Animal Sciences Commons^™

Fish And Wildlife Conservation For Educators Nrs 580, Michael Cerbo

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Double-Crested Cormorant Colony Effects On Soil Chemistry, Vegetation Structure And Avian Diversity In A Southeastern Reservoir System, Leah Moran Veum, Brian Dorr, Katie Hanson-Dor, R. J. Moore, Scott A. Rush

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Ornithogenic material delivered by Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) from their nesting colonies have been documented to effect vegetation, soil chemistry and tree and plant health in the northern breeding grounds of Canada and the United States (U.S.). However, little work has been done on impacts to avian communities or in temperate forest ecosystems. We compared soil chemistry, vegetation and tree structure and diversity and effects on avian communities among colony islands, uninhabited islands and abandoned colony islands within Guntersville Reservoir, a temperate forest ecosystem. Concentrations of potassium (K), phosphorus (P) and nitrate (NO₃^-) in soil …

Providing Education To Enhance Wildlife Conservation In South Africa Through The First Wildlife School For Game Rancers - A Grassroots Effort By Government Authorized Conservationists, David L. Bergman, Nico Avenant, Francoais Schutte, Michael J. Bodenchuk

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The establishment of the game ranching industry in South Africa has resulted in the conversion of 20 million hectares of marginal agricultural land to an economically viable and conservation oriented industry. The single biggest driving factor in the growth of the game ranching industry in South Africa was the promulgation of the Game Theft Act 105 of 1991 which conferred private ownership of game. Due to the Act, wildlife became economically viable and were managed according to the creation of this new market. The growth in game animals has reached its highest point since 1850 with over 20 million animals. …

Feral Horses Disrupt Greater Sage-Grouse Lekking Activity In The Great Basin, Peter S. Coates, Diana A. Munoz

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage grouse) and feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) co-occur within Great Basin sagebrush ecosystems of western North America. In recent decades, sage-grouse populations have declined substantially while concomitantly feral horse populations have increased drastically. Although multiple studies have reported feral horses adversely impacting native ungulate species, direct interactions between feral horses and sage-grouse have not been documented previously. We compiled sage-grouse lek count data and associated ungulate observations from 2010 and 2013-2018. We used Bayesian multinomial logistic models to examine the response of breeding male sage-grouse to presence of native (i.e. …

Are Mountain Lions Really Eating Feral Horses?, Pat Jackson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In May 2018, the New York Times published an article titled, “Let Mountain Lions Eat Horses.” The article implies mountain lions (Puma concolor) either currently do or could limit feral horse (Equus caballus) populations across the Intermountain West. This claim, among others in the article, is not well documented in existing literature. As of March 1, 2018, the Bureau of Land Management estimated feral horse and burro populations in the western United States numbered almost 82,000 animals. I will briefly cover the evolution, extinction, and the reintroduction of feral horses to North America, their ecological effects, …

Feral Swine Disease Surveillance – National Targets And Pilot Projects, Vienna R. Brown, Rachel M. Maison, Thomas Gidlewski

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The National Feral Swine Damage Management Program (NFSP) in collaboration with the National Wildlife Disease Program (NWDP) and USDA APHIS Veterinary Services works to identify the diseases of national concern in feral swine. The current national disease surveillance program includes classical swine fever (CSF), swine brucellosis (SB), and pseudorabies (PRV). CSF is a foreign animal disease and feral swine samples collected and tested serve as part of Veterinary Services surveillance stream for this pathogen. Both SB and PRV have been eradicated from U.S. commercial swine operations; however, as they are endemic diseases in feral swine populations, monitoring of feral swine …

Identifying The Next Conflict Wildlife Species, Angeline Scotten

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has recognized that wildlife conflict is of increasing concern among Floridians. Calls to the FWC regarding questions and apprehension of a multitude of species has increased dramatically over the state in the past decade; so much so that the agency has dedicated staff in each regional office to triage these issues. Historically, the agency had collected data reflecting the amount of complaints regarding species such as alligators and bears; complaints on other species received limited documentation, until recently. In April 2015, the agency implemented a new tracking system called the Wildlife Incident …

The National Feral Swine Program, National Strategy – The First Five Years, Michael C. Marlow, Vienna R. Brown, Dale L. Nolte

