Digital Commons Network^™

Efficacy Of Deer StopperTm Repellent For Reducing White-Tailed Deer Damage To Ornamental Plantings, James B. Armstrong, M. Keith Causey, John T. Owen

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A 2-year study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of Deer Stopper^TM repellent for reducing white-tailed deer damage to ornamental plantings. Efficacy testing was conducted on a captive deer herd at Auburn University’s White-tailed Deer Research Facility and the Stimpson Wildlife Sanctuary, Jackson, AL. Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata), a highly preferred browse species in this area, was used as the test plant at all study sites. Plants were arranged randomly between treatment and control. Treatment plants were sprayed with prescribed applications of Deer Stopper^TM and percent defoliation and browsing estimated for each plant. Repeated measures analysis …

Attempted Relocation Of A Ring-Billed Gull Roost At Washington National Airport, Jessica Dewey, Martin Lowney

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Gulls, particularly ring-billed gulls [Larus delawarensis], have been identified as a threat to aircraft operations at Washington National Airport (now Ronald Reagan National Airport) in northern Virginia. Through bird surveys conducted in 1992, 1993, and 1997, an estimated 7,000 gulls were observed roosting during winter on the Potomac River near the airport. A harassment program was run on 5 consecutive evenings, 24-28 February 1997, to relocate the roosting gulls. Six to 8 people shot pyrotechnics from shore and 2 boats for 2 hours prior to dusk each evening. Each evening the gulls arrived consistently later than the prior …

The Use Of Gis To Delineate Potential Urban Deer Habitat, David M. Kocka, Frederick M. Garst

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Overabundant deer herds in urban environments often require new and creative approaches to properly evaluate the situation and gain support for population management. To determine potential white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) habitat for the Harrisonburg, Virginia, Deer Task Force, a geographic information systems (GIS) map was created that reflected current land use in the city. Data were compiled using 2m resolution Digital Ortho Quarter Quads. Using this backdrop, land use zones were digitized on-screen. Wooded (13%), Agricultural (20%), and Open Areas (14%) land use types accounted for nearly half the city's land area and represent a conservative estimate of …

Double-Crested Cormorant And Ring-Billed Gull Damage Management On Lake Champlain: Are Basin-Wide Objectives Achievable?, Richard Chipman, Dennis Slate, Larry Garland, David Capen

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Ring-billed gulls (Larus delewarensis) and double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorx auritus) have nested on Lake Champlain since 1949 and 1982, respectively. Recent increases in cormorant nesting populations and pioneering activities of both species to previously uncolonized islands have resulted in impacts related to accumulation of bird guano and interspecific competition with less common species. Of primary concern are: decreases in wildlife and plant diversity on islands; reduced aesthetics and property values of island associated with the loss of trees; and predation or competition for nesting space with other species such as the state-endangered common tern (Sterna hirundo …

Nesting Populations Of Double-Crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, And Great Egrets In The United States And Canada: Implications For Management, Jerrold L. Belant, Laura A. Tyson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Populations of piscivorous birds in North America are receiving increasing attention in the southeast United States because of depredations at aquaculture facilities. We obtained recent (most since 1994) estimates for the number of nesting double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), great blue herons (Ardea herodias), and great egrets (Casmerodius albus) in the United States (US) and Canada from published references and by conducting telephone interviews with state and provincial biologists. Using previously-published data, we also determined annual rates of change in the number of cormorants since about 1990. Estimates for minimum numbers of nesting pairs (minimum …

Repellency Of Methyl Anthranilate To Captive Great Egrets, Michael L. Avery, John S. Humphrey, David G. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Because effective deterrents are hard to find, it has been suggested that methyl anthranilate (MA) be applied to the surface of fish ponds to discourage bird predation. We conducted two short-term evaluations of a formulation for this use, ReJeX-iT TP-40. First, we assessed the response of tropical fish to TP-40 applications in small wading pools. After 15 minutes, all fish virtually were motionless at or near the bottom of the pool. Fish in the control pools actively swam and most were within 3 cm of the surface of the pool. No mortality occurred, and fish activity returned to almost normal …

Deer Damage Incurred By Homeowners During 1995 In Virginia, Ben C. West, James A. Parkhurst

