opportunities And Challenges, Gary W. Witmer, Mark Brennan, Donna Dees, Brian Hoffmann, Frances Pusateri, Cary Richardson, David Seery Jan 2003

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Management In Urban-Suburban Settings: Opportunities And Challenges, Gary W. Witmer, Mark Brennan, Donna Dees, Brian Hoffmann, Frances Pusateri, Cary Richardson, David Seery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Among the many human-wildlife conflicts that occur across North America, some of the most contentious occur at the interface of urban and suburban lands and adjoining rural landscapes. Along the Colorado Front Range, one of the more difficult situations faced by local governments and municipalities involves black-tailed prairie dog colonies. These colonies are relicts of the expansive colonies that once occurred across much of the prairies of North America. Although these colonies are relatively small and, usually, highly fragmented, they represent an important link to our natural history, provide a valuable wildlife-viewing experience and allow the promotion of public education …


Characteristics Of Mountain Lion Bed, Cache And Kill Sites In Northeastern Oregon, James J. Akenson, M. Cathy Nowak, Mark G. Henjum, Gary W. Witmer Jan 2003

Characteristics Of Mountain Lion Bed, Cache And Kill Sites In Northeastern Oregon, James J. Akenson, M. Cathy Nowak, Mark G. Henjum, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We described mountain lion (Puma concolor) habitat characteristics during two studies in the same area of northeastern Oregon during the 1990s. In the first study (1992-1994) we evaluated micro-habitat features associated with 61 diurnal bed sites that were not associated with kills. We used similar techniques in the second study (1996- 1998) to evaluate habitat features at 79 cache sites near lion-killed prey. A dog was used to find 93% of the diurnal bed sites. Radio telemetry triangulation was used in the second study. Characteristics of diurnal bed sites and cache sites were compared with random habitat plots. …


Monetary Valuation Methods For Economic Analysis Of The Benefit-Costs Of Protecting Rare Wildlife Species From Predators, Richard M. Engeman, Stephanie A. Schwiff, Henry T. Smith, Bernice Constantin Jan 2003

Monetary Valuation Methods For Economic Analysis Of The Benefit-Costs Of Protecting Rare Wildlife Species From Predators, Richard M. Engeman, Stephanie A. Schwiff, Henry T. Smith, Bernice Constantin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Many threatened and endangered species are negatively impacted by predation. Management of the predators that are geographically and telnporally in position to threaten species of concern can greatly aid in their conservation. However, decisions on managenlent strategies are based within economic constraints, while the success of management actions is measured by wildlife resource improvement. Here, we review methods for applying monetary valuations for threatened and endangered species so that cconoinic analyses of management actions can be used to help guide and evaluate managcmcnt decisions. A variety of applied exa~nplesa re provided to demonstrate the principles.


Coyotes; Coyotes In Yellowstone National Park: The Influence, Eric M. Gese Jan 2003

Coyotes; Coyotes In Yellowstone National Park: The Influence, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.


Testudines, John Woolard, Richard M. Engeman, Henry T. Smith, John Griner Jan 2003

Testudines, John Woolard, Richard M. Engeman, Henry T. Smith, John Griner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.


Blackbirds And Corn In Ohio, Richard A. Dolbeer Dec 2002

Blackbirds And Corn In Ohio, Richard A. Dolbeer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Damage to corn by blackbirds (Icteridae) has been an economic problem throughout historical times in North America. Ohio, with the highest nesting season population density of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in North America and large acreages of corn, has been a key State in this conflict. Surveys of damage from 1968 to 1979 revealed that blackbirds annually destroyed less than 1% of the corn crops in Ohio, a 4- to 6-million dollar loss at 1979 prices. This total dollar loss is somewhat misleading because of the uneven distribution of damage among fields. Over 97% of the cornfields in Ohio receive …


Evaluation Of Lasers To Disperse American Crows, Corvus Brachyrhynchos, From Urban Night Roosts, W.P. Gorenzel, B. F. Blackwell, G.D. Simmons, T.P. Salmon, R.A. Dolbeer Dec 2002

