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United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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Articles 1501 - 1530 of 1625

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Mechanical Mouse Lure For Brown Treesnakes, Alexandria C. Lindberg, John A. Shivik, Larry Clark Jul 2000

Mechanical Mouse Lure For Brown Treesnakes, Alexandria C. Lindberg, John A. Shivik, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The importance of prey movement for stimulating feeding behavior of Brown Treesnakes was tested by using a mechanical mouse model in combination with and without prey odor. Prey movement was found to be important in stimulating brown treesnake feeding behavior. Prey movement combined with prey odor was not significantly different than prey movement alone. In the development of simple artificial lures based on the stimulus of live mice, visual lures lacking movement are likely to be ineffective. Lures that combine a visual moving stimulus with prey odor are likely to be the most effective artificial lure for trapping brown treesnakes.

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Digestibility, Nitrogen Excretion, And Mean Retention Time By North American Porcupines (Erethizon Dorsatum) Consuming Natural Forages, Laura A. Felicetti, Lisa A. Shipley, Gary W. Witmer, Charles T. Robbins Jun 2000

Digestibility, Nitrogen Excretion, And Mean Retention Time By North American Porcupines (Erethizon Dorsatum) Consuming Natural Forages, Laura A. Felicetti, Lisa A. Shipley, Gary W. Witmer, Charles T. Robbins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) subsist predominantly on low-protein, high-fiber, high-tannin diets. Therefore, we measured the porcupine's ability to digest dry matter, fiber, and protein by conducting digestion trials on eight natural forages and one pelleted ration varying in concentration of fiber, nitrogen, and tannins. On these diets, dry matter intake ranged from 5 to 234 g/kg 0.75/d and dry matter digestibility ranged from 62% to 96%. Porcupines digested highly lignified fiber better than many large hindgut fermenters and ruminants. The porcupine's ability to digest fiber may be explained, in part, by their lengthy mean retention time …

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Lethal Control Of Piscivorous Birds At Aquaculture Facilities In The Northeast United States: Effects On Populations, Bradley F. Blackwell, Richard A. Dolbeer, Laura A. Tyson May 2000

Lethal Control Of Piscivorous Birds At Aquaculture Facilities In The Northeast United States: Effects On Populations, Bradley F. Blackwell, Richard A. Dolbeer, Laura A. Tyson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Predation by piscivorous birds is considered a substantial threat to the aquaculture industry. However, lethal control of birds at aquaculture facilities has raised concerns about the effects on the distribution and abundance of populations of the species killed. We examined the relationship between numbers of piscivorous birds reported killed under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) permits at aquaculture facilities in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and species population trends within the respective states. The USFWS issued 26 permits to 9 facilities from 1985 through September 1997. Eight species appeared on permits, but only six species were reported killed: …

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Changes In Coyote Activity Patterns Due To Reduced Exposure To Human Persecution, Ann M. Kitchen, Eric M. Gese, Edward R. Schauster Apr 2000

Changes In Coyote Activity Patterns Due To Reduced Exposure To Human Persecution, Ann M. Kitchen, Eric M. Gese, Edward R. Schauster

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Activity patterns in animals are influenced by a number of factors, including the animal's physiological adaptations, prey availability and distribution, and disturbances caused by predators and humans. We compared coyote (Canis latrans) activity patterns estimated using radio-tracking locations between 1983 and 1988 with those documented between 1996 and 1997 on the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, in southeastern Colorado. We tested the hypothesis that changes in the type of disturbance experienced by coyotes would result in changes in their activity patterns. Disturbance experienced by the coyote population studied during 1983-1988, included >50 years of intense exploitation (shooting and trapping by ranchers) …

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Wildlife Strikes: A Growing And Costly Problem For Civil Aviation In The Usa, Sandra Wright, Richard Dolbeer Apr 2000

Wildlife Strikes: A Growing And Costly Problem For Civil Aviation In The Usa, Sandra Wright, Richard Dolbeer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife strikes, defined as aircraft collisions with birds or other animals, are a serious safety and economic concern in the USA and elsewhere. Liability issues related to wildlife strikes are also growing for airports and aircraft operators. In this paper, we will give examples of some significant strikes, show trends in wildlife strikes, explain why the strike problem is an increasing concern and discuss what actions can be taken to reduce and prevent strikes.

