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2007

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Berryman Institute Addresses Feral Hog Problems, Bruce D. Leopold Jan 2007

Berryman Institute Addresses Feral Hog Problems, Bruce D. Leopold

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Congratulations to Dr. Conover for such a great inaugural issue of our journal!! I have received nothing but very positive accolades about the quality of our first issue. Mike and our managing editor, Phil Parisi, have done a fantastic job!!! This second issue is equally as radical as the first. This issue deals with a subject that is growing in importance throughout the southeastern United States: feral hogs. Being in Mississippi, I am all too familiar with the importance (and negative impact) of this invasive species. Berryman East has consistently funded numerous research projects on this subject. We also have …

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Book Review: The Beast In The Garden: A Modern Parable Of Man And Nature, Nicole Mccoy Jan 2007

Book Review: The Beast In The Garden: A Modern Parable Of Man And Nature, Nicole Mccoy

Human–Wildlife Interactions

When I first read The Beast in the Garden shortly aft er the release of the hardback edition in 2004, I was reminded of the exchange quoted above in the movie, “The Matrix.” Neo (Mr. Anderson) survived. Scott Lancaster, a teenage athlete running in the hills outside of his Colorado high school, died. He probably never heard the mountain lion that stalked and killed him, but after reading David Baron’s book, I believe we should have. Had our ears been attuned to the proper frequency, the mountain lion’s approach would have been as loud as the subway train that spelled …

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Range Size, Habitat Use, And Dial Activity Of Feral Hogs On Reclaimed Surface-Mined Lands In East Texas, Robert C. Mersinger, Nova J. Silvy Jan 2007

Range Size, Habitat Use, And Dial Activity Of Feral Hogs On Reclaimed Surface-Mined Lands In East Texas, Robert C. Mersinger, Nova J. Silvy

Human–Wildlife Interactions

During the last decade, surface lignite mines in eastern Texas have experienced damage by feral hogs (Sus scrofa) to reclaimed areas. Specifically, feral hogs have caused damage to plants used in reclamation. In addition to vegetative losses, erosion control problems and water quality impacts have been noted. Big Brown Lignite Mine in Freestone County, Texas, had tried to control feral hogs through year-long trapping, which proved expensive. We hypothesized that hogs were using reclaimed areas only at night and seasonally. If so, knowledge of travel lanes into the mine and seasonal use would help concentrate trapping efforts and …

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Appreciating Feral Hogs: Extension Education For Diverse Stakeholders In Texas, Dale Rollins, Billy J. Higginbotham, Kenneth A. Cearly, R. Neal Wilkins Jan 2007

Appreciating Feral Hogs: Extension Education For Diverse Stakeholders In Texas, Dale Rollins, Billy J. Higginbotham, Kenneth A. Cearly, R. Neal Wilkins

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Texas harbors the largest population of feral hogs (Sus scrofa) in the United States, with populations estimated at >2 million. Depending on one’s perspective, feral hogs are either a pariah (from the farmer’s standpoint) or a popular sporting animal (from a hunter’s standpoint). As feral hogs increase in range and density, conflicts among stakeholders are sure to increase. Texas Cooperative Extension (TCE) initiated educational programs in 1991 to address concerns regarding the presence and management of feral hogs. Since that time, we have developed various workshops, symposia, and educational materials (e.g., print, videotape, and website) as means of …

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Birth Control Is Not For Everyone: A Response, Allen T. Rutberg Jan 2007

Birth Control Is Not For Everyone: A Response, Allen T. Rutberg

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In her Soap Box critique of wildlife contraception (HWC 2007), Elizabeth Bingham makes 2 basic points (if she will forgive my distillation of a complex set of arguments). She argues, first, that wildlife contraception is too expensive and too slow to act to meet the needs of farmers, ranchers, and other business people who suffer losses from wildlife damage. Second, she argues, inflated expectations for the problem-solving capacity of wildlife contraception are driving more attention and research money into wildlife contraception than a more hard-headed evaluation would warrant.

