Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

A Device To Record The Specific Time An Artificial Nest Is Depredated, Jennifer S. Borgo, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We designed a timing device that records the calendar date and time of a depredation event on an artificial nest. The clock was simple to construct and successful in field trials, with only 6% failure (3 of 48 clocks). The average difference between actual and estimated depredation time was 4.6 minutes. Use of this clock improves daily survival estimates, provides insight into predator activity patterns, and allows the evaluation of investigator-induced depredation.

Strengthening Relationships Between State University Extension Systems And Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators, Lynn Braband

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The land-grant university extension system is an American success story. The general mission of extension is to be a research-based information broker between the university and public stakeholders. Examples of successful long-term partnerships between extension and industry include agriculture, structural pest control, and the green industry (turfgrass and landscape management). There is, however, the potential for the development of another partnership with the relatively new industry of private sector nuisance wildlife control.

To help inform my thinking on the current status and potential of such relationships, I queried 12 wildlife extension specialists (most with extension positions at land-grant universities), 17 …

Home Range And Habitat Use Of Feral Hogs In Congaree National Park, South Carolina, Brad A. Friebel, Patrick G. R. Jodice

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) are a widespread exotic species that currently occur in most states within the United States and are common throughout the southeastern United States. We radio-collared and tracked feral hogs from April 2005 to November 2006 in Congaree National Park (CNP), South Carolina, USA. The CNP is one of the largest and most intact tracts of old-growth, bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the United States. We measured home range size and determined habitat use for male and female hogs. The mean (± SE) home range sizes for male hogs (n = 7) and female hogs …

Development Of Wildlife Damage Management: A Personal Perspective, Walter E. Howard

Human–Wildlife Interactions

During my professional career, many changes have occurred in the management of wildlife damage and human–wildlife conflicts, including some dramatic changes in people’s attitudes. ... Vertebrate pest control has now become a sophisticated scientific field. It is recognized that the factors responsible for some species of birds and mammals becoming pests are many. A species can overpopulate due to changes in habitat, lessening of predation, lack of competition with other species, or by transmitting disease. Additionally, the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council Agricultural Board recognized that wildlife and other competitors of agriculture are important to the economy of …

Translocation Of Nine-Banded Armadillos, Daniel J. Gammons, Michael T. Mengak, L. Mike Conner

Human–Wildlife Interactions

During the last 150 years, nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) have increased their range and abundance in the southeastern United States. When foraging, armadillos cause damage to agricultural crops, as well as structural damage to driveways and foundations. Homeowners frequently use translocation to reduce local armadillo abundance. Despite its popularity with the general public, however, the appropriateness of nuisance wildlife translocation presents concerns for biologists. Our objective was to address some of these concerns by examining survival and movements of translocated armadillos. We translocated 12 armadillos (9 male, 3 female) equipped with radio-transmitters and compared their survival and movements …

A Review Of The Potential Of Fertility Control To Manage Brushtail Possums In New Zealand, Weihong Ji

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were introduced into New Zealand from Australia in the mid-1800s and became a major invasive pest. They damage native biodiversity by browsing and predation, and they are a disease risk to the livestock industry by acting as vectors of bovine tuberculosis (TB). Management of possums includes their eradication from some offshore islands and control by trapping, shooting, and poisoning on the mainland. Possums have been eradicated successfully from some islands and greatly reduced in abundance in other areas of high conservation value or where they are infected with TB. However, possums are still at …

Deer Guards And Bump Gates For Excluding White-Tailed Deer From Fenced Resources, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Nathan W. Seward, Michael J. Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Gregaory E. Phillips

Human–Wildlife Interactions

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) causing damage is a reoccurring theme in the realm of wildlife damage management, especially regarding human safety, disease transmission, and agricultural losses. Fences often are the only reliable long-term nonlethal means of controlling deer damage. The efficacy of fences, however, relies on their weakest link: human-operated gates. Although not overly time-consuming, the act of closing a gate appears to be a burden to individuals, resulting in open-access to an otherwise protected resource. We examined the efficacy of 2 alternatives to traditional gates to evaluate their potential to be used for excluding or containing deer. …

Historical Review Of Elk–Agriculture Conflicts In And Around Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada, Ryan K. Brook

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Conflicts between elk (Cervus elaphus) and farmers have been occurring since the 1880s when agriculture began around what is now Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP). Initially, the conflicts were related to low elk numbers caused primarily by unregulated harvest of elk. The creation of RMNP in 1930 and the associated ban on hunting allowed elk numbers to reach critically high levels. Since farming began, elk have been associated with considerable damage to fences and crops around RMNP, with annual damage often >$240,000. Hunting on agricultural lands has been the most common approach to mitigating elk impacts, despite its limited success. …