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In 2014, through Congressional direction, the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Feral Swine Damage Management Program was created. While feral swine damage management was certainly not new to APHIS Wildlife Services, this mandate enabled a programmatic and unified approach in combating the destructive forces of feral swine throughout the United States and its territories. Recognizing the variance in environmental conditions and regulatory processes throughout the states, APHIS’ strategy is to provide resources and expertise at a national level, while allowing flexibility to manage operational activities from a local or state perspective. Having completed the first five years of …

You Are The Speaker: Considerations Of The Art And Science Of An Effective Presentation, George R. Gallagher

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Effective communication is often stated as a key component to success in many aspects related to wildlife damage management. The objective of this presentation is to provide considerations of the components that can lead to an efficient and effective delivery of the desired messages. Clearly accepting the constraints of the presentation related to the audience and time available is the first step. Understanding that most effective presentations rarely have more than three “take-home messages” can be critical. Those messages must be clearly defined and refined.Observing and accounting for typical physical and environmental conditions that influence audio-visual technology should be considered. …

Effects Of Common Ravens On Greater Sage-Grouse In The Great Basin, Region, Usa, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Joseph L. Atkinson, Brianne E. Brussee, Pat J. Jackson, David J. Delehanty

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Anthropogenic modification to ecosystems can result in the redistribution of species at higher trophic levels. Humans have re-organized predator-prey dynamics, namely by removing top predators and subsidizing more generalist mesocarnivore species. As a result, some mid-level predator species have increased in abundance and distribution, often to the detriment of lower-level species that are not adapted to increased predation rates. One example of a native avian predator that has experienced population increase following increased anthropogenic subsidization is the common raven (Corvus corax; hereafter, raven).The raven is an ubiquitous predator within sagebrush ecosystems in the western U.S.,and may contribute to …

Efficacy Of An Avian Repellent Applied Using Drop Nozzle-Equipped Ground Rigs In Reducing Blackbird Damage To Sunflower, Page E. Klug, Michael H. Ostlie, Scott J. Werner

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In North Dakota large flocks of blackbirds feed on ripening crops, after breeding and prior to migration, resulting in an annual damage estimate averaging $3.5 million for sunflower. Since the repellent needs to be ingested to be effective, one obstacle is applying sufficient repellent directly to the sunflower face. Thus, we tested efficacy of an anthraquinone-based repellent when applied via drop-nozzle to sunflower using enclosed blackbirds in a semi-natural field setting. We used a ground-rig equipped with 360 Undercover^® drop nozzle sprayers to apply 20 gal/ac of solution to sunflower plots with a product application rate of 1.0 gal/ac …

Comparison Of Three Drug Combinations For Raccoon Immobilization, Shylo R. Johnson, Christine K. Ellis, Chad K. Wickham, Molly R. Selleck, Pauline Nol, Amy T. Gilbert

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Raccoons (Proycon lotor) are regularly handled for damage management and research objectives. Safe handling of these animals in the field requires drug combinations that provide effective and predictable results with high safety margins for both the animal and personnel handling the animal, but also have a low probability of abuse. United States Drug Enforcement Administration scheduling relates to the probability of a drug being abused; class I drugs are associated with the greatest potential for abuse. We compared three drug combinations: butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM; class IV), nalbuphine-azaperone-medetomidine (NAM; unscheduled), and ketamine-xylazine (KX; class III). Through a dose titration process, …

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles For Bird Harassment On Fish Ponds, Ciera A. Rhoades, Peter J. Allen, D. Tommy King

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The effects of aquaculture decline on piscivorous birds in the Mississippi Delta concern catfish farmers, with possible increases in fish loss and disease transmission. Piscivorous birds quickly habituate to most current methods of harassment (loud noises and visual disturbances) leading to increased depredation and disease. Our study was designed to test the efficacy of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to effectively control piscivorous birds at fish farms. We hypothesized that a UAV would be more efficient at reducing the number of fish-eating birds on fish ponds than current forms of harassment. We conducted pre-treatment bird surveys, harassment observations, and post-treatment …

