Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Automatic Trigger For Bird Frightening Devices, Steve Price, John Adams

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

This triggering unit for animal frightening devices was developed because of an expressed need for a more effective method of breaking up starling and grackle roosts. The USDA, Animal Damage Control (ADC) office in Louisville, KY suggested that a device which detected the presence of the birds before activating and then emitted different sounds would be much more effective than single functioning devices on timers. Existing frightening devices have limited effectiveness because the birds become accustom to the repeated and periodic actuations of the same thing over and over again. In November of 1986, Mr. Bernice Constantin, District Supervisor for …

The Usda-Aphis-Adc Program In The United States, Bobby R. Acord

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The ADC program was transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in 1986. Shortly after the transfer, the Secretary of Agriculture established the National Animal Damage Control Advisory Committee (NADCAC). Current and future issues facing ADC are discussed in the context of NADCAC recommendations.

Epa Update On Vertebrate Pesticides, William W. Jacobs

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates pesticides under the authority of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Vertebrate pesticides are subsumed under the heading "rodenticides" and, under FIFRA, are regulated similarly to other pesticides.

Impact Of Wolves On White-Tailed Deer In North-Central Minnesota, Todd K. Fuller

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Field studies conducted in north-central Minnesota during 1980- 1986 suggest that wolves (Canis lupus) killed about 6% of the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population (including fawns). Given certain assumptions, simple equations can be used to estimate sustainable numbers of deer, wolves, and hunter harvest in an area.

Ecologically Sensitive Management Options For Bats, Paul B. Robertson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic, positive shift in the public image of bats in the United States (Tuttle 1988a). This shift is particularly impressive in light of the inappropriate and poor public image that bats have suffered in most western nations in the last century. Over the past decade, a sizable segment of the U.S. public, as well as local, state and national officials, have been educated to the ecological and economic value of bats which results from their insectivory and plant pollination activities (Olkowski and Olkowski 1989, Tuttle 1988b). The fact that they pose a …

Wildlife Damage In Electric Substations In New York, Jody W. Enck

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Wildlife managers have long been concerned with the damage wildlife can cause, especially to agricultural crops. However, one area which has received little research is the damage caused by wildlife to electric substations. Such research is needed because damage to electric substations increases operating costs of utilities and reduces reliability of service to customers.

Six member utilities of the Empire State Electric Energy Research Corporation (ESEERCO) were surveyed to identify classes of substations experiencing animal-caused faults (i.e., short circuits), and to determine the impacts of those faults. Records of more than 200 animal-caused faults occurring from 1970-88 were examined. The …

Zinc Phosphide Rodenticide Reduces Cotton Rat Populations In Florida Sugarcane, Nicholas R. Holler, David G. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Rodents cause extensive damage to sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) in southern Florida (Samol 1972). Losses have been estimated as high as $235/ha (Lefebvre et al. 1978). Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and roof rats (Rattus rattus) are responsible for most of the damage (Holler et al. 1981). In-field treatment is required for effective reduction of rat populations because of the distribution and restricted movement patterns of rats within fields (Lefebvre et al.1985a). Zinc phosphide (2%) baits are the only rodenticide baits registered for in-field use in Florida sugarcane. A preliminary test of in-crop aerial application …

Use Of Donkeys To Guard Sheep And Goats In Texas, Murray T. Walton, C. Andy Feild

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Though livestock guarding dogs have received considerable attention in recent years, other animals including donkeys (Equus asinus) are being used to protect sheep and goats from predation by coyotes (Canis latrans). In Texas many ranchers prefer donkeys due to low cost, relatively small maintenance requirements, and compatibility with other predator control methods. This paper describes husbandry practices for use of guard donkeys and relates rancher accounts of their effectiveness in protecting sheep and goats.