Evaluation Of Lasers To Disperse American Crows, Corvus Brachyrhynchos, From Urban Night Roosts, W.P. Gorenzel, B. F. Blackwell, G.D. Simmons, T.P. Salmon, R.A. Dolbeer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) have a long history of causing agricultural damage in North America. Shooting and bombing at crow night roosts have been employed to reduce such damage. Most roosts were located in rural locations, but in the latter half of the 1900s crows began to roost in urban locations. Urban crow roosts are presently a nationwide problem in the United States. Thousands of crows at a roost create problems for businesses and residents. Improved control techniques are needed. Lasers have been used in Europe to scare and disperse birds but the technique has only recently received formal testing. …


A Socioeconomic And Biological Evaluation Of Current And Hypothetical Crappie Regulations In Sardis Lake, Mississippi: An Integrated Approach, Brian Dorr, Ian A. Munn, Keith O. Meals Nov 2002

A Socioeconomic And Biological Evaluation Of Current And Hypothetical Crappie Regulations In Sardis Lake, Mississippi: An Integrated Approach, Brian Dorr, Ian A. Munn, Keith O. Meals

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We conducted a socioeconomic survey and review of existing biological data in an integrated evaluation of current and hypothetical fishery regulations on crappies Pomoxis spp. in Sardis Lake, Mississippi. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess angler acceptance of current and hypothetical harvest restrictions, (2) determine the recreational value of the crappie fishery to its participants, (3) estimate possible changes in recreational value based on angler responses to hypothetical regulations, and (4) integrate the results of the socioeconomic surveys with existing biological information. Using the travel cost method, we estimated mean expenditures at US$29.48 and average consumer surplus …


Assessment Of Cabergoline As A Reproductive Inhibitor In Coyotes (Canis Latrans), T. J. Deliberto, A. Seglund, W. Jochle, B. Kimball Oct 2002

Assessment Of Cabergoline As A Reproductive Inhibitor In Coyotes (Canis Latrans), T. J. Deliberto, A. Seglund, W. Jochle, B. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The efficacy of three oral formulations (gelatin capsule, tablet, oil base) and five dosages (50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 μg) of cabergoline to disrupt reproduction in coyotes (Canis latrans) was evaluated. The type of formulation used had no effect on plasma progesterone and prolactin concentrations or on mean litter size. No adverse side effects (for example, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea) were observed despite the use of doses of up to 20 times the therapeutic dose used for domestic dogs and cats. All coyotes treated with 50, 100, 250 and 500 μg cabergoline whelped, but plasma progesterone concentrations in these coyotes were …


Wildlife Fertility Control, K.A. Fagerstone Oct 2002

Wildlife Fertility Control, K.A. Fagerstone

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Huge flights of Canada geese turn off local park visitors with their messy, smelly "business cards." The superabundant white-tailed deer we love to watch also can do a number on your car at night and host the ticks that carry Lyme Disease. Blackbirds and gulls and coyotes and other critters bring their own problems when their numbers get out of hand.

Most such problems reach their highest profile in urban/suburban areas where traditional animal-control techniques such as hunting and trapping are frowned upon or illegal. More and more people are calling for wildlife managers to use "fertility control"–-but is that …


Dietary Overlap Between Wolves And Coyotes In Northwestern Montana, Wendy M. Arjo, Daniel H. Pletscher, Robert R. Ream Aug 2002

Dietary Overlap Between Wolves And Coyotes In Northwestern Montana, Wendy M. Arjo, Daniel H. Pletscher, Robert R. Ream

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We studied effects of recolonizing wolves (Canis lupus) in the North Fork of the Flathead area of northwestern Montana on the diets of coyotes (C. latrans) from 1994 to 1997. Wolf and coyote diets differed in frequency of occurrence of prey species during 3 of the 4 summers and winters (P< 0.001) during the study. Coyote diets contained more murid prey items, and wolf diets contained more deer (Odocoileus virginianus and O. hemionus) in the summer and elk (Cervus elaphus) in the winter. Coyotes and wolves ate prey of different size during both the summer (P < 0.001) and winter (P < 0.001) months in 1994– 1996: wolves took a greater proportion (P < 0.001) of large (>45 kg) prey species and coyotes, small (<2 kg) prey (P < 0.001). Wolves selected a larger proportion of adults (P …


Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Synthetic Grit Formulations Sustain The Delivery Of Nicarbazin, A Contraceptive Agent, In Pest Waterfowl, Jerome C. Hurley, John J. Johnston Aug 2002

Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Synthetic Grit Formulations Sustain The Delivery Of Nicarbazin, A Contraceptive Agent, In Pest Waterfowl, Jerome C. Hurley, John J. Johnston

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Sixty-three mallards were fed one of ten poly(methyl methacrylate) based synthetic grit formulations containing varying concentrations of a proposed wildlife contraceptive (nicarbazin), plasticizer (acetyl tributylcitrate) and/or cross-linking agent (1,4-butanediol diacrylate). Release characteristics of the contraceptive agent were monitored for the purpose of developing a contraceptive formulation for control of pest waterfowl in urban settings. The addition of plasticizer increased the erosion rate (t1/2=0.97-2.85 days), cross-linking the polymer matrix slightly decreased the erosion rate (t1/2=4.45-5.05 days) and increasing the concentration of the contraceptive agent increased the erosion rate (t1/2= 3 . 3 …


Use Of Sensory Cues By Fish Crows Corvus Ossifragus Preying On Artificial Bird Nests, Leonard Santisteban, Kathryn E. Sieving, Michael L. Avery Jul 2002

Use Of Sensory Cues By Fish Crows Corvus Ossifragus Preying On Artificial Bird Nests, Leonard Santisteban, Kathryn E. Sieving, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

How predators locate avian nests is poorly understood and has been subjected to little experimental inquiry. We examined which sensory stimuli were important in the nest-finding behavior of fish crowsCorvus ossifragus, a common nest predator in the southeastern United States. Using an array of potted trees in a large enclosure, we presented artificial nests to captive crows and quantified responses to visual, auditory, and olfactory nest cues, and nest position. Partial ranks of nest-treatment preferences were analyzed using log-linear models. Nest visibility significantly increased the likelihood of predation by fish crows and increasing nest height was a marginally significant influence …


Beaver Herbivory And Its Effect On Cottonwood Trees: Influence Of Flooding Along Matched Regulated And Unregulated Rivers, Stewart W. Breck, Kenneth R. Wilson, Douglas C. Andersen Jul 2002

Beaver Herbivory And Its Effect On Cottonwood Trees: Influence Of Flooding Along Matched Regulated And Unregulated Rivers, Stewart W. Breck, Kenneth R. Wilson, Douglas C. Andersen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We compared beaver (Castor canadensis) foraging patterns on Fremont cottonwood (Populus deltoides subsp. wislizenii ) saplings and the probability of saplings being cut on a 10 km reach of the flow-regulated Green River and a 8.6 km reach of the free-flowing Yampa River in northwestern Colorado. We measured the abundance and density of cottonwood on each reach and followed the fates of individually marked saplings in three patches of cottonwood on the Yampa River and two patches on the Green River. Two natural floods on the Yampa River and one controlled flood on the Green River between …


Potential Hazards Of Drc- 1339 Treated Rice To Non-Target Birds When Used At Roost Staging Areas In Louisiana To Reduce Local Populations Of Depredating Blackbirds, John L. Cummings, James F. Glahn, E. Allen Wilson, James E. Davis Jr. Jul 2002

Potential Hazards Of Drc- 1339 Treated Rice To Non-Target Birds When Used At Roost Staging Areas In Louisiana To Reduce Local Populations Of Depredating Blackbirds, John L. Cummings, James F. Glahn, E. Allen Wilson, James E. Davis Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Hazards of DRC-1339 treated brown rice to non-target birds were assessed during an operational baiting program near Point Blue, Louisiana, USA. The predominant non-target birds using DRC-1339 bait sites and surrounding habitat were savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis), mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), killdeers (Charadrius rociferus), and unidentified sparrows (Fringillidae). Systematic searches of DRC-1339 bait sites and adjacent habitat for non-target dead or affected birds produced 1 northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). There was no mortality of potential non-target species, savannah sparrows, white-crown sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys), field sparrows (Spizella pusilla …


