Copyright (c) 2007 University of Nebraska - Lincoln All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp Recent documents in Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings en-us Sat, 31 Mar 2007 01:22:16 PDT 3600 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/459 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/459 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:38:28 PDT Birds are typically thought of as beautiful, graceful, tuneful creatures by the general public. However, there are many reasons to control birds. Birds and their droppings can create unsightly visual conditions and an unhealthy atmosphere that promotes disease transmission. In addition, cleaning costs including time spent, and property, equipment, or product damage can cause financial loss. Some bird control products, though widely used, are not suitable in many situations. For environmental and safety reasons, poison perches, poison grain and shotguns may not be ideal choices under certain circumstances. Because of high cost and unfeasibility, netting and spikes may be inappropriate. However, effective solutions do exist. These alternatives include sound, visual, tactile products or a combination of the 3. This paper details how effectiveness can be improved with careful preparation, planning, and implementation using these various products. Mona Zemsky http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/458 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/458 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:53:06 PDT Ripening field corn lost to wildlife was measured in fall 1993 in 10 midwestern states that have produced 83% of the field corn in the United States over the past 10 years. Sampling of damage was stratified by producer expectation of likely wildlife damage or unlikely wildlife damage. Damage was assessed immediately before harvest. Two plots that measured 4.5 m x 2 rows were assessed in each selected field. Of assessed fields, wildlife damage was present in 340 of 1,259 (27.0%) likely damaged fields and 108 of 1,243 (8.7%) unlikely damaged fields. As a percentage of harvested production, birds (Aves) damaged an average of 0.19% of field corn while deer (Odocoileus spp.) damaged an average of 0.23% of field corn. Unidentified wildlife caused the loss of an additional 0.27% of corn. The average yield loss was 1.73 + 0.17 bu/ha. Loss rates were greater where producers had expected damage (3.7 bu/ha) than where damage had not been anticipated (1.5 bu/ha). Among states, yield lost to all wildlife differed among 3 groups of states. Wisconsin and Missouri had the greatest wildlife-caused loss rates. Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio had intermediate loss rates. Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and South Dakota had lower loss rates. In total, an estimated 35 + 4 million bushels of corn were lost to wildlife in 1993 when harvested field corn production for the 10 selected states totaled 5.14 billion bushels. Total estimated value of field corn lost to wildlife was $92 + 9 million, when the harvested corn crop was valued at $13.3 billion in the 10 states. Alice P. Wywialowski http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/457 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/457 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:53:04 PDT Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have caused increasing problems for people both in urban and agricultural environments. In many instances, traditional methods of resolving conflicts caused by these species have proven ineffective or impractical. Some property owners and others have begun to use livestock herding dogs to haze geese and other wildlife from areas where they are not wanted. We report on the applications and effectiveness of this technique as employed on golf courses, farms, and other areas. The use of trained herding dogs appears to be a feasible and effective method for reducing wildlife damage in a variety of urban and rural settings. Roger A. Woodruff http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/456 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/456 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:53:01 PDT The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) estimated the state's beaver (Castor canadensis) population at 1,245 animals in 1951-52. That same year, ODWC relocated 29 beaver from 5 western counties to Department lands in 4 eastern counties. Beaver populations in Oklahoma have since grown as a result of changes in available habitat. In response to the growing number of beavers, ODWC opened an annual beaver season from 1 December to 31 January, in 1960-1961. The season was opened year-round in 1983. Although beaver activities benefit many wildlife species, their activities have had a negative economic impact on the state. Complicating this problem is the low value of Oklahoma beaver pelts. Restrictions on trapping devices have also contributed to the limited beaver sport harvest. To help reduce beaver damage, a multi-procedural approach to beaver control was taken, including preventative measures as well as direct removal of nuisance individuals. Because harvesting beaver actually increases their reproductive potential, the goal of ODWC's nuisance beaver control program is to relieve the damage caused by beavers to human property without concentrating on a population reduction scheme. Under ODWC's program, nuisance beaver control permits allowed beaver to be taken on private or public lands with body-gripping traps or by night shooting. Julianne Whitaker http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/455 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/455 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:52:58 PDT Wyoming's legislation funding predator control has progressed from a bounty system, to a mill levy system, to the current fee assessment per head. The Wyoming Department of Agriculture administers an M-44 predator control program for private and commercial applicators' use with livestock depredators. As predatory impacts on