Extent And Nature Of Deer Damage To Commercial Nurseries In New York, Roger W. Sayre, Daniel J. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We surveyed nursery producers in New York to determine the extent, nature and economic impact of deer damage to their operations, and to assess their attitudes towards deer. Seventy-three percent of the producers experienced deer damage to their crops in 1988. Average costs for replacement were nearly $6,000 per grower for those reporting damage estimates (and over $8,000 if 1 extreme value was included). Statewide damage estimates ranged from $500,000 to $1.2 million (depending on assumptions). Forty-six percent used damage control, which cost an average of about $2,000 per grower. More than 80% of the producers were classified as "nonaccepting" …

Persistence Of Tartrazine In Marking Sheep Wool, Richard J. Burns, Peter J. Savarie

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Tartrazine was examined as a possible replacement marker for rhodamine B in the Livestock Protection Collar. Test solutions were formulated in six combinations; tartrazine at 0.5%. and 1.0% concentrations, with and without compound 1080, and with and without nigrosin black. Each solution was examined for persistence of color in the laboratory and when applied to the wool of dried sheep hide. Hide pieces were allowed to weather naturally or were sprinkled to simulate rain. Tartrazine alone was also tested at concentrations of 0.5%. and 1.0% on the necks of sheep. Over a 3-month period, no fading was noted in the …

Effects Of Free-Ranging Cats On Wildlife: A Progress Report, J. S. Coleman, S. A. Temple

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We have embarked upon a three-year study to determine the density and distribution of free-ranging cats (Felis catus) and their effects on prey populations in rural Wisconsin. The effects of predation by free-ranging cats on wildlife populations are potentially great and have not been adequately accounted for in wildlife management programs. In rural Illinois there was an average of 5.6 free ranging cats per farm (Warner 1985). If densities elsewhere are similar, then a state such as Wisconsin, with over 200,000 active and retired farms, could have over 1 million free-ranging cats on farms. In other studies (Bradt …

Depredation Permits For Migratory Birds, Larry L. Hood

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

All of the native species of birds in the United States are protected by either federal or state laws. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the federal government has formulated regulations that assist in controlling protected species that cause economic damage or health hazards. These regulations are in Subpoint D of Part 21, Title SO Code of Federal Regulations, and may take the form of standing depredation orders or permits issued to kill those species that cause problems.

A Fencing Technique To Reduce Raccoon Feeding Damage To Sugarcane Research Plots, Hugh P. Fanguy, Dwight Leblanc

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Damage caused by the feeding of raccoons (Procyon lotor) on stalks of sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) has occurred for several years on the 200-acre U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) research farm located near Houma, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. Damage begins when sugarcane mature internodes begin to from in late June and early July, and continues until the completion of harvest in late December. Raccoons appear to prefer varieties having low fiber and/or high sugar content and can severely damage these varieties (personal observation). Depredation by these animals frequently result in loss of data as preferred …

Animal Damage Control And The Wildlife Profession, Gary J. San Julian

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Conflicts between man and wildlife have always been a part of our history. We have tried to control the damage caused by wildlife and found that this was not always in the best interest of the resource. The role of animal damage control in our profession has changed and so has the public's view of it. As professionals we must strive to explain the need and value of wildlife damage management to our peers, the public and our detractors. This can be accomplished by participation in our professional organizations, the presentation of papers at scientific meetings, and open discussion of …

Gopher: A Computerized Cost/Benefit Analysis Of Pocket Gopher Control, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Ronald M. Case

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

GOPHER is a computer program that can assist landowners, extension agents, and resource personnel in determining the cost-effectiveness of various methods of pocket gopher control. The program is interactive and user-friendly. It allows for the input of variables, including: crop type, acreage, expected yield and value, and acreage infested. Material and labor costs can be assigned or standard default values can be used. Other "fixed" variables can be changed, including: pocket gopher density and rate of increase, rate of treatment, rate of retreatment, and forage recovery rate. With these variables and values, GOPHER generates the costs, time, and economic feasibility …

Elk And Crop Damage In Pennsylvania, Gary W. Witmer, Rawland Cogan

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The native eastern subspecies of elk (Cervus elaphus canadensis) was once widespread in Pennsylvania, but was extirpated from the state by 1880 (Bryant and Maser, 1982). About 177 Rocky Mountain elk (C. e. nelsoni) were re-introduced to the state between 1913 and 1926 (Sassaman, 1985). The herd increased as did crop damage complaints. Hunting seasons began in 1923 and continued until 1931. No further hunting was allowed because the herd had declined steadily. A small herd persisted in North-central Pennsylvania, in Elk and Cameron Counties. Elk sightings were rare by 1948, despite 17 years of closed …

Donkeys For Predation Control, Jeffrey S. Green

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Donkeys (Equus assinus) are described and their availability discussed. Key points which appear important in successfully using a donkey for reducing predation on livestock are presented.

