Copyright (c) 2009 University of Nebraska - Lincoln All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother Recent documents in Other Publications in Wildlife Management en-us Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:19:40 PDT 3600 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/61 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/61 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:13:51 PDT Despite the anti-trapping initiatives that occurred during 1992-2000, the overall national trend has been less restrictive trapping regulations as they apply to cable-restraint devices. We believe this policy shift among state wildlife agencies has been influenced by two different events. The first relates to advances in trap technology and trapping methods. Nowhere has this change been more evident than in the liberalization of snaring regulations for the capture of beaver. Even land-based snaring has been expanded as development of break-away devices and setting strategies have increased snare performance to capture target-species, and do so without lethal effects. The second event was the development of reliable trap-testing research, such as that performed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which documented the remarkable advances made by trap manufacturers and in trapping techniques. In light of these developments, it is indeed a conundrum why more states, particularly on the eastern seaboard, have not updated their regulations to permit broader use of cable-restraints. One suspects, however, that the lack of modernization of the regulations stems from the erroneous and outdated reputation that snares are by definition lethal devices and therefore dangerous. Improved education and dissemination of facts should help dispel this incomplete view of snares and cable-restraints. We hope readers will find this information useful as they work for the responsible management of wildlife resources. Stephen Vantassel http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/60 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/60 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:53:29 PDT Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Maxine M. Chesney, District Judge, Presiding. Argued and Submitted August 16, 2007--San Francisco, California. Filed September 16, 2008, Before: Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, Michael Daly Hawkins, and Kim McLane Wardlaw, Circuit Judges. Opinion by Judge O'Scannlain; Partial Concurrence and Partial Dissent by Judge Hawkins Timothy Sandefur, Pacific Legal Foundation, Sacramento, California, argued the cause for the plaintiffs-appellants and filed briefs; Meriem L. Hubbard, Pacific Legal Foundation, Sacramento, California, was on the briefs. Diann Sokoloff, Deputy Attorney General, Oakland, California, argued the cause for the defendants-appellees and filed a brief; Bill Lockyer, Attorney General for the State of California, Alfredo Terrazas, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Wilbert E. Bennett Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Oakland, California, were on the brief. The court must decide whether a state regulatory scheme violates the equal protection rights of pest controllers. Alan Merrifield appeals from a grant of summary judgment denying his request for a permanent, prospective injunction of California's structural pest control licensing requirements. He engages in "non-pesticide animal damage prevention and bird control" ("ADP & BC"), which includes installing spikes, screens, and other mechanical devices in or on buildings and other structures so as to remove vertebrate pests--e.g., skunks, raccoons, squirrels, rats, pigeons, starlings, bats--or to keep them away from structures. California law requires all persons engaged in structural pest control to obtain licenses, with certain statutory exemptions. Merrifield argues that the applicable licensing requirement is intended for pesticide-based pest control, and that he should be exempt from such requirement because he does not use pesticides. Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/59 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/59 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:50:32 PDT To sustain waterfowl populations at levels of the 1970s, as prescribed by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (1986), private landowners must continue to provide habitat for wetland wildlife. Private landowners oversee the majority of wetlands remaining in the United States, so their cooperation is essential to any major conservation effort to restore and sustain waterfowl populations in the Mississippi Flyway. Many groups have worked together since the 1980s to develop waterfowl habitat on private lands.Much progress has been made, and this publication helps guide continuing efforts. This publication is for private landowners in the Lower Mississippi Flyway who want to improve their lands for waterfowl. It is a reference landowners can use for information about particular aspects of waterfowl management. For example, the publication answers questions such as these: How does managing my land benefit waterfowl? Who is available to help me manage my land for waterfowl? How do I manage soil, water, and plants to improve my land as waterfowl habitat? Bronson K. Strickland http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/57 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/57 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:40:11 PDT Snakes are probably the most misunderstood members of the animal kingdom. Perhaps this is due largely to the misinformation, legends, and myths surround them, as well as to their nature. Most of these myths have been based upon pure exaggeration or total lack of knowledge. This presentation is designed to inform youth groups, adults and other interested parties about the facts of snakes found native to the United States. We hope that people will recognize that snakes are an important part of the ecosystem and some provide considerable benefits to mankind. Dennis M. Ferraro http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/58 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/58 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:38:15 PDT Background: Population densities of many species throughout the world are changing due to direct persecution as well as anthropogenic habitat modification. These changes may induce or increase the frequency of hybridization among taxa. If extensive, hybridization can threaten the genetic integrity or survival of endangered species. Three native species of the genus Canis, coyote (C. latrans), Mexican wolf (C. lupus baileyi) and red wolf (C. rufus), were historically sympatric in Texas, United States. Human impacts caused the latter two to go extinct in the wild, although they survived in captive breeding programs. Morphological data demonstrate historic reproductive isolation between all three taxa. While the red wolf population was impacted by introgressive hybridization with coyotes as it went extinct in the wild, the impact of hybridization on the Texas populations of the other species is not clear. Methodology/ Principal Findings: We surveyed variation at maternally and paternally inherited genetic markers (mitochondrial control region sequence and Y chromosome microsatellites) in coyotes from Texas, Mexican wolves and red wolves from the captive breeding programs, and a reference population of coyotes from outside the historic red wolf range. Levels of variation and phylogenetic analyses suggest that hybridization has occasionally taken place between all three species, but that the impact on the coyote population is very small. Conclusion/Significance: Our results demonstrate that the factors driving introgressive hybridization in sympatric Texan Canis