Kaput® Feral Hog Bait Containing 0.005% Warfarin: An Overview Of Its Usefulness Against Feral Hogs And Safety To Wildlife And Humans, Richard M. Poche', David M. Poche', Gregory A. Franckwoiak, Tyler Clark, Larisa Polyakova, Batchimeg Tseveenjav

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Warfarin has been approved for use in the United States as a rodenticide since 1948. The United States Environmental Protection approved Kaput^® Feral Hog Bait (0.005% warfarin) for use as a toxicant to control wild pigs in 2017. The level of warfarin is 80% less than in commercial rodenticide formulations. Since 1994 we have conducted wildlife safety studies examining the potential effects of warfarin on non-target mammals and birds. Over a 25-year period, non-target toxicity research was completed with European ferrets, pied magpies, mallard ducks, bobwhite quail, Norway rats, house mice, and American alligator to assess primary and secondary …

Integrating Human Dimensions Studies And Human-Wildlife Conflict Data To Develop A Targeted Awareness Campaign About Coyotes In Florida, Angeline Scotten, Greg Kaufmann, Catherine Kennedy, Ann Forstchen, Ramesh Paudyal, Jacob Kline, Allison Perez

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) uses qualitative and quantitative data on people’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and understanding of wildlife species to optimize outreach efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict. These data also help the agency develop and implement effective and acceptable programs on fish and wildlife management by reducing adverse impacts of fish and wildlife on Florida’s environment, economy, and human health and safety. Combining human dimensions information with human wildlife conflict incident data can serve as a powerful tool to help prioritize outreach efforts.

In last few years, FWC has supported several research projects to gain a …

Fish Eating Birds Can Spread Bacterial Diseases Between Catfish Ponds, Fred L. Cunningham, Katie C. Hanson, Lorelei Ford, Lanna Durst, Raleigh Middleton, Larry A. Hanson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Severe outbreaks of Motile Aeromonad Septicemia disease in commercial catfish aquaculture ponds have been associated with a virulent Aeromonas hydrophila strain (VAh) that is genetically distinct from less virulent strains. We demonstrated that Great Egrets (Arde alba), Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), and Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) can carry and shed viable VAh after consuming fish infected with Vah.

Edwardsiella ictaluri and E. tarda are considered the primary species of Edwardsiella to cause disease outbreaks in North American catfish aquaculture. Genetic analysis has determined that most isolates designated as E. …

Integrated Wild Pig Control™: The Flint River Project, Michael Foster, Rod Pinkston

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Integrated Wild Pig Control™ (IWPC™) utilizes is a systematic approach to enhance the lethal removal of feral pigs based upon seasons food sources and conditional avoidance behavior that occurs when animals are exposed to trapping events. This sequence involves extensive camera and visual surveillance to determine numbers and locations of pigs. This information was utilized to deploy remote trapping of animals. Initial emphasis is placed on the removal of entire sounders at one time. Removal of remaining pigs is accomplished by use of firearms typically at night using thermal imagery technology. In January 2017, JAGER PRO™ was hired to remove …

Vertebrate Community Response To Wild Pig Control In An Agroecosystem, D. J. Steakley, Adrienne Dykstra, Garrett Street, Bronson Strickland, Kurt Vercauteren, Michael Colvin, Marcus Lashley

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Biological invasions often have negative effects on native wildlife and in the case of feral swine, also can cause extensive agricultural damage. As a result, the rapidly increasing swine populations and associated damages have led to wide-spread control efforts focused in agricultural areas. In a previous study, via camera trapping, we determined feral swine reduced observed vertebrate species richness by 26% when they invaded remnant forest patches in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. To determine the effectiveness of removal efforts in recovering the lost vertebrate richness, in January 2018, we initiated a before-after control-impact designed experiment in 5 forest patches to …

The Prevalence Of Two Common Internal Parasites In White-Tailed Deer With And Without Significant Interaction With Domestic Sheep, Kathryn M. Metro, Mckenzie J. Weisser, Shelby N. Rorrer, Sunday O. Peters, George R. Gallagher