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Avoiding Confl Icts Between Wildlife Professionals And Local Hunters Over Efforts To Eradicate Exotic Game Species, Hans Sin Jan 2007

Avoiding Confl Icts Between Wildlife Professionals And Local Hunters Over Efforts To Eradicate Exotic Game Species, Hans Sin

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife damage management, by its nature, is conducive to a variety of conflicts within society, whether it is the method of management or the management itself. Conflicts within society are common, and people with diverse opinions and values may disagree about how wildlife or natural resources should be managed. Opinions can vary among different interest groups (e.g., backpackers, wildlife viewers, and hunters) that have invested time and money in the resource. Eradication efforts of big game to preserve threatened or endangered plants or wildlife have been a source of controversy among various local hunter groups, especially on island ecosystems, such …

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Eliminating Trapping Escalates Beaver Complaints And Costs To The Public, Robert Southwick Jan 2007

Eliminating Trapping Escalates Beaver Complaints And Costs To The Public, Robert Southwick

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Beaver populations are healthy and well-established across North America aft er being nearly eliminated due to unregulated harvests during the previous 200 years. According to a 2004 survey of state wildlife agencies, a majority of states report beaver populations are stable or slightly increasing. However, the loss of trapping as a management tool can upset the current balance. For example, in Massachusetts, a beaver-trapping ban was passed through a public ballot referendum. With the inability to utilize effective quick-kill traps and live-restraining devices during regulated harvest seasons, beaver populations have increased significantly (Figure 1). Along with that increase in the …

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The Role Of Knowledge In Developing People Skills, Ben C. West Jan 2007

The Role Of Knowledge In Developing People Skills, Ben C. West

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As I noted in the last issue of Human–Wildlife Conflicts, wildlife professionals have historically been lambasted for poorly-developed people skills (West 2007). Moreover, I suggested that full development of any skill relies on knowledge, practice, and feedback. To become a top-notch golfer, for example, one must intellectually understand many things, including rules of the game, layout of golf courses, biomechanics of swinging a golf club, situational advantages and disadvantages or different sized clubs, and many other things. However, to have that knowledge is not enough to be a great golfer; one must also apply that knowledge to the game …

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Are Coyotes Right- Or Left-Handed, And Who Cares?, Michael J. Bodenchuk Jan 2007

Are Coyotes Right- Or Left-Handed, And Who Cares?, Michael J. Bodenchuk

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The sheep killer left the pasture with his belly completely full of lambs. He’d killed and consumed 2 this night, obviously more than he needed for himself. But back at the den 8 hungry pups demanded more and more meat, and this was not his first foray into the pasture.

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Book Review: Living With Coyotes: Managing Predators Humanely Using Food Aversion Conditioning, John A. Shivik Jan 2007

Book Review: Living With Coyotes: Managing Predators Humanely Using Food Aversion Conditioning, John A. Shivik

Human–Wildlife Interactions

I was initially worried after receiving a phone call from a predator advocate who told me that I must see the new book that explained how conditioned food avoidance (CFA) could be used to solve the problem of coyote predation. “New?” I thought, recalling the acrimonious debates over CFA in the journal Appetite and elsewhere in the 1980s. On reading the book, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Living with coyotes by Stuart Ellins is not an extension of the ongoing diatribes that started so long ago. Instead, the book acknowledges that many of the previous heated debates …

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Drive-By Netting: A Technique For Capturing Grebes And Other Diving Waterfowl, Joe A. Caudell, Michael R. Conover Jan 2007

Drive-By Netting: A Technique For Capturing Grebes And Other Diving Waterfowl, Joe A. Caudell, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We describe a new method (drive-by netting) for capturing grebes (Podiceps spp.) and other birds that dive under water to escape capture. We used a floating gill net to capture 203 eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) in 20 days in 1999 on the Great Salt Lake (GSL), 652 eared grebes in 41 days on the GSL in 2000, and 409 grebes in 20 days in 2001. Other species captured during the 2000 and 2001 fi eld seasons included 1 western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis), 9 ruddy ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis), and 1 Canada goose (Branta …

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Evolution Of The Field Of Wildlife Damage Management In The United States And Future Challenges, James E. Miller Jan 2007

Evolution Of The Field Of Wildlife Damage Management In The United States And Future Challenges, James E. Miller

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Through the early twentieth century, people in rural areas of North America either dealt with problems caused by wildlife by killing the problem species, eliminating its habitat, changing crops or husbandry practices, tolerating the damage, or moving to a new area devoid of such problem animals. However, many of these solutions are impractical today with the increase in human populations, the increased expansion of development into previously rural landscapes, the increased fragmentation of land ownership, and the increasing movement of people into metropolitan areas. Because of current local, state, and federal ordinances and regulations, along with the impacts of animal …

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Long Time Coming, Michael R. Conover Jan 2007

Long Time Coming, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Welcome to this inaugural issue of Human– Wildlife Conflicts. Much has changed during my lifetime. I can remember when there were no deer on my family’s farm in Illinois. I can remember in 1979 seeing Canada geese feeding in a golf course in New Haven, Connecticut, and thinking they were a lost family of geese from the Arctic. I can remember going to a wildlife conference and seeing a presentation in the program, titled “Turkey problems in Wisconsin,” and wondering if the turkeys they were referring to had wings or wore overalls. I can remember the editor of The …