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Seasonal Variability In Brown Tree Snake (Boiga Irregularis) Response To Lures, John A. Shivik, William G. Wright, Larry Clark Apr 2000

Seasonal Variability In Brown Tree Snake (Boiga Irregularis) Response To Lures, John A. Shivik, William G. Wright, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In continuing investigations of brown tree snake, Boiga irregularis, attraction to carrion odor, we hypothesized that the attractiveness of live or dead and visually apparent or concealed lures varies seasonally. We determined that lure condition (live or dead mouse lures) and sensory cues (visually apparent or concealed lure) interact among wet and dry seasons. Concealed carrion lures were more effective during the dry season than the wet season, but the effectiveness of live mouse lures showed less seasonal variability. We identified weather variables that covary with observed seasonal trends in capture rates and investigated the influence of recent feeding …

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Immunocontraception Of White-Tailed Deer With Gnrh Vaccine, Lowell A. Miller, Brad E. Johns, Gary J. Killian Apr 2000

Immunocontraception Of White-Tailed Deer With Gnrh Vaccine, Lowell A. Miller, Brad E. Johns, Gary J. Killian

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

One of the most successful immunocontraceptive vaccines used for wildlife is porcine zona pellucida (PZP). Several authors have published on the use of PZP immunocontraceptive vaccines to immunosterilize white-tailed deer. This is the first long term study of the use of GnRH contraception of deer. This GnRH immunocontraceptive study was part of a multi-year White- Tailed deer infertility study on the deer herd at Pennsylvania State University, (PSU) University Park, Pennsylvania in cooperation with National Wildlife Research Center, (NWRC) Fort Collins, CO.

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Reporting Bias In Bird Strikes At John F Kennedy International Airport, New York, 1979-1998, Scott C. Barras, Richard A. Dolbeer Apr 2000

Reporting Bias In Bird Strikes At John F Kennedy International Airport, New York, 1979-1998, Scott C. Barras, Richard A. Dolbeer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bird-aircraft strike databases have been used to identify, monitor, and manage bird strike problems in the USA nationally and at individual airports. Up to 75% of all bird strikes that occur in the USA may not be reported by pilots or airport control tower personnel. Recent studies have suggested that individual airports may improve their strike reporting rates by having personnel regularly search runways for the remains of birds struck by aircraft. We analyzed a 20-year dataset of runway searches from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA) in New York to determine the degree of bias in reports of strikes …

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Roles Of Odor, Taste, And Toxicity In The Food Preferences Of Lambs: Implications For Mimicry In Plants, Frederick D. Provenza, Bruce A. Kimball, Juan J. Villalba Apr 2000

Roles Of Odor, Taste, And Toxicity In The Food Preferences Of Lambs: Implications For Mimicry In Plants, Frederick D. Provenza, Bruce A. Kimball, Juan J. Villalba

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In the traditional sense, food ingestion consists of prehending, masticating, swallowing, and digesting plant matter. It is also possible to ingest plants without eating them. Volatile compounds are inhaled directly into the lungs and transported from the lungs into the bloodstream. Volatiles in high concentrations could presumably produce toxicosis, without an herbivore ever ingesting a plant in the customary sense. Volatile compounds may be aposematic, serving to warn potential predators of toxins in plants. We conducted three experiments to explore the roles of odor, taste, and toxicity in the food preferences of lambs. The first experiment determined if brief exposure …

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Captive Great Blue Heron Predation On Farmed Channel Catfish Fingerlings, James F. Glahn, Brian Dorr, Mark E. Tobin Apr 2000

Captive Great Blue Heron Predation On Farmed Channel Catfish Fingerlings, James F. Glahn, Brian Dorr, Mark E. Tobin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In a series of experiments, we examined feeding behavior of captive great blue herons Ardea herodius and estimated their ability to affect commercial production of fingerling channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Specifically, we determined the following: (1) the biomass of channel catfish fingerlings necessary to maintain the body mass of wild-caught captive great blue herons, (2) capture rates of captive great blue herons foraging on channel catfish fingerlings, (3) evaluation of the losses of catfish fingerlings to heron predation, and (4) the effects of selected catfish pond conditions on heron capture rates and body mass changes. Consistent with previous studies, …

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Repellents To Reduce Cable Gnawing By Wild Norway Rats, Stephen A. Shumake, Ray T. Sterner, Stanley E. Gaddis Apr 2000

