Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Control Of Ecosystem Processes By Prairie Dogs And Other Grassland Herbivores, James K. Detling, April D. Whicker

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Black-tailed prairie dogs in the mixed-grass prairie at Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, create habitat patches characterized by altered species composition, lower standing crops of plants, but higher forage quality. Native wildlife species such as bison, pronghorn, and elk preferentially feed on these prairie dog colonies and likely derive nutritional benefits from doing so.

The Lure Crop Alternative, Steven D. Fairaizl, William K. Pfeifer

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Lure crops are proposed as an alternative to scaring waterfowl. The lure crop works on the principle of permitting waterfowl to feed undisturbed for the duration of the damage season in an unharvested field of their choice thereby utilizing trampled grain. Waterfowl from adjacent areas are encouraged to use the lure crop through the use of scaring devices placed in protected fields. General criteria for implementation of a lure crop project and specific criteria for lure crop purchases are presented. Factors contributing to a successful lure crop and problems which reduced lure crop effectiveness are identified. Benefit/cost analysis of lure …

Aerial Hunting Takes Sheep-Killing Coyotes In Western Montana, Guy Connolly, Bart W. O'Gara

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

This paper reports limited data to document that depredating coyotes were shot from a helicopter in western Montana in 1976. Coyotes marked themselves by puncturing diphacinone-filled collars on the necks of sheep they attacked. Subsequently, 11 coyotes were shot from a helicopter on 3 ranches where collared sheep had been attacked. Six coyotes contained diphacinone and thus were confirmed as having recently attacked or fed on collared sheep.

Overwater Nesting By Ducks: A Review And Management Implications, Stephen H. Bouffard, David E. Sharp, Carol C. Evans

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Nest success of overwater duck nests is generally higher than nests in upland sites. A review of the literature indicated that the major factors limiting success of overwater nests were fluctuating water levels, nest parasitism, predation, and human disturbance. Regional patterns of the occurrence of these factors could not be discerned. General management guidelines for improved recruitment and reduced nesting female mortality are suggested.

Efficacy Of Deferred Grazing In Reducing Prairie Dog Reinfestation Rates, Kelly A. Cable, Robert M. Timm

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Population growth of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) was studied in 1985 and 1986 at 20 prairie dog towns on short- and mixed-grass rangeland in western Nebraska, to determine the efficacy of 2 years deferred (May 1 - Sept. 1) grazing in reducing population growth rates following population reduction. In 1985, population growth measures on deferred sites were not significantly different from grazed sites, perhaps due to drought conditions. In 1986, natality and population growth (% increase in animals) were significantly lower on deferred sites than on sites grazed by livestock. Deferred sites studied both years showed significant …

A Statistical Model Of Expansion In A Colony Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, R. P. Cincotta, D. W. Uresk, R. M. Hansen

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

To predict prairie dog establishment in areas adjacent to a colony we sampled: (1) VISIBILITY through the vegetation using a target, (2) POPULATION DENSITY at the colony edge, (3) DISTANCE from the edge to the potential site of settlement, and (4) % FORB COVER. Step-wise regression analysis indicated that establishment of prairie dogs in adjacent prairie was most likely to occur when an area was near a densely populated colony edge with high visibility through the vegetation.

Policy And Goals Of The U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, Harold A. Doty

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

A recent memo out of our regional office says that we shall refer to this subject as seasonal predator management. You know it covers a lot of other terms; we used to call it predator control and so on. But going back to the origins of predator management in this country, we generally think of protecting domestic crops, be it trees or grains or sheep or cattle.

If you turn in another direction and look towards Europe, you can see many centuries of involvement in use of the land. There game is a product of the land and is owned …

Prairie Dog Control—A Regulatory Viewpoint, Dennis C. Clarke

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Prairie dogs and their control are complex issues. At this conference we've heard numerous speakers discuss a wide variety of topics concerning the organism's effect on range and man's attempts to deal with those effects. It appears one could make a case for or against the prairie dog depending on his own particular situation and experience. While the organism is a natural part of the prairie ecosystem, it may not be a desirable inhabitant of a livestock producers range when its population goes unchecked.