Beaver And Beaver Dam Removal In Wisconsin Trout Streams, Larry Dickerson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Beaver (Castor canadensis) dam building activities create many longterm affects on stream ecosystems. Beaver dams may negatively influence trout fisheries by creating physical barriers to spawning areas, increasing sediment retention, and increasing water temperatures. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Animal Damage Control (ADC) program in Wisconsin, entered into cooperative agreements with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) on the Nicolet National Forest from June through September, 1988, to remove beaver and beaver dams from priority classed trout streams. Four hundred and eight beaver …

Population Dynamics And Harvest Response Of Beaver, Neil F. Payne

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

"For when we speak of the fur trade, we mean the beaver trade. Other furs were handled; others -- notably the rich sea otter -- were more valuable by far. But the beaver was the root and core of the trade... Many men died, a continent was explored, an indigenous [human] race degraded and its culture crushed; all because beaver fur, with its tiny barbs, felted up better than any other" (Berry 1961:18).

Demonstration Electric Fences To Control Black Bear Damage To Apiaries In New York State, Janet L. Sillings, Thomas N. Tomsa Jr., James E. Forbes

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The New York State black bear (Ursus americanus) population, approximately 4,000 animals (Clarke 1977), causes damage to apiaries in the catskill, Adirondack, and Southern Tier regions of the state. During 1987, 1988, and 1989, USDA Animal Damage Control (ADC) administered a program in New York to control bear damage to apiaries. Control activities were carried out pursuant to a Cooperative Agreement between ADC and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and were supported by matching Federal-State contributions. Program objectives were beekeeper education aimed at preventing bear damage and for the construction of demonstration temporary electric …

Coyote Depredation Control In New York - An Integrated Approach, Thomas N. Tomsa Jr., James E. Forbes

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

The New York State Cooperative Coyote Damage Control Program was established in late 1986 through a cooperative agreement between the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) and USDA, APHIS, ADC in response to escalating complaints of coyote (Canis latrans) depredations on sheep from 1980-85. Ten counties with histories of and/or potential for coyote/livestock conflicts were identified and targeted for publicity and primary program emphasis. Program staff received 58 reports of coyote depredations on 182 sheep from 32 producers in the ten target counties and seven outlying counties from May 1987 through May 1989, and verified …

Laughing Gulls At Jfk Airport: Safety Hazard Or Wildlife Resource?, R. A. Dolbeer, M. Chevalier, P. P. Woronecki, E. B. Butler

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

John F. Kennedy International Airport is adjacent to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge administered by the National Park Service. In 1979, 15 pairs of laughing gulls (Larus atricilla) nested on the refuge, the first recolonization of Long Island by this species since the gulls' disappearance from New York around 1900. The colony, with nests as close as 0.4 km to 1 runway, has subsequently increased to about 3,000 pairs. From 1970 to 1978, only 1 laughing gull strike by an aircraft was recorded at JFK. From 1979 through August 1989, 800 strikes were recorded, including 179 in 1989, in spite of …

Wildlife Damage To Crops: Perceptions Of Agricultural And Wildlife Professionals In 1957 And 1987, Michael R. Conover, Daniel J. Decker