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Perceptions Of Wildlife Damage And Species Conservation: Lessons Learned From The Utah Prairie Dog, R. Dwayne Elmore, Terry A. Messmer, Mark W. Brunson Jan 2007

Perceptions Of Wildlife Damage And Species Conservation: Lessons Learned From The Utah Prairie Dog, R. Dwayne Elmore, Terry A. Messmer, Mark W. Brunson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens), a federally listed threatened species, causes damage to agricultural operations, yet little incentive exists for private landowners to conserve them. Therefore, we surveyed Utah residents to identify stakeholder attitudes regarding prairie dog management. We assessed how perceptions of wildlife damage affect respondent attitudes regarding conservation among agricultural producers, rural residents, and urban residents. Higher levels of perceived wildlife damage were reported for agriculture respondents …

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Public Opinion, The Leopold Report, And The Reform Of Federal Predator Control Policy, James W. Feldman Jan 2007

Public Opinion, The Leopold Report, And The Reform Of Federal Predator Control Policy, James W. Feldman

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This paper explores the role of public opinion in a landmark shift in the federal predator control program. In 1963, the Leopold Committee recommended extensive reform in the federal predator control program, predicting that growing public support for the environmental movement would force such a move if the government did not initiate a change. In the years following the publication of the Leopold Report, the U.S. Division of Wildlife Services reformed its predator control program and tried to improve its public image. Meanwhile, both environmentalists and ranchers fought …

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Land-Use Pattern, Urbanization, And Deer–Vehicle Collisions In Alabama, Anwar Hussain, James B. Armstrong, David B. Brown, John Hogland Jan 2007

Land-Use Pattern, Urbanization, And Deer–Vehicle Collisions In Alabama, Anwar Hussain, James B. Armstrong, David B. Brown, John Hogland

Human–Wildlife Interactions

With the rise in deer–vehicle collisions across the United States, the associated costs also have risen. Increasingly, however, researchers are learning that these collisions are not a random phenomena but follow a systematic pattern. Building on this insight, we explored the role of county characteristics in influencing the pattern and incidence of white-tailed deer- (Odocoileus virginianus) related auto collisions. Using county level data from 1994 to 2003 in Alabama, we tested several data models with the above mentioned factors …

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The Director’S Desk, Bruce D. Leopold Jan 2007

The Director’S Desk, Bruce D. Leopold

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Well, this is truly a momentous occasion for the Berryman Institute: publication of the inaugural issue of its scientific journal, Human– Wildlife Conflicts (HWC). This issue has been long in the making (over 2 years), but well worth the wait!!!!!! Oh my oh my oh my!! Wildlife-damage management, and more generally, human–wildlife conflict resolution, continues to grow in prominence, and the Berryman Institute is ready and able to work with all of its state, federal, and private partners to address these issues through sound empirical research and outstanding outreach programs. HWC is designed to place wildlife damage management in the …

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Use Of Snares To Live-Capture Beavers, Lance B. Mcnew, Jr., Clayton K. Nielson, Craig K. Bloomquist Jan 2007

Use Of Snares To Live-Capture Beavers, Lance B. Mcnew, Jr., Clayton K. Nielson, Craig K. Bloomquist

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife managers, researchers, and nuisance-control operators often require a nonlethal means of capturing beavers (Castor canadensis). Historically, live-capture has relied on enclosure-type traps such as Bailey or Hancock traps. We describe the live-capture of 231 beavers using snares in southern Illinois from 2002 to 2005. Capture success averaged 5.4 beavers/100 trap-nights. Capture success did not differ between sexes (P = 0.57) or age-classes (P = 0.68). We captured most beavers in haul-out slide sets, surface run sets, or channel sets. Recaptures accounted for 28% (n = 65) of all captures. Mortality rate using snares was 10% and decreased …

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Comparison Of Sampling Strategies To Estimate Abundance Of Double-Crested Cormorants In Western Mississippi, Aaron T. Pearse, Brian S. Dorr, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Richard M. Kaminski Jan 2007

Comparison Of Sampling Strategies To Estimate Abundance Of Double-Crested Cormorants In Western Mississippi, Aaron T. Pearse, Brian S. Dorr, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Richard M. Kaminski

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We compared 2 sampling strategies designed to estimate abundance of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus, hereafter cormorants) on aquaculture ponds in western Mississippi. Cormorants are a major predator of cultured channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in this region; thus, estimating cormorant abundance is needed to better determine their economic impact. We independently designed a species-specific survey (i.e., cluster sampling) and a general survey (i.e., transect sampling) based on robust probability sampling theory to estimate abundance of this target population. During winters 2002–2003 and 2003–2004, we conducted 8 pairs of surveys and compared estimates of cormorant abundance and associated …