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Damage caused by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is a problem for some homeowners in Virginia. As part of a broader effort to evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of agricultural producers and homeowners toward deer damage in Virginia, a mail questionnaire was developed and implemented during the fall of 1996. The survey yielded 732 useable responses and, of those, 261 individuals indicated they were homeowners and grew at least one planting during 1995. Many homeowners (36%) indicated that deer caused damage to at least one of their plantings during 1995. Of those who had experienced damage, most (61%, n=57) …

Wildlife Damage To Agricultural Crops In Pennsylvania: The Farmers' Perspective, Margaret C. Brittingham, Walter M. Tzilkowski, James M. Zeidler, Matthew J. Lovallo

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Agricultural damage by wildlife is a major concern for both agricultural and wildlife agencies at the state and federal level. Our objective was to estimate wildlife damage to agricultural crops on a statewide basis. We sent questionnaires to 4,958 farmers and 1,003 were returned after 2 mailings. Twenty-five percent of farmers responding to our survey rated the level of wildlife damage to their crops as severe or very severe, 46% as moderate, and 29% had none or very little. Mean levels of crop loss to wildlife ranged from 6% for wheat to 10% for corn grain, and white-tailed deer ( …

Controlling Great-Tailed Grackle Damage To Citrus In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, James F. Glahn, Jose D. Palacious, Melvin V. Garrison

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) damage to citrus is a serious concern to producers in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Damage caused by grackles pecking fruit is initiated by breeding colonies in the spring on immature fruit and extends through the fall and winter on ripening fruit. The most significant damage occurs during the post-breeding period of July through September when neither the currently registered DRC-1339-treated dog food bait nor frightening strategies are effective. Observations by Texas Wildlife Services personnel suggested that watermelon was highly attractive to grackles during the period when dog food baits are poorly …

Cost Comparisons For White-Tailed Deer Live Capture Techniques, Robert L. Pooler, Paul D. Curtis, Milo E. Richmond

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

During March 13 - July 16, 1996, we captured 75 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) using dart guns, rocket nets, and Clover traps on the Seneca Army Depot in Romulus, New York. We compared the labor and cost efficiency of these trapping techniques and reported on mortalities. Darting from a vehicle ($196/deer), and rocket-netting ($172/deer) were similar in time and cost efficiency. Darting from a blind was more costly ($358/deer) due to minimal time devoted to the technique and a high initial material investment. Clover traps were relatively inefficient (15.2 hours/deer) and costly ($895/deer), primarily due to a lack …

Development Of The Virginia Cooperative Coyote Control Program To Protect Livestock, Martin Lowney, John Houben, Phil Eggborn

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Virginia Cooperative Coyote Control Program was created in 1990 to address increasing livestock losses to coyotes and the inability of producers to solve such problems themselves. The eastern coyote arrived in Virginia in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Lobbying efforts of agricultural groups, such as the Virginia Sheep Federation, helped create a cost-share program administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Wildlife Services (USDA-APHIS-WS). The objective of the program was to educate producers about control methods and to alleviate damage by removing offending coyotes where …

Do You Have Your Skates On?, Gary J. San Julian

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

It is an honor to keynote this conference as we think about our profession in the next century. Jim asked me to predict what the future of wildlife damage management might look like in the year 2020. I explained to him that I have not been actively engaged in doing wildlife damage work for almost 9 years and I had been in an administrative role. Jim knew that I am going back to a faculty position in the next several months. He thought it was great for a person coming out of retirement to predict the future.

An Evaluation Of Farmer Applications Of Deer Damage Controls, Peter A. Fritzell Jr., Glenn Dudderar, R. Ben Peyton

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Damage to agricultural crops caused by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) continues to be a significant concern of farmers in Michigan and elsewhere in the United States. Policy changes that promise to reduce deer numbers may be long in coming, but better application of available damage control techniques may be an immediate alternative for farmers awaiting relief. Conversations with farmers, extension agents, and wildlife professionals suggest that some damage control techniques are underutilized by Michigan farmers, whereas other techniques are applied with little success despite promising field trials. We investigated producers’ practices to identify common weaknesses in how deer …

Development Of A Double-Crested Cormorant Damage Management Plan For The Southeastern United States, Keith J. Andrews, Pete Poulos, Charles Bo Sloan, Jerrold L. Belant, Paige G. Ross, Paul Debow