This leads to conflict. The prairie dog becomes a biopolitical issue. On one hand it evolved …

Control Methods For Objectional Roosts Of Purple Martins, Albert E. Bivings Iv

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Multi-thousand bird roosts of Purple Martins (Progne subis) occasionally form in the South during the early summer (June-July). Nightly depositions of fecal material create considerable nuisance and potential health problems. Since they are federally protected migratory birds and have legions of bird-lovers trying to increase their populations, lethal controls are unlikely to be popular or even permitted. Control techniques including plastic netting (partial or complete exclusion), active scaring and modification of building schedules are discussed and evaluated. Plastic netting was observed to be the most successful long-term solution.

Field Study—Steel Versus Lead In Aerial Hunting, Duane Bernstein, David Nelson

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The purpose of this study is to get an objective measure of the comparative performance of steel and lead when used in aerial hunting. Comparisons will be made by patterning lead and steel from 35 and 45 yards using improved cylinder and modified shotgun barrels. Tests will be conducted from the ground and air to compare penetration by lead and steel.

Historical And Present Status Of The Black-Footed Ferret, Dean E. Biggins, Max H. Schroeder

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was once widely distributed in the Great Plains and intermountain valleys of North America, its range overlapping the combined ranges of several species of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Most life history information has been obtained from studies of ferrets in southwestern South Dakota (1964-1974) and studies near Meeteetse, Wyoming (1981-present). The ferret's nearly complete dependence on prairie dogs was documented in both study areas. The recent collapse of the Meeteetse population of ferrets due to an outbreak of canine distemper underscores the threat posed by this disease, but reductions of prairie dogs …

Arthropod Consumption By Small Mammals On Prairie Dog Colonies And Adjacent Ungrazed Mixed Grass Prairie In Western South Dakota, W. Agnew, D. W. Uresk, R. M. Hansen

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The percentage of arthropods and plants in the diets of seven small rodents captured on prairie dog colonies and adjacent mixed grasslands were estimated by microhistological techniques. Arthropod composition over the two year study averaged 51% and 37% on prairie dog colonies and mixed grasslands, respectively. Composition of arthropods on prairie dog colonies was greater during the summer than in late spring or late summer. Conversely, arthropods made up a considerably smaller percentage of small mammal diets in the summer on mixed grasslands. Nearly twice as many small mammals, excluding prairie dogs, were trapped on prairie dog colonies than on …

Rodent Damage To Various Annual And Perennial Crops Of India And Its Management, Ranjan Advani

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The results of about 12 years' study deals with rodent damage to several annual and perennial crops of India including cereal, vegetable, fruit, plantation and other cash crops. The rodent species composition in order of predominance infesting different crops and cropping patterns percent damages and cost effectiveness of rodent control operations in each crop and status of rodent management by predators are analysed.

Cougar Predation On Livestock In New Mexico, January 1983 Through June 1984, Gary A. Littauer, Ronald J. White

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

A telephone survey was conducted in which the objective was to obtain information from the entire population of livestock producers in New Mexico who had losses to cougars (Felis concolor) in 1983 and the first six months of 1984. A total of 103 ranchers reported losses in 1983 and 60 reported losses in the first six months of 1984. Verified (by examination of kills) losses of sheep and lambs to cougars totaled 1,202 in 1983 and 525 in the first half of 1984. Verified losses of cattle and calves totaled 230 in 1983 and 102 in the first half of …

An Overview Of The South Dakota Animal Damage Control Program, Alvin L. Miller

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Animal Damage Control in South Dakota is a very comprehensive program. The program's objective is to reduce agricultural loss caused by predators, nuisance animals, rodents, migratory birds and waterfowl. It involves the cooperation of several federal, state and county agencies as well as landowners and In turn requires very close coordination of these various entities in order to successfully achieve our objective. Operational control, extension services, research and educational programs are alI important facets of such a comprehensive program.