livestock have increased, use of M- 44 has also broadened. The M-44 is a mechanical device utilizing a spring-activated ejector, that propels the dry toxicant sodium cyanide into the mouth of the target species when pulled. Death of the animal is accomplished by inhalation of hydrogen cyanide which forms when sodium cyanide comes into contact with saliva. Wider use of the M-44 device and increasing skill of applicators is steadily increasing the take of predators. Successful use of the M-44 device increases with knowledge of predator habits, use in the proper location, and use of appropriate scent for the season and area. Henry R. Uhden http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/454 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/454 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:52:55 PDT Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) have expanded their territory in Texas and are now found in all but the extreme western portions of the state. Perhaps the most dramatic expansion has occurred in the Rolling Plains of northwest Texas. Perspectives on feral hogs range from definitely for to adamantly against. Problems encountered with feral hogs include: (1) damage to crops and livestock, or facilities and equipment, (2) transmission of disease to humans and livestock, or (3) interaction with native wildlife including competition for available resources, depredation and destruction of habitat. The feral hog is also an animal with economic potential. Revenue can be generated by selling or hunting them. Is the feral hog an ecological unknown, an economic liability, or an under-utilized asset? The answer remains to be determined and may depend upon one's individual perspective. Douglas R. Tolleson http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/453 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/453 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:52:52 PDT Current status of the puma, Felis concolor, in the central mountains and Great Plains of Canada and the United States is discussed. Recent specimens and verified sightings are reviewed. Based on growing evidence, the puma has the potential to recolonize much of this region. Minor depredation problems can be expected, particularly as puma numbers increase and their range expands. This species is highly adaptable and extremely elusive, and its detection requires special skills. Professional wildlifers must be prepared to meet the dual challenges of managing both for recovery of this relatively rare carnivore and for its coexistence with humans. Jay W. Tischendorf http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/452 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/452 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:52:50 PDT Predation by ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarenis) has been identified as a significant threat to migrant steelhead and salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) smolt in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Bird predation appears highest immediately below hydroelectric facilities. Installation of overhead wire/cable exclusion systems over the tailrace area of 12 dams has been completed to reduce gull predation. Data collected from 1 of the facilities as well as observations from other dams indicate that overhead wire/cable exclusion systems are effective in reducing predation by gulls. John E. Steuber http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/451 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/451 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:37:11 PDT In an enclosure-type study, I investigated the use of odor, auditory, and visual cues to enhance lithium-chloride (LiCl)- induced prey aversion in coyotes (Canis latrans). Eight adult, male, wild-caught coyotes that killed 2 adult sheep during successive daily, 1 -hr trials were assigned to LiCl- and sodium-chloride (NaCl)-bait groups. The 4 LiCl-bait coyotes were sequentially presented with leg-of-sheep and whole-sheep carcasses injected with a 33% LiCl water solution (4.5 ml/kg) 1 -hr daily until bait shy. The 4 NaCl coyotes were exposed to baits and carcasses injected with 25% NaCl/water solution (4.5 ml/kg) for matched trials. Additionally, 2 coyotes within each LiCl and NaCl group were presented with baits/carcasses sprayed with cologne and fitted with a red collar and attached bell, and 2 "reference coyotes" within each LiCl and NaCl group were offered similar baits/ carcasses without these stimuli. Following onset of bait aversion, coyotes were again paired for 1 hr daily with a live sheep that had either the "stimuli" or "no stimuli" affixed until 2 sheep were killed. Coyotes required 7 to 23 1-hr exposures to LiCl meats to cease ingestion (develop bait shyness). Coyotes presented both LiCl-baits/carcasses and subsequent live sheep affixed with stimuli showed greater suppression of predation, but this effect was of limited duration (<9 pairings with sheep). Ray T. Sterner http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/450 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/450 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:37:08 PDT Oklahoma has about 324 ha of surface water in catfish (Ictalurus spp.) production. The state also supports a large number of migrating and wintering piscivorous birds, particularly double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). To address concerns of aquaculture facility operators regarding loss of fish to cormorants, we asked 11 operators to conduct regular counts of piscivorous birds at each facility. These data were used to determine factors affecting cormorant density at facilities and to estimate amount of catfish lost to cormorant depredation. Cormorant density (birds/ha/day) was positively correlated with surface area of water in production at facilities <10 ha (r = 0.621, P = 0.004) and negatively correlated with percentage of forested shoreline at each facility (r = -0.518, P = 0.016). Distance to nearest major reservoir or river was not significantly correlated with cormorant densities. To estimate depredation, we assumed a daily intake of 0.4 kg of fish per cormorant and used the average number of birds counted at participating facilities. Cormorants consumed an estimated 7,196 + 8,729 kg ( x + SE) of catfish, valued at $13,672-$36,195 (depending on size offish consumed), or about 3-7% of Oklahoma catfish sales in 1993. Robert L. Simmonds Jr. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/449 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/449 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:37:05 PDT A stepwise approach was developed in 1993 to handle agricultural damage complaints caused by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Results from 2 seasons were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the procedures implemented. Approximately half of the damage complaints received were handled by prescribing non-lethal techniques such as fencing, harassment, and repellents. The remainder of the complaints required 1 or more types of lethal control. Although doe harvest rates were similar under the 2 permit options, Damage Control Assistance Permits (DCAP) provided several distinct advantages over out of season shooting using Depredation Permits (DEPR). The DCAP permits increased hunting opportunity, eliminated the need for landowners to expend considerable time and effort shooting deer out of season, and fostered a cooperative relationship between landowners and hunters. Recipients of DCAP tags tended to continue with the program, thereby providing longterm control. Michael G. Shaw http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/448 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/448 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:37:02 PDT Wildlife damage managers regularly are faced with decisions that include whether and how animals will be killed. Euthanasia refers to death without pain or distress, i.e., a humane death. The American Veterinary Medical Association has developed guidelines for euthanasia (Andrews et al. 1993). These guidelines affect many of the methods and technologies involved in wildlife damage management. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, barbiturates, and gunshots are appropriate methods of euthanizing wildlife when necessary and when applied in the prescribed manner. Robert H. Schmidt http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/447 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/447 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:36:59 PDT Nine types of footsnares were tested on captive coyotes (Canis latrans) at the United States Department of Agriculture Predator Research Facility. Preliminary results indicate that the E-Z Lee, Nelson, Freemont, and Godwin leg snares can be effective in restraining coyotes while causing only minor leg injuries. Additional testing will be required to determine the effectiveness of these devices in different field situations. Four types of coyote leg-hold traps were evaluated to determine the injuries they inflict on captured coyotes. The No. 3 1/2 McBride padded trap caused the least injury in comparison to 3 other trap models that were tested. Available data on injuries associated with different traps will assist in determining what types of capture devices meet standards set by the International Organization for Standardization. The potential implementation of International Trap Standards will most likely determine the future use of traps and snares in much of the world. Wildlife managers should continue to search for improvements if they desire to maintain the use of traps in the future. Robert L. Phillips http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/446 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/446 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:36:57 PDT List of participants http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/445 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/445 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:36:54 PDT lmmunocontraception technology appears to have viable application in wildlife damage management. However, administration of these vaccines is presently performed by syringe injection or remote delivery by darts or bio-bullets. In order for immunocontraception to be successful for broad scale application to free-roaming animals, the vaccine must be delivered in an oral form. Recent advances in molecular biology, immunology, and pathology of mucosal infection gives us tools to develop effective oral vaccines. Oral immunocontraceptive vaccine encapsulated in adhesive liposomes or non-virulent live vectors holds promise as a practical approach for immunocontraception of free-roaming wildlife. Issues of safety, species specificity, regulatory constraints, and field application of the vaccine will need to be addressed. Lowell A. Miller http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/444 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/gpwdcwp/444 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:22:19 PDT Based on a survey of 97 wildlife damage management professionals (60% response rate of 161 mailed questionnaires), field, research, and administrative personnel felt that the top 3 current wildlife damage management (WDM) research needs were: development of more effective and efficient techniques of damage assessment, effectiveness of education and conflict resolution programs on WDM issues, and repellent/aversive techniques. Respondents indicated that human dimensions research related to effectiveness of public education and conflict resolution would be the highest future research need. Large and small mammals were identified as key species groups needing research with preventive methods and aversive agents as practices needing research. Respondents also identified deer (Odocoileus spp.), elk (Cervus elaphus), pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), sheep (Ovis spp.), and ground nesting birds as prey species that should receive research focus. Coyotes (Canis latrans) were the prevalent predator species identified with high research needs. James E. Miller