Repellents To Reduce Cable Gnawing By Wild Norway Rats, Stephen A. Shumake, Ray T. Sterner, Stanley E. Gaddis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rodents gnaw communications and power cables, resulting in service interruptions, fires, and other safety concerns. Commensal rodents such as the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) have been implicated in many of these situations. Two chemical repellents (capsicum oleoresin+apsaicin and denatonium benzoate) at 2.0% mass/mass concentrations in a polybutene carrier (Indopol-controlw) ere evaluated for repellent efficacy compared to a plastic mesh physical barrier material (Vexa*) and the polybutene carrier (placebo) alone using groups of individually caged wild Norway rats. The materials were applied to short lengths of communications cable (RG-8U) with the repellents enclosed in electrical shrink tubing around the …

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Long-Term Spatial Stability Of Coyote (Canis Latrans) Home Ranges In Southeastern Colorado, Ann M. Kitchen, Eric M. Gese, Edward R. Schauster Apr 2000

Long-Term Spatial Stability Of Coyote (Canis Latrans) Home Ranges In Southeastern Colorado, Ann M. Kitchen, Eric M. Gese, Edward R. Schauster

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Long-term stability of territorial boundaries has not been well documented in canids. To evaluate the prevalence of long-term spatial stability of coyote (Canis latrans) home ranges, we compared the overlap of territorial boundaries and the spatial distribution of telemetry locations of packs in southeastern Colorado. From August 1983 to July 1988 (period l), 16 coyotes from six packs were radio-tracked. From April 1996 to August 1997 (period 2), 12 coyotes from six packs were captured and tracked in the same area. Mean percentage of overlap of pack ranges was 89.8 ± 8.3% (+SD) for period 1 ranges over …

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Importance Of Migrating Salmon Smolt In Ring-Billed (Larus Delawarensis) And California Gull (L. Californicus) Diets Near Priest Rapids Dam, Washington, Darryl L. York, John L. Cummings, John E. Steuber, Patricia A. Pochop, Christi A. Yoder Apr 2000

Importance Of Migrating Salmon Smolt In Ring-Billed (Larus Delawarensis) And California Gull (L. Californicus) Diets Near Priest Rapids Dam, Washington, Darryl L. York, John L. Cummings, John E. Steuber, Patricia A. Pochop, Christi A. Yoder

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ring-billed (Larus delawarensis) and California Gulls (L. californicus) have been implicated in depredations on migrating salmon smolt in the Columbia River. As part of a gull management program conducted in 1995 and 1996, we collected L. delawarensis (n = 120) and L. californicus (n = 45) near Priest Rapids Dam, Washington, and analyzed stomach contents to determine food habits and thus the importance of fish in gull diets. Percent volume measurements and index of relative importance rankings suggested a greater reliance on fish by L. californicus than by L. delawarensis. Peak percent consumption of fish by …

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Movements And Distribution Of Radio-Collared Canada Geese In Anchorage, Alaska, Darryl York, John Cummings, Kate Wedemeyer Apr 2000

Movements And Distribution Of Radio-Collared Canada Geese In Anchorage, Alaska, Darryl York, John Cummings, Kate Wedemeyer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We monitored radio-equipped (n = 50) and neck-collared (n = 205) lesser Canada geese (Branta canadensis parvipes) during August through October 1996 in Anchorage, Alaska, to ascertain local patterns of movement and post-molt dispersal; to identify geese from molting sites that frequent Elmendorf Air Force Base (EAFB); and to evaluate the effectiveness of hazing at EAFB. Telemetry data and visual observations of collared geese indicated 59% of geese observed at EAFB were from molting sites ≤10 km from EAFB. We observed 93 marked geese from 11 molting sites 1 or more times in the EAFB airdrome, and 63% …

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Winter Habitat Use And Survival Of Female Ring-Necked Pheasants (Phasianus Colchicus) In Southeastern North Dakota, H. Jeffrey Homan, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier Feb 2000

Winter Habitat Use And Survival Of Female Ring-Necked Pheasants (Phasianus Colchicus) In Southeastern North Dakota, H. Jeffrey Homan, George M. Linz, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