White-Tailed Deer Attacking Humans During The Fawning Season: A Unique Human–Wildlife Conflict On A University Campus, Ryan D. Hubbard, Clayton K. Nielsen

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–wildlife conflicts associated with suburban white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations have increased in the last 20 years. Primary threats to human health and safety associated with overabundant deer populations include deer–vehicle collisions, attacks on humans, disease, and damage to native and ornamental vegetation. During the fawning seasons (May–June) of 2005 and 2006, 13 confirmed incidences of white-tailed deer attacking humans occurred on the campus of Southern Illinois University–Carbondale. To our knowledge, no report exists that documents free-ranging does attacking humans during the fawning season. The attacks occurred at multiple locations on campus, with injuries to humans, including minor …

Book Review: The Double-Crested Cormorant: Issues And Management, Valerie M. Burton

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Fish-eating birds and their interactions with fisheries cause mixed feelings for many people. Avian and human fisheries are perceived to be in conflict throughout the world, particularly in areas where piscivorous bird populations are increasing numerically and expanding geographically. These interactions have long been the subject of research, with papers dating back to at least the 1930s. Not only are the conflicts of fish-eating birds of scientific concern, the birds also cause political, biological, ecological, and socioeconomic issues throughout the country.

Impacts Of The Black Bear Supplemental Feeding Program On Ecology In Western Washington, Georg J. Ziegltrum

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are opportunistic omnivores (Simpson 1945) that feed on grasses, grubs, insects, berries, human garbage, and they scavenge from animal carcasses (Cotton 2008, Thiemann et al. 2008). During the spring, they also girdle trees to feed on the newly forming phloem (Poelker and Hartwell 1973, Noble and Meslow 1998, Partridge et al. 2001). Extensive black bear damage to conifers coincided with the beginning of intensive forest management on industrial and smaller private lands in western Washington during the early 1940s; high-yield tree plantations (i.e., tree farms) required protection to reduce tree girdling by black bears. …

Impacts Of The Cancellation Of The Spring Bear Hunt In Ontario, Canada, Raynald Harvey Lemelin

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Approximately 10 million people and 100,000 black bears (Ursus americanus) live in Ontario, Canada. The highest concentration of black bears (0.4–0.6 bears/100 km²) is in northern Ontario (Bear Wise 2004). While this area is sparsely populated by humans, it is the site where human–bear conflicts are common for several reasons. These include people spending time in formerly inaccessible areas via forestry roads and off-road vehicle trails, changing recreational patterns, and a growing black bear population (Conover 2008, Madison 2008). Among residents of northern Ontario (hereafter referred to as northerners), no other wildlife management issue has dominated …

Keeping Up With All Those Deer, Bruce D. Leopold

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This issue of Human–Wildlife Conflicts deals with an important topic: deer–human conflicts. Wildlife biologists face a dilemma over managing deer populations. On the one hand, deer are the foundation of our state agencies concerning hunting and license revenues. On the other hand, however, deer populations in many states have increased to the point that hunting is not serving as the regulatory tool that it has been in the past. Changes in habitat, urban sprawl, and hunting pressure have contributed to large populations of deer. Excessive deer populations have serious ramifications, including impacts on agriculture, private landowners, and, most tragically, on …

In The News, Joe N. Caudell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Marc Johnson, a jogger in Kenai, Alaska, survived a bear attack after he disturbed a brown bear sow and her cubs, the Anchorage Daily News reported in April 2008. Johnson tried to outrun the bear but was overtaken by the animal, which knocked him down and bit his back. After the attack, the victim managed to get up and run home.

Use Of A Population Viability Analysis To Evaluate Human-Induced Impacts And Mitigation For The Endangered Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit, David H. Lafever, Paige M. Schmidt, Neil D. Perry, Craig A. Faulhaber, Roel R. Lopez, Nova J. Silvy, Elizabeth A. Forys

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rapid development and urbanization of the lower Florida Keys in the last 30 years has fragmented the habitat of the Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri), hereafter called marsh rabbit, and threatened it with extinction. On the Naval Air Station–Key West (NAS), Boca Chica Key, marsh rabbits exist as a meta-population of discrete habitat patches in a matrix of wetlands and airfield facilities. Airfield safety regulations require NAS to maintain vegetation below a minimum height on runway peripheries (clear zones). We developed a spatially-explicit, stage-structured, stochastic matrix model using the programs RAMAS-Metapop and ArcGIS. Model parameters were …