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of two internal parasites (strongylate nematodes and Nematodirus spp.) in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sharing a home range with domestic sheep (Ovis aries), compared to deer likely having minimal contact with sheep. Fecal samples were collected from sheep (n=75), deer (n=99) within 300m of the sheep center, and deer (n=98) located 1.3km away from the livestock center, over a 7-week period during the summer. Sheep had the highest (p<.001) number of strongylate eggs (1,212.7 ± 2.8/g) compared to deer near the livestock facility (13.9 ± 0.3/g) or deer located away from the sheep center (18.3 ± 0.3/g). Eggs of Nematodirus spp. were greater (p<.001) in sheep (33.7 ± 0.5/g) compared to deer samples collected near the sheep center (5.1 ± 0.2/g) and deer away from the sheep facility (3.0 ± 0.1/g). Additionally, strongyle and Nematodirus spp. egg counts were different (p<0.001) in the fecal samples collected from deer residing closer to the sheep facility compared to those located farther away. Results of this study suggest the interactions of white-tailed deer and domestic sheep does not influence the prevalence of these internal parasites within the deer.

Comparing Live Capture Methods For Nutria (Myocastor Coypus): Single Versus Multiple-Capture Cage Traps, Trevor R. Sheffels, Mark D. Sytsma, Jacoby Carter, Jimmy D. Taylor

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Herbivory and burrowing by nutria (Myocastor coypus) cause substantial ecological and economic damage. Trapping is a common practice for reducing nutria damage; however, trapping approaches must continually be adapted to keep pace with evolving animal welfare and ethical issues and to more effectively target species of interest. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of 2 non-lethal trap types for nutria: single-capture (SCT) and multi-capture (MCT) cage traps. We established 3 MCT and 3 SCT at each of 7 sites on a 10,500 ha mixed-use island, located 15 km northwest of Portland, Oregon. Pre-baiting was accomplished using carrots, …

Comparison Of A 2-Layer Electric Fence And A Single Strand Electric Fence In Mitigating Browsing Of Impatiens By White-Tailed Deer, Shelby N. Rorrer, Mckenzie J. Weisser, Kathryn M. Metro, George R. Gallagher

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The objective of this study was to evaluate two electric fence configurations in minimizing damage to impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Each of 3 sites consisted of 3 plots (3mx3m), containing 16, evenly spaced impatiens planted on the perimeter of each plot. Plots within each site had a control, single strand and 2-layered electric fence. Control plots had no fencing. Single strand plots had one electrified wire attached to posts at 40 cm height, surrounding the plot. Two-layered electric fence had energized wire attached to posts at 25 cm and 60 cm height, …

Feral Free-Ranging Horse Impacts To Native Wildlife, David L. Bergman, Scott C. Bender

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The impacts of introduced horse on the vegetative communities has been widely studied. However, minimal research has been conducted to scientifically determine how they affect native wildlife. Ecologically, feral and free-ranging horses have been documented to cause environmental effects including: soil loss, compaction and erosion; trampling of vegetation; reducing plant species richness; inducing mortality of native trees; damage to bog habitats; damage to water bodies; facilitation of weed invasion; altering composition of insects; crabs, fish, reptiles, birds and small mammals; and, keeping wildlife out of waterholes. The controversy surrounding management of horses and the continued growth of feral free-ranging horse …

Comparison Of Deer Repellents Applied To Azaleas And Pansies, Rebecca Mcpeake, Rachel Lipsey, Nicole Nichols, Garry Mcdonald

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The effectiveness of commercially-available repellents in reducing browse by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was assessed on two varieties of azaleas (Rhododendron spp.)and one variety of pansies (Viola tricolor var. hortensis). Repellents examined included Plantskydd™ (liquid, granular), Deer Stopper™, Milorganite™, and Repels-All™. Evergreen azaleas in 15-gallon containers were observed during 3 trial seasons in October –May, 2012 –2015. During each trial, individual plants were treated with the maximum recommended level of each repellent, or no repellent, or no repellent with a wire cage to serve as a positive control. At the end of each trial, leaves …

Reducing Prairie Dog Populations And Damage By Castration Of Dominant Males, Gary W. Witmer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) occur widely across the prairie states of North America. They compete with livestock for forage, transmit plague, and damage lawns, landscaping, and property. Interest in non-lethal methods, such as immunocontraception, is growing; however, reductions in the population due to contraception may be offset by increases in survival because adults and yearlings are not subject to the energetic demands of reproduction, and lower densities may increase the amount of resources available to growing offspring. Surgical sterilization provides a means for modeling these effects. Thus, we castrated males prior to the 1998 breeding season to …