Evaluation Of Flight Control® To Reduce Blackbird Damage To Newly Planted Rice In Louisiana, John L. Cummings, Patricia A. Pochop, Richard M. Engeman, James E. Davis Jr., Thomas M. Primus Jul 2002

Evaluation Of Flight Control® To Reduce Blackbird Damage To Newly Planted Rice In Louisiana, John L. Cummings, Patricia A. Pochop, Richard M. Engeman, James E. Davis Jr., Thomas M. Primus

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Blackbirds cause extensive damage to newly planted and ripening rice. To date there is not a registered bird repellent for reducing this damage. We evaluated Flight Control®, a 50% anthraquinone product, as a potential repellent to blackbirds in cage and field tests in Louisiana. In one- and no-choice cage tests, brown-headed cowbird and red-winged blackbird consumption of 2%) Flight control® treated rice seed was significantly reduced. In a subsequent field test. 2% Flight control® was effective in reducing blackbird damage (P = 0.001 ) to newly planted rice seed. Chemical residues at 7 days post-planting averaged 0.66% anthraquinone. Further …


Seasonal Marking Efficacy Of Dupont Oil Blue A Dye On Steam-Rolled Oat Groat Baits For Valley Pocket Gophers, Craig A. Ramey, George H. Matschke, Richard M. Engeman Jul 2002

Seasonal Marking Efficacy Of Dupont Oil Blue A Dye On Steam-Rolled Oat Groat Baits For Valley Pocket Gophers, Craig A. Ramey, George H. Matschke, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined if Valley pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) exhibited a seasonal preference for consuming steamed-rolled oat (SRO) groat bait treated with 1.6% Dupont oil blue A (fat-marking dye). Field tests were conducted in California alfalfa fields during winter, summer, and fall, and in walnut orchards during winter and summer. Five treatment units (TUs) were established each with 60 burrows for each season and habitat studied during 1997–1999. SRO groat marker bait (4 g) was placed inside each active burrow. All bait sites were re-opened about 96 h later and examined for the presence (all or some) or absence …


Safe Efficacy Of Three Strychnine Alkaloid Bait Concentrations For Hand-Baiting Control Of Plains Pocket Gophers, Craig A. Ramey, George H. Matschke, Paul L. Hegdal, Geraldine R. Mccann, Richard M. Engeman Jul 2002

Safe Efficacy Of Three Strychnine Alkaloid Bait Concentrations For Hand-Baiting Control Of Plains Pocket Gophers, Craig A. Ramey, George H. Matschke, Paul L. Hegdal, Geraldine R. Mccann, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In November 1990, field efficacy studies using milo baits formulated with 0.35%, 0.75%, or 1.30% strychnine alkaloid were compared to a placebo (0.0% strychnine) for controlling plains pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius) near Pleasanton, Texas. These data were required by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as partial fulfillment for the maintenance of the rodenticide registrations of the US Department of Agriculture. Each of four treatment units (TUs) within a block (2) was randomly assigned one of the four baits. Within each TU, 15 gophers were captured (balanced roughly for gender) and instrumented with radio transmitters. Following a pretreatment …


Wildlife Damage Management Research Needs: Perceptions Of Scientists, Wildlife Managers, And Stakeholders Of The Usda/Wildlife Services Program, Richard L. Bruggers, Richard Owens, Thomas Hoffman Jul 2002

Wildlife Damage Management Research Needs: Perceptions Of Scientists, Wildlife Managers, And Stakeholders Of The Usda/Wildlife Services Program, Richard L. Bruggers, Richard Owens, Thomas Hoffman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This paper presents the results of a nationwide research needs assessment of the important wildlife-human conflict issues and associated research needs of the USDA:APHIS-Wildlife Services (WS) program and its stakeholders. Thirty-six WS State Directors, 23 WS/National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) scientists and 6 members of the National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee (NWSAC) to the US Secretary of Agriculture responded to a request for participation. This paper compares these current research needs with previous regional and national research needs assessments for wildlife damage management in the United States. Important national problems identified included issues related to aviation, timber, agriculture, aquaculture, and …