From 1992 to 1995 we used radiotelemetry to monitor winter habitat selection and survival of female ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in southeastern North Dakota. We captured 100 birds at nine sites in six study blocks centered on cattail-dominated (Typha spp.) semi-permanent wetlands. Pheasants showed nonrandom habitat use at two hierarchical scales. At the second-order scale (23-km2 blocks) semi-permanent wetlands were preferred during two winters in which habitat selection could be assessed (1992–1993 and 1994–1995). An additional second-order preference for grass-covered uplands was shown during the mild 1994–1995 winter. At the third-order scale (home-range) pheasants preferred the …

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Integrated Management Tactics For Predicting And Alleviating Pocket Gopher (Thomomys Spp.) Damage To Conifer Reforestation Plantings, Richard M. Engeman, Gary W. Witmer Jan 2000

Integrated Management Tactics For Predicting And Alleviating Pocket Gopher (Thomomys Spp.) Damage To Conifer Reforestation Plantings, Richard M. Engeman, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Pocket gophers cause extensive damage to reforestation plantings in the western United States, and pose acute and chronic problems for forest managers. We examine the components of an integrated pest management strategy for reducing pocket gopher damage to conifers: the predictive factors for assessing the risk for damage, techniques for monitoring gopher populations and assessing efficacy of control methods, and damage control strategies and methods. The information in each component is reviewed and presented so that an optimal damage reduction plan can be developed in a logical, cost-effective, environmentally responsible fashion.

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Overview Of A Passive Tracking Index For Monitoring Wild Canids And Associated Species, Richard M. Engeman, Lee Allen Jan 2000

Overview Of A Passive Tracking Index For Monitoring Wild Canids And Associated Species, Richard M. Engeman, Lee Allen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Population density estimates for many animal species are often difficult or expensive to obtain, and they rely on assumptions that, if violated, result in unmeasurable estimation errors. Density estimates also may be unnecessary for research or management purposes, because an index that tracks changes in a population within appropriate time and geographic constraints could provide the information necessary to make management decisions or to evaluate the impact of a control program. We review research on a passive tracking index where observations are made on a series of tracking plots placed on lightly used dirt roads. The number of sets of …

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Standardizing The Evaluation Of Brown Tree Snake Trap Designs, Richard M. Engeman, Daniel S. Vice Jan 2000

Standardizing The Evaluation Of Brown Tree Snake Trap Designs, Richard M. Engeman, Daniel S. Vice

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The introduced brown tree snake has had devastating impacts on the native vertebrate fauna of Guam. Trapping is the primary means by which brown tree snakes are removed, either in support of reintroduction of endangered species or to deter their movement from Guam in cargo. Traps used to control brown tree snake populations have been continually evolving since the 1980s. Before general operational implementation of a new design, the efficacy of new trap developments must be demonstrated. In this paper we combine the current knowledge about brown tree snake control objectives and practicalities, the information gained from a variety of …

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Brown Tree Snake Discoveries During Detector Dog Inspections Following Supertyphoon Paka, Daniel S. Vice, Richard M. Engeman Jan 2000

Brown Tree Snake Discoveries During Detector Dog Inspections Following Supertyphoon Paka, Daniel S. Vice, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Detector dog inspection of outbound cargo is one of several control methods applied to deter brown tree snake dispersal from Guam. In the two and a half months following the passage of Supertyphoon Paka over Guam, an increase in brown tree snake discoveries during detector dog inspections was observed. We report here on the circumstances of those discoveries and their management implications.

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Evaluation Of A Radar-Activated, Demand-Performance Bird Hazing System, Gwen R. Stevens, Jamie Rogue, Richard Weber, Larry Clark Jan 2000

Evaluation Of A Radar-Activated, Demand-Performance Bird Hazing System, Gwen R. Stevens, Jamie Rogue, Richard Weber, Larry Clark

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We evaluated a radar-activated integrated hazing system for the protection of waterfowl at large contaminated ponds at a power plant. The hazing devices in the system included acoustic alarm calls, pyrotechnics and chemical repellents dispersed in the form of a bird tear-gas. Unlike, timed interval systems, or systems with random activation sequences, birds did not habituate to the demand-performance system tested. Over the course of a year, we documented that waterfowl were 12.5 times less likely to fly over the hazed contaminated ponds relative to a non-hazed control pond. Of the waterfowl that did fly over both ponds, the likelihood …

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Sheep-Predation Behaviors Of Wild-Caught, Confined Coyotes: Some Historical Data, Ray T. Sterner, Kenneth Crane Jan 2000