Yosemite National Park: The Continuous Evolution Of Human–Black Bear Conflict Management, Joseph S. Madison

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–bear conflicts are all too common throughout much of the United States (Ziegltrum 2008) and the world (Lemelin 2008, Worthy and Foggin 2008). Typically, they are a result of the availability of human food and garbage to bears (Beckmann and Lackey 2008, Thiemann et al. 2008). As people continue to build homes farther into the wildland–urban interface, the level of conflicts with bears can be expected only to increase (Conover 2008). Despite the widespread range of human–bear conflict, there is no place with quite the same problem as the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, particularly in Yosemite National Park.

Population And Spatial Dynamics Of Resident Canada Geese In Southeastern Nebraska, Scott R. Groepper, P. Joseph Gabig, Mark P. Vrtiska, Jason M. Gilsdorf, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Larkin A. Powell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In response to increasing populations, damage complaints, and a desire to understand population and spatial dynamics, we studied population size, survival rates, home ranges, movements, and site fidelity of female resident Canada geese (Branta canadensis) at 18 study sites within 23 km of Lincoln, Nebraska, during 1991–1994. Based on mean flock size (&#;x = 93) and number of collared geese in flocks (x&#; = 13), the estimated population of resident Canada geese was nearly 4,000. Estimated monthly survival for female Canada geese was 0.94, mean home range was 25 km², and mean maximum distance moved between …

In The News, Spring 2008, Joe N. Caudell, Rob Mcilvan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Daily Globe of Ironwood, Michigan, reported on a new Wisconsin regulation that went into effect on October 1, 2007. People who feed deer for non-hunting purposes are required to stop doing so for at least 30 days if bear or elk begin using the site. Deer-feeding currently is banned in 26 Wisconsin counties. The amount and location where bait or feed may be distributed is regulated in all of the other counties in the state. This new regulation is aimed at protecting homeowners, motorists, and the small but growing elk herd by reducing disease transmission, automobile collisions, and other …

Help Me, I Need To Know, Roger D. Applegate

Human–Wildlife Interactions

I work in an urban area. Well, my job really is not in urban wildlife management, but my job office is in an urban area. Because part of my work involves being a wildlife disease specialist, many calls from the public get transferred to me.

Evaluation Of An Oral Vaccination Program To Control Raccoon Rabies In A Suburbanized Landscape, Jason R. Boulanger, Laura L. Bigler, Paul D. Curtis, Donald H. Lein, Arthur J. Lembo Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We evaluated the efficacy of an oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program conducted in Erie County, New York, from July through September, 2002–2005. Ingress of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies variant first occurred along the southern border of Erie County, New York, during 1992 and began to spread northward at a velocity of 31 km/year. Fixed-wing aircraft dropped ORV baits in rural landscapes; helicopters, hand baiting, and bait stations distributed baits in suburban landscapes (&#;x bait densities ranged 59–118 baits/km²). Our study objectives were to quantify rabies case densities, evaluate efficacy of intervention efforts, and determine biological, …

Carnivores, Urban Landscapes, And Longitudinal Studies: A Case History Of Black Bears, Jon P. Beckmann, Cael W. Lackey

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As urban landscapes expand across the globe, it becomes imperative to understand how these landscapes affect large carnivore populations. We examined the effects of human-altered landscapes on age-specific fecundity and life history parameters for female black bears (Ursus americanus) in urban and wildland regions in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains of Nevada, including the Lake Tahoe Basin. We followed 12 marked female bears in an urban environment and 10 females in wildland habitats from 1997–2006. Our results show that female bears in urban areas have higher age-specific fecundity rates than did wildland female bears. Despite this difference, female …

It’S A Bear Market For Research, Johan T. Du Toit

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–wildlife interactions are not a series of random events. They are characterized by patterns of causal factors, and the scientific study of those patterns enables management plans to be developed, conflicts reduced, and the net benefits of wildlife, thus, enhanced. Unfortunately, however, there are some wildlife species that get caught up in human‒wildlife conflicts that are particularly difficult to resolve, even though the causal factors are well-known. Such conflicts commonly occur with wildlife species that use the same main food types as humans. In North America and Europe, the problem is exemplified by brown and black bears (Ursus arctos …

Effects Of Aversive Conditioning On Behavior Of Nuisance Louisiana Black Bears, Jennifer Leigh, Michael J. Chamberlain