Efficacy Of Aluminum Phosphide For Black-Tailed Prairie Dog And Yellow-Faced Pocket Gopher Control, P. Rodger Moline, Stephen Demarais

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The efficacy of aluminum phosphide was tested on a total of 300 active black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) mounds and 68 active yellow-faced pocket gopher (Pappogeomys castanops) tunnels during June-August, 1986 on the southern Great Plains in Lubbock County, Texas. Efficacy of aluminum phosphide was higher than controls (P < 0.001) for both species. Efficacy was higher for black-tailed prairie dogs (94.7 - 96.0%) than for pocket gophers (61.5 - 85.7%). Soil porosity and moisture appeared to influence efficacy for yellow—faced pocket gophers.

Involving The Public In Prairie Dog Management On The Nebraska National Forest, George Probasco

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Scoping is the formal name for a process designed to identify public issues and incorporate public values into the decision making process for management of public lands. Scoping ensures that a public agency, in this case the Nebraska National Forest, will identify important issues and develop alternative management strategies for projects in full public view. Scoping has specific and fairly limited objectives: (a) to identify the affected public and agency concerns; (b) to facilitate an efficient analysis of the environmental impacts; (c) to define the issues and alternatives that will be examined in detail; and (d) to make sure that …

A Novel Strategy For Pocket Gopher Control, Michael E.R. Godfrey

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Current techniques for the control of pocket gophers use traps, fumigants or toxic baits. Trapping and fumigation are labor intensive and seldom effective in giving more than short-term relief. Toxic baiting usually uses baits that are rapidly degraded and although the resident gopher may be killed the burrow system is frequently reoccupied very rapidly and little long-term control is achieved. The use of persistent baits that remain toxic and acceptable to the gophers for an extended period may result in more effective long-term control.

Demography And Population Dynamics Of Prairie Dogs, John L. Hoogland, Diane Kay Angell, James G. Daley, Matthew C. Radcliffe

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

For the last 14 years, we have been studying the sociobiology, demography, and population dynamics of blacktailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. Our study colony covers 6.6 hectares (16 acres) and has not expanded during the period of research; in late spring of each year the colony contains a mean ± SD of 133 ± 29 adults and yearlings and 81 ± 33 juveniles. We have discovered four surprising aspects of the demography and populations dynamics of prairie dogs. (1) Mortality during the first year is approximately 50% for both sexes. Those males that …

Control Of One Native Animal Species To Benefit Another Native Species, John T. Lokemoen

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

This paper expresses my feelings on the topic of controlling one native animal species (small carnivores) for the benefit of another native species (waterfowl). The relationship between the predator and prey has always been an interesting one. During much of man's experience with wildlife, predators were generally feared and persecuted. It was almost universally agreed that killing predators resulted in larger game populations, which man wanted for food or sport.

A Field Habitat Model For Black-Footed Ferrets, Brian J. Miller, George E. Menkens Jr., Stanley H. Anderson

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

We present a model to compare prairie dog complexes with known black-footed ferret habitat. The model assumes: 1) black-footed ferret populations require prairie dog colonies for survival, 2) prairie dog colonies can accommodate an additional black-footed ferret for each approximate 50 hectare increase in size, 3) a higher percentage of overall area covered by prairie dogs can accommodate more black-footed ferrets. We list four biological variables. They are: 1) total hectares in prairie dog colonies, 2) percent of total complex inhabited by prairie dogs, 3) intercolony distance, 4) an estimate of burrow density per hectare. In addition, two non-biological parameters …

Small Mammals: Pests Or Vital Components Of The Ecosystem, Carolyn Hull Sieg

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Small mammals regarded as "pests" should not be viewed separately from other components in the ecosystem. Small mammals have significant influences on vegetation and soils, exert predatory pressure on other animals, and provide food for predators. Future management efforts should include consideration of these diverse influences.