Sheep-Predation Behaviors Of Wild-Caught, Confined Coyotes: Some Historical Data, Ray T. Sterner, Kenneth Crane

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As part of efforts to develop The Livestock Protection Collar (U.S. EPA Reg. No. 56228-22), we videotaped sheep-predation events by 23 (15 males and 8 females) wild-caught, confined coyotes (Canis latrans) in a 31 x 41 m enclosure. Coyotes were paired individually with a sheep (Ovis aries) during 1 h daily trials. Nineteen (13 males and 6 females) of the coyotes made 75 fatal attacks of 1 to 7 sheep each; 4 coyotes (2 males and 2 females) made no fatal attacks despite 19 to 39 daily pairings. Of coyotes that made fatal attacks, 13 (9 …

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Soil-Moisture Preferences And Soil-Use Behaviors Of Northern Pocket Gophers, Ray T. Sterner Jan 2000

Soil-Moisture Preferences And Soil-Use Behaviors Of Northern Pocket Gophers, Ray T. Sterner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Factors affecting soil-contact and –manipulation behaviors of pocket gophers (Thomomys and Geomys spp.) are poorly understood. Delineation of these behaviors is crucial to development of new repellent systems that seek to exploit the fossorial activity of these rodents. In a laboratory study involving northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides), I examined the effects(s) of gravimetric soil moisture (i.e., 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%) upon soil-contact and –use behaviors. Six gophers received successive, 0.5 h/day exposures to one of the moist soils compared to dry (0%) soil in a 2-choice apparatus. Times in each compartment and observed …

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Strychnine Alkaloid And Avian Reproduction: Effects Occur At Lower Dietary Concentrations With Mallard Ducks Than With Bobwhite Quail, C. A. Pedersen, R. T. Sterner, M. J. Goodall Jan 2000

Strychnine Alkaloid And Avian Reproduction: Effects Occur At Lower Dietary Concentrations With Mallard Ducks Than With Bobwhite Quail, C. A. Pedersen, R. T. Sterner, M. J. Goodall

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Separate subchronic reproductive toxicity studies were conducted using mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). Three groups (32/group; 16 male-female pairs) of 17-week-old ducks (F0 generation) were fed Purina® Game Bird Breeder Layena® diets containing mean (±SD) 33.2 (±2.7), 68.9 (±1.8), and 140.9 (± 5.1) μg/g strychnine for 20 weeks, with some pairs in each group fed control diet during a subsequent 3-week recovery period. Three groups (32/group; 16 male-female pairs) of 19-week-old quail (F0 generation) were fed similar diets containing mean (±SD) 279.2 (±10.1), 557.4 (±43.5), and 1,113.6 (±46.6) μg/g …

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Response Of Captive Coyotes To Renardine Coyote Repellent, D. E. Zemlicka, J. R. Mason Jan 2000

Response Of Captive Coyotes To Renardine Coyote Repellent, D. E. Zemlicka, J. R. Mason

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Renardine is a bone tar product available for use as a coyote (Canis latrans) repellent in Canada. The substance is applied to pasture borders to prevent coyotes from entering and attacking sheep. Because data regarding the effectiveness of Renardine are lacking, we designed two experiments. In the first, six pairs of coyotes were first presented with 400 g of ground meat in two pans (200 g/pan) with false screen bottoms. Beneath the screens were absorbent tubes wetted with 10 ml of distilled water. Subsequently, during a treatment period, the absorbent tube was wetted with 10 ml of Renardine. …

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Hazing And Movements Of Canada Geese Near Elmendorf Air Force Base In Anchorage, Alaska, Darryl L. York, John L. Cummings, Richard M. Engeman, Kate L. Wedemeyer Jan 2000

Hazing And Movements Of Canada Geese Near Elmendorf Air Force Base In Anchorage, Alaska, Darryl L. York, John L. Cummings, Richard M. Engeman, Kate L. Wedemeyer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bird strikes to aircraft are a serious economic and safety problem in the United States, annually causing millions of dollars in damage to civilian and military aircraft and the occasional loss of human life. We observed movements of 1236 neckbanded lesser Canada geese (Branta canadensis parvipes) to determine efficacy of hazing as a means to reduce goose presence at Elmendorf Air Force Base (EAFB), Anchorage, Alaska from August to October 1997. Emphasis was on movements of geese onto EAFB with additional data collected at the other two major airports in the area, Anchorage International Airport (AIA) and Merrill …