are multiple and complex. Hybridization is not solely determined by body size or sex, and density-dependent effects do not fully explain the observed pattern either. No evidence of hybridization was identified in the Mexican wolf captive breeding program, but introgression appears to have had a greater impact on the captive red wolves. Frank Hailer http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/56 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/56 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:11:10 PST "The Fox and the Vineyard: Preventing Damage to Agriculture from Birds and Mammals" The document is in Hebrew. On preventing wildlife damage from the 9 major problematic groups in Israel, which are: Indian crested porcupines Brown hare Canids (wolves, jackals and foxes) Hyrax Corvids (crows, jays, jackdaw) Song birds (bulbul, larks, starlings, etc). Syrian woodpecker Rose-ringed parakeet (The site administrator begs forgiveness for his goyische butchering of the Hebrew in the title.) Simon C. Nemtzov http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/55 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/55 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:14:49 PDT Predation has been identified as a key factor limiting upland-nesting bird reproductive success in many studies. These results suggest that the effects of predation could be reduced by establishing and maintaining suitable nesting habitats. In several studies, habitat management alone was able to maintain populations of upland-nesting birds at or slightly above threshold believed necessary to sustain populations. However, additional studies also have shown that avian populations increased substantially after predator populations were reduced or nesting birds were protected by restricting predator access through the use of electric fencing or creating nesting islands. These practices, however, need to be implemented in combination with good habitat management if optimum benefits are to be realized. Terry A. Messmer http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/54 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/54 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:33:59 PDT Damage to conifer regeneration by mountain beavers, more commonly called boomers, results in significant losses in Western Oregon annually. Most of the damage is to 1- to 5-year-old conifer seedlings. Where populations are high, repeated clipping by mountain beavers can cause loss of production through poorly stocked acres-even reforestation failures. Damage can continue on saplings up to 15 to 20 years old; however, newly planted seedlings are particularly vulnerable. In a few instances, extensive burrowing can undermine the roots of larger trees enough to topple them. This publication will help you design a program to reduce mountain beaver damage in your forest plantations to acceptable levels. First, we discuss mountain beaver biology to familiarize you with some of the animal's behavior; this will help you control its damage. Then we discuss control techniques. Finally, we discuss integrating control methods with silvicultural practices as a way to maximize the effect of your control program. David S. de Calesta http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/53 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/53 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:41:43 PDT This publication is the third annual report of fish kills caused by pollution occurring in the United States. The reporting of pollution-caused fish kills was begun by the Public Health Service in the Spring of 1960 in an effort to secure additional information on the effects of pollution in the Nation's waters, to elicit the cooperation and assistance of conservation groups in the States to help determine causes of fish kills and assist in their abatement, and to place responsibility for fish kills where it belonged. The Surgeon General asked all State conservation and fish and game agencies to assist him by reporting instances of fish kills attributable to pollutants entering the streams or lakes of the Nation. A self-addressed postcard reporting form was devised in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the various independent conservation organizations. The form, shown in this publication as figure 1, was furnished to the State agencies to be completed as occasions arose and mailed to the Public Health Service. Summary totals and statistical evaluations and conclusions are based upon the information contained in these reporting forms. The fish kill activity has just completed its third year of operation. As it matures and as the reporting authorities in the States become accustomed to furnishing more complete information about each kill, the resulting publications will undoubtedly become more meaningful, and serve as a more useful tool in helping to identify and abate pollution. In 1962, a semi-annual report was published listing reported fish kills for the period January-June, 1962. This present report includes all fish kills in 1962 which were reported by the various State agencies. Even though the resulting totals of fish killed are large, they probably represent only a fraction of fish actually killed throughout the United States by man-made pollution. In an effort to make the reporting of these fish kills more accurate and hence the published summaries more useful and effective, it was found desirable to revise portions of the postcard reporting form. Beginning in January 1963, the revised form was put into use throughout the States and future summaries will indicate more accurately the source of pollution believed to have killed the fish. Most pollution-caused fish kills are attributable to operational activities. The revised reporting form on which next year's publication will be based indicates four principal operations causing the majority of fish kills: agricultural, industrial, municipal, and transportation operations, with appropriate subheadings. When classified in this manner, the responsibility for causing fish kills can be more accurately defined. As the reporting forms are received from the States, copies are furnished to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Reports were excluded from the listing if it was apparent that the kill was not related to pollution. Lack of sufficient dissolved oxygen in the water from natural biological activity will kill fish, but is not necessarily related to man-made pollution. Some reports indicated kills had occurred too far in the past to determine the cause or extent. Other reports stated that pollution occurred but no fish were killed, and some referred to shellfish which died of causes not related to pollution. Of the total reports received, however, only a small number are excluded from the summary. Acceptable reports are coded for machine punch card tabulation so that various statistical tables can be obtained. The punch card method permits the insertion of late reports in the sequence in which they occurred. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/52 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/52 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:37:57 PDT Rodents have been a common problem in living and working environments, probably, ever since humans began living in permanent dwellings. Even today many people believe rodent infestations are "inevitable". However, the recent appearance of Hantavirus (Sin Nombre Virus, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, HPS) in the Western states has re-awakened the public to the serious health problems posed by rodents and has prompted new inquiries into more effective ways to manage infestations. This manual is designed as a training reference for making rodent control in buildings an attainable goal. Gerard Hoddenbach