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Complaints associated with nuisance activity by Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus) in south Louisiana have steadily increased since 2000, demanding intervention by state and federal agencies. As a federally threatened species, Louisiana black bears that are a nuisance require nonlethal management, referred to as aversive conditioning. We used rubber buckshot and dogs to test the effectiveness of management techniques used by the state of Louisiana to deter nuisance bear activity. We captured 11 bears in residential and industrial areas where nuisance bear activity was reported. We fitted bears with radio-transmitting collars and released them within 2 km …

Modeling Wildlife Damage To Crops In Northern Indiana, Mónica I. Retamosa, Lee A. Humberg, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Comprehensive information on crop damage by wildlife species is critical if effective strategies for controlling wildlife damage are to be formulated. Discriminating how landscape composition and configuration attributes influence crop damage is important for implementing landscape management techniques to resolve human–wildlife conflicts. We analyzed crop damage data from 100 corn fields and 60 soybean fields located in the Upper Wabash River Basin of northern Indiana during 2003 and 2004. We used negative binomial regression to model the rate of damage to corn and soybean crops in response to local and landscape variables. Rate of crop damage was best predicted by …

Learning Never Ends, And Neither Should Teaching, Jacob Blasi

Human–Wildlife Interactions

There has been a large push to integrate more science and math into the classroom so that our children can compete in the world market, which is seeing an ever-increasing population of highly educated students from other countries. We read everyday in the newspapers the statistics of slipping academic achievement of American students compared to that of students around the world. So, the push for a more strenuous academic curriculum in American schools should be good for our students and for the nation. With a finite number of school hours, however, the advancement of 1 subject over another means a …

Sharpshooting Suburban White-Tailed Deer Reduces Deer–Vehicle Collisions, Anthony J. Denicola, Scott C. Williams

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Too many deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs) are one of the primary reasons local governments implement lethal deer management programs. However, there are limited data to demonstrate that a reduction in deer (Odocoileus spp.) densities will result in a decline in DVCs. We conducted sharpshooting programs in 3 suburban communities to reduce deer numbers and to address rising DVCs. Annual or periodic population estimates were conducted using both helicopter snow counts and aerial infrared counts to assess population trends. Management efforts were conducted from 3 to 7 years. Local deer herds were reduced by 54%, 72%, and 76%, with resulting reductions …

Safe Driving Suggestions For Deer Country, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This issue of Human–Wildlife Conflicts is dedicated to the topic of deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs). Within these pages, you will find numerous peer-reviewed articles and columns that provide valuable information about where, when, and why DVCs occur (Bissonette et al. 2008), their economic impact (Bissonette and Kasser 2008), their relationship to deer densities, and methods to reduce their frequency (Mastro et al. 2008). While we can never totally prevent DVCs from occurring, the information contained herein can help reduce their frequency (Curtis et al. 2008, DeNicola and Williams 2008, Miller et al. 2008, Rutberg and Naugle 2008).

Book Review: Urban Wildlife Management, Jennifer Lynch

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The ever-growing field of human–wildlife conflicts has lacked a comprehensive textbook that addresses wildlife management in the urban landscape. Professors teaching urban wildlife classes have drawn on peer-reviewed and popular articles to support the subject matter. Enter wildlife professors Clark Adams, Sara Ash, and Kieran Lindsey. Together, they have brought to us the first comprehensive book on urban wildlife management, titled (you guessed it) Urban Wildlife Management.

Deer–Vehicle Collision Statistics And Mitigation Information: Online Sources, Terry A. Messmer, Destiny R. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Although good data are lacking, published estimates suggest that >1.5 million deer– vehicle collisions (DVCs) occur annually in the United States. The estimated losses exceed 1 billion dollars. In some states, DVCs are a major cause of reportable accidents. Federal, state, and private partners have cooperated in monitoring trends in DVCs and implementing mitigation measures. Most of this information about such measures is readily available via the Internet. The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a broad overview of and a guide to the information currently available online to mitigate DVCs.

Factors Affecting Road Mortality Of Whitetailed Deer In Eastern South Dakota, Troy W. Grovenburg, Jonathan A. Jenks, Robert W. Klaver, Kevin L. Monteith, Dwight H. Galster, Ron J. Shauer, Wilbert W. Morlock, Joshua A. Delger

Human–Wildlife Interactions

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) mortalities (n = 4,433) caused by collisions with automobiles during 2003 were modeled in 35 counties in eastern South Dakota. Seventeen independent variables and 5 independent variable interactions were evaluated to explain deer mortalities.