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Evaluation Of Flight ControlTm And Mesurol® As Repellents To Reduce Horned Lark (Eremophila Alpestris) Damage To Lettuce Seedlings, Darryl L. York, John L. Cummings, Richard M. Engeman, James E. Davis Jr. Jan 2000

Evaluation Of Flight ControlTm And Mesurol® As Repellents To Reduce Horned Lark (Eremophila Alpestris) Damage To Lettuce Seedlings, Darryl L. York, John L. Cummings, Richard M. Engeman, James E. Davis Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We conducted enclosure trials near Huron, CA in the San Joaquin Valley from 12 to 23 January 1999 to determine the efficacy of Flight Control™ (50% anthraquinone) and Mesurol® (75% methiocarb) in preventing horned lark damage to lettuce seedlings. Flight Control™ (FC) and Mesurol® were evaluated as foliar sprays at application rates of 2.79 and 2.27 kg ha-1, respectively. Homed lark damage to lettuce seedlings treated with antraquinone was greater (p = 0.015) than for rnethiocarb®, 60 versus 20%, respectively, and seedlings in control plots were 100% destroyed. While this level of damage is probably unacceptable to lettuce …

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Home Ranges And Habitat Selection Of White-Tailed Deer In A Suburban Nature Area In Eastern Nebraska, Scott Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren Jan 2000

Home Ranges And Habitat Selection Of White-Tailed Deer In A Suburban Nature Area In Eastern Nebraska, Scott Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We evaluated the movements of 59 radio-collared female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at the Gifford Point Wildlife Management Area (GP) and Fontenelle Forest Nature Area (FF) in eastern Nebraska from 1994 to 1997. Annual home ranges averaged 276 ha (CI = 166 ha). Forty-four of the deer maintained relatively small home ranges (0=129 ha) and resided in the GP lowlands (n=14), FF lowlands (n=ll), and FF uplands-Bellevue residential area (BR) (n= 19). Deer in the latter area were frequently observed in backyards, at deer feeders, and on city streets. Seven of the deer were transients, maintaining seasonal home …

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Integrated Pest Management Of Black Bear Reforestation Damage, Gary W. Witmer, Dale L. Nolte, William Stewart Jan 2000

Integrated Pest Management Of Black Bear Reforestation Damage, Gary W. Witmer, Dale L. Nolte, William Stewart

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Black bear damage to commercial, coniferous trees on intensively managed public and private forest lands of the Pacific Northwest continues to be a problem for forest managers. Historically, methods such as relocation or spring hunts have been used in an effort to reduce bear density and damage. More recently, supplemental feeding has been used in an attempt to provide for the nutritional needs of bears during the damage period. Alternative silvicultural practices and repellents are being investigated for their ability to reduce the likelihood of bear damage. These and other methods need to be examined for their effectiveness, especially in …

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Cormorant Research And Impacts To Southern Aquaculture, Scott Werner Jan 2000

Cormorant Research And Impacts To Southern Aquaculture, Scott Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Several North American waterbird species were negatively affected by compromised environmental quality by the mid-twentieth century. Double-crested cormorant populations responded to increased environmental regulations in the United States in the early 1970s. The abundance of cormorants wintering in southern states (especially Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) increased concurrently with a marked increase in catfish, crawfish, and bait fish production in these states since 1980, thus increasing regional concern regarding production losses to these industries. Cormorants wintering in Mississippi have increased nearly 225% since 1990. Food habit studies, bioenergetic predictions, and captive-bird foraging experiments indicate that individual cormorants consume approximately 0.5 …

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Evaluation Of Hot Sauce® As A Repellent For Forest Mammals, Kimberly K. Wagner, Dale L. Nolte Jan 2000

Evaluation Of Hot Sauce® As A Repellent For Forest Mammals, Kimberly K. Wagner, Dale L. Nolte

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Foraging by forest mammals can be significantly detrimental to reforestation efforts. Repellents may offer a nonlethal solution for some situations. Hot Sauce® animal repellent uses capsaicin, a trigeminal irritant that should be aversive to most mammals. We conducted a series of tests evaluating the impact of Hot Sauce on foraging by 5 species of forest mammals. In our first study, we examined its potential to reduce browsing by black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Damage to Western redcedar seedlings (Thuja plicata) was initially reduced with application of a 6.2% Hot Sauce solution, but efficacy began to decline after …

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