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A Review Of Shiga Toxin Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Enterica In Cattle And Free-Ranging Birds: Potential Association And Epidemiological Links, Kerri Pedersen, Larry Clark Jan 2007

A Review Of Shiga Toxin Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Enterica In Cattle And Free-Ranging Birds: Potential Association And Epidemiological Links, Kerri Pedersen, Larry Clark

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Cattle are the main reservoir for human infection by pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. To prevent entry of these food-borne pathogens into the human food chain, management factors at the farm level must be identified and controlled. External sources of contamination, such as birds, should be considered as potential sources of transmission over long distances. In this review, we focus on the epidemiology of infection by E. coli and S. enterica and the consequences of birds acting as disseminators of these pathogens at dairy farms in terms of cattle health and the subsequent effects on human health.

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Population Viability Analysis Of Monk Parakeets In The United States And Examination Of Alternative Management Strategies, Stephen Pruett-Jones, James R. Newman, Christian M. Newman, Michael L. Avery, James R. Lindsay Jan 2007

Population Viability Analysis Of Monk Parakeets In The United States And Examination Of Alternative Management Strategies, Stephen Pruett-Jones, James R. Newman, Christian M. Newman, Michael L. Avery, James R. Lindsay

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In the United States, monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) are expanding their geographical distribution, and their overall population size is growing exponentially. Monk parakeets are causing widespread economic damage in the United States by nesting on utility structures, which leads to electrical fi res and power outages. Although few life history data are available for the species from North America, extensive data are available from the species’ native range in South America. Incorporating data from South America into the population viability analysis program VORTEX, we simulated population growth in United States monk parakeets to determine whether it is likely …

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Scent Deterrence To Reduce Southern Flying Squirrel Kleptoparasitism Of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavities, Jonathon M. Stober, L. Mike Conner Jan 2007

Scent Deterrence To Reduce Southern Flying Squirrel Kleptoparasitism Of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Cavities, Jonathon M. Stober, L. Mike Conner

Human–Wildlife Interactions

When establishing new populations of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCW; Picoides borealis), cavity kleptoparasites can pose a considerable obstacle to successful restoration. Southern flying squirrels (SFS; Glaucomys volans) are the principal kleptoparasite of RCW roost and nest cavities. Managers restoring RCW populations primarily use labor-intensive, direct removal to mitigate cavity competition by SFS. We field tested the use of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) urine and rat snake (Elaphe spp.) musk as predator scents to examine if SFS could be deterred from using RCW cavities and to observe RCW roost behavior at cavities treated with red fox …

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Expanding Bear Populations Bring New Challenges To State Wildlife Agencies, Robert Southwick Jan 2007

Expanding Bear Populations Bring New Challenges To State Wildlife Agencies, Robert Southwick

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In the 1800s, bears were almost eliminated from the United States because they were seen as a threat to humans and livestock and were labeled pests. Now, bear populations are growing and becoming more widely dispersed. Their numbers are increasing and continually extending into new territories, including suburban areas. Suburban developments also are expanding into already established bear territory. This helps to explain that while state wildlife agencies estimate bear populations have increased 12% nationally during the past 5 years, bear complaints have increased 19%, personnel hours to resolve complaints have increased 22%, and state agency expenditures to control bear …

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Developing People Skills In The Human–Wildlife Conflict Community, Ben C. West Jan 2007

Developing People Skills In The Human–Wildlife Conflict Community, Ben C. West

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As I travel across the country talking with wildlife professionals about leadership and communication, I often ask groups this question: “How many of you decided to become a wildlife biologist because you just love working with people?” Believe it or not, I’ve never witnessed the raising of a single hand.

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Using Predator Exclosures To Protect Ground Nests From Red Fox, Ben C. West, Terry A. Messmer, Dominic C. Bachman Jan 2007

Using Predator Exclosures To Protect Ground Nests From Red Fox, Ben C. West, Terry A. Messmer, Dominic C. Bachman

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Nest predation often is cited as a primary cause for low recruitment and subsequent population decline of many ground-nesting bird species. In response, managers and researchers have developed a myriad of techniques to reduce rates of predation on ground nests. Fences to exclude predators from nesting areas have reportedly been a successful, albeit expensive, strategy to reduce predation rates. Although many studies have evaluated the use of exclusionary fences as a management tool, nearly all of these studies have evaluated the impact of fences in terms of nest success rather than by actual fence penetration by predators. Many authors, for …

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