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In response to needs within the aquaculture industry to alleviate increasing depredation by double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, in conjunction with Federal, State, and Canadian wildlife and fisheries agencies, the aquaculture industry, and other wildlife professionals, is developing the framework for a comprehensive cormorant damage management program that uses an integrated wildlife damage management approach. This cooperative effort will produce a meaningful, mutually beneficial program that will reduce the effects of cormorants on aquaculture and sport and commercial fisheries, improve understanding of cormorant biology, and avert …

Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic: Implications For Predator Management, Johnny Stowe

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The golden rule of Aldo Leopold’s land ethic clearly supports active management of predators that harm populations of rare animal species. In the early part of his career, while working as a forester in the American Southwest, Leopold advocated exterminating large predators like gray wolves (Canis lupus lupus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) from the region, but he later changed his mind when he realized that native predators help maintain ecosystem integrity. Philosophically, Leopold’s changing views on predators exemplifies John Dewey’s customary and reflective morality. But Leopold’s dramatic narrative in A Sand County Almanac about …

The Press And Citizen Participation: A Content Analysis, Lisa Pelstring, James Shanahan, Ben Perry

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We conducted a content analysis of regional New York State newspapers to assess media coverage of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) deer management program. The goal of this analysis was to ascertain media depiction of DEC’s deer management program during the 1985-97 time period. Specifically, this research examines how deer management issues were portrayed both prior to and after implementation of a DEC public participation program (the Citizen Task Force [CTF] process) to determine if deer management issues received more favorable coverage after CTFs were implemented.

Bird Abundance At Accomack County Southern Landfill, Melfa, Virginia, In Relation To Various Management Activities, Laura Francoeur, Martin Lowney

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Birds, especially gulls (Larus spp.), are attracted to landfills, and when landfills are close to airports, birds can pose a threat to aircraft safety. We conducted a 1-year ecological study to address concerns of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Accomack County, Virginia, officials over potential wildlife hazards caused by the Accomack County Southern Landfill. During 48 surveys conducted from December 1995 to December 1996, we observed 112,693 birds at the landfill (x̄=503). Nine species represented 97% of all observations. Bird numbers varied during the year, increasing during winter and declining during summer. Bird abundance appeared unaffected by …

Characteristics Of Gray Squirrel Release Sites Selected By Kentucky Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators, Sara Steen-Ash, Thomas G. Barnes, Jeff T. Hutchinson, Jeffery L. Larkin, Brian E. Washburn, Jason L. Weese, Henry F. Yacek Jr.

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A telephone survey of Kentucky nuisance wildlife control operators (NWCOs) (n=66) was conducted in April of 1997 to assess their knowledge and practices regarding nuisance gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) release-site habitat. Thirty-three percent of NWCOs (n=22) trapped and relocated >1 nuisance gray squirrel in the previous year and these individuals/companies were selected for the survey. NWCOs trap and release >1,700 squirrels annually in Kentucky. Sampled release sites varied in size from 18 to 5,200 acres, and >70% were classified as poor to marginal habitat. Three of the release sites sampled provided adequate to optimum gray squirrel habitat. Actual …

Conservation Of A Dinosaur In Modern Times: South Carolina’S Alligator Management Program, Walter E. Rhodes

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) conservation is necessary given the animal's role in wetland ecosystems and its economic value. Although the alligator appears to be no longer threatened with extinction, the reptile’s perceived reputation and a burgeoning human population combine to create a management paradox. Alligator management in South Carolina consists of a Nuisance Control Program, a Private Lands Harvest Program, and public education. Annually, over 750 alligator complaints are received by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), and harvest averages about 250 animals. To address alligator/human interaction in rural habitats, a harvest on private lands was …

The Mass Media And Stakeholders' Beliefs About Suburban Wildlife, Cynthia A. Loker, James Shanahan, Daniel J. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

This study examines how suburban audiences obtain information about 3 species in New York State (whitetail deer [Odocoileus virginianus], beaver [Castor canadensis], and Canada goose [Branta canadensis]). Respondents in 3 suburban areas were surveyed on concerns and interests about a particular species in their area. Respondents also were surveyed about preferred sources for species information and actual source use. Finally, respondents were surveyed about general media use. “Uses-and-gratifications” theory was used to characterize respondents’ information behavior for species information. Specific recommendations for communication planning are offered.