Wild Horses, Livestock, And Wildlife Use Of Springs And Riparian Areas On The Devil's Garden, Laura K. Snell, David F. Lile, Madeleine Levy, Roger A. Baldwin

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In Modoc County, located in northeastern California there is a unique rangeland area heavily populated by wild horses and managed primarily by United States Forest Service known as the Devil's Garden. Wild horses have significantly exceeded (4000 horses) appropriate management levels (206-402 horses) in recent years and expanded their range outside of the wild horse territory (258,000 acres) and on to private and tribal lands (over 450,000 acres). This increase has prompted concern about resource degradation particularly associated with riparian areas. In otherwise arid sage steppe rangelands, springs provide critical watering sources as well as wildlife habitat for sage grouse, …

The Path To Eliminating Raccoon Rabies In The Eastern Us-Obstacles And Opportunities In Urban-Suburban Landscapes, Carrie Stengel, Richard B. Chipman, Kathleen M. Nelson, Frederick E. Pogmore, Amy T. Gilbert

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Rabies in terrestrial wildlife poses a significant public and animal health threat. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) targeting specific vector species has proven effective in eliminating certain rabies variants in Europe and Canada. The goal of eliminating the raccoon rabies variant (RRV) in the US is achievable through an integrated ORV program at the landscape scale. Current wildlife rabies management in the US includes extensive air and ground ORV programs in 16 eastern states coordinated by Wildlife Services (WS)’ National Rabies Management Program. More than 10 million vaccine-baits are distributed annually targeting raccoons (Procyon lotor) and striped skunks ( …

Black Bear Use Of Forest Roads In Western Washington, Gary W. Witmer

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Radiolocations (108) of 20 black bears were used to assess use or avoidance of 3 forest road types in western Washington. Distances of bears to each type of road were compared to distances of 108 random points using t-tests. Females and males avoided 2-lane roads, while only males avoided 1-lane roads, the most common road type in the area. Females, but not males, were located closer to overgrown, spur roads than expected. This road type has substantial cover of grasses, forbs, and berry-producing shrubs along with protective tree cover. This situation may provide easy travel for females along with security …

Development Of A Rodent Bait With Slug-Repellent Properties, Aaron B. Shiels, Stephanie Joe, Tyler Bogardus

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Commensal rodents (invasive rats, Rattus spp., and house mice, Mus musculus) are established on most of the world’s land masses, damaging agriculture and infrastructure, spread disease, and are frequent predators of native species. Trapping is a common non-toxicant method to remove pest rodents, with bait longevity and attractiveness keys to successful rodent trapping. Bait spoilage and consumption by slugs may impede successful rodent control. Our goal was to determine whether food grade citric acid added to bait would repel slugs while remaining attractive to rodents. We conducted several trials using peanut butter bait and Goodnature™ Rat Lure bait, including: …

Emerging Tools To Control Feral Horse Populations In The Western Usa, Kate A. Schoenecker, Sarah R.B. King, Stefan L. Ekernas

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been conducting research to support the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program since 1996 and is currently engaged in testing additional tools to curb high population growth of feral horses. Horses are protected by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and are managed to maintain populations at appropriate management level (AML). With no natural predators, many populations double in 4-5 years. Population size is controlled primarily with “gathers” in which horses are rounded up and made available for adoption by the public. This is a costly …

South Carolina Department Of Transportation And The United States Department Of Agriculture, Partnering For Success In Migratory Bird Treaty Act Compliance: A Case Study, Brett H. Quattlebaum, Michael J. Queen, Robert W. Byrd

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is responsible for maintaining over 8,400 bridges statewide and several species of migratory birds use these structures as nesting locations. These birds, including their nests and eggs, are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). During a review of MBTA compliance in 2014, SCDOT concluded that they had no procedures in place to allow take to occur when active migratory bird nests were found within project limits. Project delays were the only management method available when active nests were found. SCDOT entered a Cooperative Service Agreement with USDA Wildlife Services (WS) in …