Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings collection
Date of this Version
March 1976
Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under authority of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, as amended, granted the California Department of Food and Agriculture an experimental permit to obtain data to support registration of sodium cyanide as a predacide. The program was implemented by the Tehama County Department of Agriculture. The experimental permit provided for use of not more than 300 sodium cyanide spring-loaded ejector mechanisms (SCSLEM) and 1,800 sodium cyanide capsules. The permit was issued April 1, 1974 and expired June 1, 1975. The program objectives were to: (l) measure the usefulness of the SCSLEM as a method of reducing domestic livestock losses due to predation by coyotes; (2) measure the effectiveness and economics of reducing livestock losses from coyotes only during the principal lambing period from September through May; (3) determine the cost of controlling coyotes with SCSLEM's as compared to trapping, shooting, and denning; (4) evaluate the effect of SCSLEM's on non-target species; (5) evaluate the selectivity of SCSLEM's when used to control coyotes; (6) measure the amount of coyote control that can be achieved through the use of SCSLEM's without causing unreasonable adverse effects on the environment; and (7) evaluate the use of SCSLEM's with regards to human safety.