Vertebrate Damage Management: The Future Of An Evolving Profession, Robert H. Giles Jr.

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The author argues that an objective of a new group of people taking a systems approach to large wild animal problems should be to manage damage as a cost-reducing role within a total, profitable, long-term system, not necessarily to control the "pest." The needs are for well-grounded financial analyses both for customers, the public, the resources, and the well-being of the profession. A point of view is advanced for the need for evolving pest-related operations into a new, unique profession that is involved in a profound way as an element of a cost-effective total land and human resource production system.

Washington University Record, October 16, 1997

Washington University Record

No abstract provided.

Easterner, October 16, 1997, Vol. 49, No. 4, Eastern Washington University. Associated Students.

Student Newspapers

Front page articles in this issue include: Bottleneck Anticipated In LAE Course Enrollment, and Income Formula For Pell Grants Hurt Working Students, Argue Lawmakers

The Diamond, October 16, 1997, Dordt College

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: Stenzel Speaks on Sexuality, Hits Like a Mack Truck; New, Old Faces Highlight Late Night Preseason Fun
• News: Workshops Help Prepare Students; Annual Townie Uprising Flops; Program to Help Speed, Comprehension
• Variety: Parents Invade Campus; New Church Brings Hope; Picture Poll: How Would You Describe The Play?
• Editorials: Studying from a Service Perspective; Seek a Healthy Balance
• Opinion: FOCUS: We Serve an Almighty God; Global Observatory: Jesus Was Way Cool; Free Press: Discrimination at Dordt?
• Feature: Promise Keepers Calls Men to Accountability; Disaster Flood Relief Arrives... Dordt Style; Dordt Students Thankful for the Experience; Volunteers Serve and Are …

The Parthenon, October 16, 1997, Marshall University

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.

The Grizzly, October 16, 1997, Paul Guidry, Kurt Miller, John Shoen, Jesse Federman, Rebecca Class, Molly Jennings, Jacqueline Colvin, Tony Palladino

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Special Homecoming '97 Edition • The More Things Change • Extra, Extra! Breaking U.C. News From... • The Brief History of Ursinus • Remember When • Bears Take on The Bullets • Queens of the Past • And the Nominees are... • Famous Alumni

Volume 89 Issue 6, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

The Southwestern - Archive

No abstract provided.

Controlled Formation Of Weakly Bound Atomic Negative Ions By Electron Transfer From State-Selected Rydberg Atoms, M. Reicherts, T. Roth, A. Gopalan, M.-W. Ruf, Harmut Hotop, C. Desfrançuois, Ilya I. Fabrikant

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Faculty Publications

Using crossed atomic beams and mass spectrometric ion detection we have studied the formation of negative Ca ions in slow collisions between laser-excited state-selected Ne^**(ns; J = 2) and Ne^** (nd; J = 4) Rydberg atoms and ground state Ca atoms. The rate coefficients exhibit resonant behavior with maxima at an effective principal quantum number n^* of about 11.5 and an estimated peak value of about 10^-8 cm³ s^-1. Two different theoretical calculations, based on a curve-crossing model and on a modified adiabatic theory, respectively, yield n^{* …}

Prototype For Sontrac: A Scintillating Plastic Fiber Detector For Solar Neutron Spectroscopy, James M. Ryan, Janis Baltgalvis, D Holslin, John R. Macri, Mark L. Mcconnell, Cornelia B. Wunderer, Aaron R. Polichar

Space Science Center

We report the scientific motivation for and performance measurements of a prototype detector system for SONTRAC, a solar neutron tracking experiment designed to study high- energy solar flare processes. The full SONTRAC instrument will measure the energy and direction of 20 to 200 MeV neutrons by imaging the ionization tracks of the recoil protons in a densely packed bundle of scintillating plastic fibers. The prototype detector consists of a 12.7 mm square bundle of 250 micrometer scintillating plastic fibers, 10 cm long. A photomultiplier detects scintillation light from one end of the fiber bundle and provides a detection trigger to …

Montana Kaimin, October 15, 1997, Associated Students Of The University Of Montana

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.