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

We surveyed state wildlife agencies, state agricultural departments, Wildlife Extension Specialists, U.S.D.A. Animal Damage Control agents, and state Farm Bureau officials to develop a national perspective of wildlife damage to agricultural crops in the U.S. A broad consensus existed that wildlife damage was a major problem, although groups often differed in their perceptions of the seriousness of specific problems. The complexity of the wildlife damage problem was apparent in that 27 different wildlife species were cited as causing the greatest problem to a state's farmers. Nevertheless, 38-80% of the respondents from every group surveyed stated that deer were their worst …

Evaluation Of A Canada Goose Call-Activated Switch For Crop Damage Abatement, James W. Heinrich, Scott R. Craven

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Damage and nuisance problems caused by Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are difficult to control with current abatement technology. We tested the efficacy of a goose call-activated switch as a modification for propane exploders (gas cannons), using recorded Canada goose calls and live goose trials. We recorded a 30 m range for the switch and found that it was activated by a range of non-target sounds. The development of this device and the technology involved are discussed. The call-activated switch is not a useful tool in reducing Canada goose damage in crop fields.

Canada geese frequently feed on agricultural …

Survey Of Mississippi Catfish Farmers On Means, Effort, And Costs To Repel Fish-Eating Birds From Ponds, A. R. Stickley, K. J. Andrews

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Eighty-seven percent of 281 Mississippi catfish farmers felt that fish-eating birds were enough of a problem to warrant harassment. Farmers estimated that they spent an average of 2.6 man-hours per day harassing birds at an average annual cost of $7400. Sixty percent of the farmers who harassed birds did so by driving around the ponds and firing at birds to repel them. Propane exploders and pyrotechnics were also used. Pyrotechnics were judged the most effective repellent technique. The cost of bird harassment according to these farmers is $2.1 million. The value of fish loss to cormorants alone is roughly estimated …

Fertility Control As A Tool For Regulation Of Wildlife Populations, U. S. Seal

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Biological control of reproduction and fertility is a normal part of the life history of all organisms. Control mechanisms allow timing of reproduction with respect to age, time of day, season, and other periodic environmental events. Further modulation can occur with variations in temperature, rainfall, nutrition, and health status. Interactions with other members of the species, ranging from pherohormonal stimulation of estrus to social delay of puberty and breeding to infanticide, provide further constraints upon fertility and recruitment. All of these processes ultimately act through molecular neuroendocrine mechanisms that are under genetic control and are subject to natural selection and …

Revolution In Bird Control, Air Birdstrike Prevention Inc.

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Over 90% of all civil bird strikes in the U.S. occur at altitudes up to 3,000 feet above the ground and in the close vicinity of the airport. Many species of birds are involved, but almost 50% of all strikes involve gulls.

The Role Of Private Enterprise In Wildlife Damage Control, Lynn Braband

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

In addressing the role of private enterprise in wildlife damage control, I will not be bringing the final word or a comprehensively exhaustive report. Rather, I will be presenting some perspectives as the representative of a firm with extensive involvement with wildlife damage control as a business. My comments will be divided into why, what, how, and the future.

Gis: A Tool For Analyzing And Managing Deer Damage To Crops, Glenn R. Dudderar, Jonathan B. Haufler, Scott R. Winterstein, Petrus Gunarso

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

A common problem of biologists and agriculturists trying to control white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) damage to crops is understanding the causes and alternative solutions to the damage over multi-county or state-wide areas. Deer damage a variety of crops in different ways at different times of the year. Crops damaged, types of damage, and damage severity are influenced by deer densities, distributions, movements and harvest, as well as field size and interspersion with surrounding land cover types and uses. The complexity of the interaction of these factors requires improved analysis if the most appropriate control methods are to be …

A Review Of The Status Of Bird Management Products And Devices In The United States, Charles W. Areson

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Commercial urban /industrial structural pest bird control is approaching a time of crisis. Several long-standing toxicants that have been used as a major part of pest bird control programs are either suspended, at risk of suspension, or have had their production terminated by the manufacturer. "Environmental groups" are up in arms about the use and misuse of pesticides. Lawsuits have been filed to stop the use of some products, and political pressure has brought about reviews of some pesticide products on both the state and federal levels. EPA has seemed to have a "get tough" policy in its reregistration guidelines, …