Duck Nest Success On South Dakota Game Production Areas, S. Gay Simpson

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Duck nesting success was studied on South Dakota Game Production Areas in 1985 and 1986. Mayfield success rates for all species combined were 28.0 and 28.4 percent, respectively. Predators were responsible for nearly 90 percent of nest failures. Results from lake Albert Island and Hogsback served to demonstrate potential for intensive management to increase duck nesting success.

Consider Using Electric Powered Fences For Controlling Animal Damage, Robert E. Steger

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The use of electronics in animal damage control is not new. The use of amplified frequencies or sound has been widely used for controlling insects, rats, and other kinds of animals. Recent innovations for uses of electric powered fences are being recognized. Animals heretofore managed by expensive predacides or physical barriers are being managed with electric powered barriers. For example, caterpillars are being economically managed in New Zealand with the use of one electrical wire slightly above ground level. This application is being made possible because electric powered fences are 1) economical; 2)effective; 3) provide flexibility; and 4) are relatively …

Welcome From The Great Plains Agricultural Council, Robert L. Storch

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

On behalf of the Great Plains Agricultural Council and other sponsoring agencies, I want to welcome you to the 8th Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop. From the very first session that was held in 1973 at Manhattan, Kansas, this workshop has consistently enjoyed a high level of success, and we believe this year's effort will be no exception. Being approximately a year and a half since the last workshop in San Antonio, we were initially concerned about the amount of interest that would be shown in this year's workshop. However, in looking at the number and quality of the …

A Chronology Of Prairie Dog Control Operations And Related Developments In South Dakota, Rew Hanson

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

The black-tailed prairie dog is a South Dakota native with a long history of controversy regarding its activities and control. The first organized efforts in prairie dog control date back to 1914 but little information was recorded until 1919 with some county operations and the passing of a rodent control law by the South Dakota Legislature. Nine west river counties reported treating a total of 398,000 acres of prairie dogs in 1920.

South Dakota—Its History, Land, And Wildlife, Chuck Post

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

South Dakota, duh KOH tuh, was named for the Dakota, or Sioux Indians who lived in this region before the white man came. In addition to the Sioux, two other tribes lived in the area before the white man. The Arikara built permanent homes and raised crops while the Cheyenne lived mostly by hunting. The wandering Sioux were hunters and warriors who moved from place to place following the great herds of bison.

Kansas Wildlife Damage Reporting System, Bart L. Hettenbach

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

In the past several years Kansas State University's Extension Wildlife Damage Control Program and the Kansas Fish and Game agency have developed a cooperative program for reporting wildlife damage complaints. The paper will present some data collected, describe the usefulness of this data and provide some data interpretation.

White-Tailed Prairie Dog Ecology In Wyoming, George E. Menkens Jr., Brian J. Miller, Stanley H. Anderson

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

White-tailed prairie dog populations and habitats were studied on six towns in Wyoming. Habitats and habitat structure varied greatly both within and between towns. Prairie dog populations on each town were found to fluctuate by more than 50% between consecutive years. Prairie dog density was not significantly related to burrow density indicating that burrow density was not a useful predictor of population density.

The Lure Crop Alternative, Steven D. Fairaizl, William K. Pfeifer

Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings

Lure crops are proposed as an alternative to scaring waterfowl. The lure crop works on the principle of permitting waterfowl to feed undisturbed for the duration of the damage season in an unharvested field of their choice thereby utilizing trampled grain. Waterfowl from adjacent areas are encouraged to use the lure crop through the use of scaring devices placed in protected fields. General criteria for implementation of a lure crop project and specific criteria for lure crop purchases are presented. Factors contributing to a successful lure crop and problems which reduced lure crop effectiveness are identified. Benefit/ cost analysis of …