Postdoctoral Fellow: One-year research position starting spring or summer 1998 to assess the impact of hunting and trapping on wildlife damage. Minimum qualifications: M.S. in wildlife management or related field. Preference given to candidates with recent Ph.D. or someone seeking a sabbatical position. Salary $23310 plus benefits. Send resume and a list of references to Dr. Michael Conover Director Jack Berryman Institute Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Utah State University Logan UT 84322-5210. AA/EOC.
One important responsibility of all Working Group members is to participate in the selection of new officers. Enclosed is a ballot that you can use to vote for three of six candidates for the three vacant Board Representative positions. I appreciate the willingness of the candidates who accepted the nominations and the efforts of Dick Curnow and the Nominating Committee who assembled a highly qualified and diverse slate of candidates. Please exercise your right to vote and return your ballot immediately.
Members of the Working Group have been active with a variety of projects since the last Annual Meeting in Snowmass CO. For starters we will be hosting two special programs at the upcoming TWS Annual Meeting in Buffalo NY. Paul Curtis and Bob Warren are coordinating a one-day workshop on The Status and Future of Wildlife Fertility Control and Dennis Slate and Gary San Julian are leading a half-day symposium on Public Health and Safety and Wildlife in Conflict. Thank you for all your efforts. Twenty-one members of a task force on urban goose management have reviewed a techniques guide for urban goose management authored by Art Smith and Scott Craven. Bill Andelt is coordinating a review of the TWS policy statement on traps trapping and furbearer use.
Tom Barnes is heading up a review of a position paper from Nuisance Animal Damage Control Association (NADCA) on guidelines for certification and licensing of Nuisance Wildlife Control Officers (NWCOs). Finally the Wildlife Society Bulletin will be publishing a long-awaited opinion paper on translocation of wildlife authored by Scott Craven Tom Barnes and Gary Kania. Thanks to all who have contributed to the mission of the Wildlife Damage Management Working Group.
As we finish projects and tie up loose ends we also need to be looking into the future. What issues need to be addressed? Is there a discussion topic that you would like to propose in the newsletter? Are there any programs that you would like to see at the next TWS meeting? Please share your thoughts with us so we can get the ball rolling. The next meeting of the Working Group will be held at the 5th Annual TWS Meeting in Buffalo NY. We are scheduled to meet on September 23 1998 at 6-8 pm in the Hyatt Grand Ballroom E. I look forward to seeing you there.
The candidates are listed alphabetically by last name. The official ballot follows on page 4.
Present Position - Associate Professor and Extension Wildlife Damage Management Specialist Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology
Colorado State University.
Bill has published 1 monograph 28 refereed scientific manuscripts and numerous non-refereed manuscripts book chapters
abstracts and extension bulletins on managing human-wildlife conflicts and the ecology of coyotes. He has served on TWS's Publications
Awards Committee as TWS's Membership Recruitment Person for Colorado on TWS's Support for Symposia and Conferences Committee on the
Board of Directors for the Central Mountains and Plains Section of TWS as Liaison between the central Mountains and Plains Section
and the Colorado Chapter of TWS and on the Colorado Chapter of TWS's Conservation Review Committee. He served on planning and organizing
committees for Wildlife Damage Management symposia at the 1st 2nd (chair) 3rd and 4th TWS meetings.
Bill is currently chairing TWS's Wildlife Damage Management Working Group's subcommittee for revising The Wildlife Society's
policy statement on Traps Trapping and Furbearer Management.
Rick Griffiths
Education - B.S. in Wildlife Management Colorado State University 1963
Present Position - Wildlife Biologist Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton California
Rick served as a Wildlife Biologist (in wildlife damage management) at the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine 1982-94 as a Wildlife Technician Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in 1982 and as a Wildlife Biologist (Research) at the National Wildlife Research Center 1966-81. He currently is a member of The Wildlife Society Society for Range Management the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association (NMFWA) the Northeast Association of Wildlife Damage Biologists and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Rick was a member of the Armed Forces Pest Management Board Natural Resources and Research Committees 1987-94 and served on the NMFWA Board of Directors 1988-97. Currently he is the NMFWA President 1997-98 is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and a member of the Wildlife Damage Management Working Group since its formation. Rick has authored or co-authored 16 papers on wildlife damage management and has presented at the Vertebrate Pest Conference the Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference and the ASTM Symposium. His research interests include black-tailed jackrabbit biology controlling cliff swallow nesting on structures and invasive exotic plant management.
Russ MasonPresent Position - Field Station Leader for the National Wildlife Research Center Research Full Professor in the Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife and Psychology at Utah State an Adjunct Full Professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and an Affiliated Scientist of the Monell Center
Russ has authored more than 100 refereed publications in scientific journals and many book chapters on topics in wildlife damage sensory psychology and the chemical senses. He is the editor of texts on non-lethal repellents and wildlife and the physiology of chemical irritation. Active research interests include development of species selective attractants and repellents and the application of cell culture methodologies to the rapid screening of candidate repellent substances.
Dale NolteEducation - B.S. and M.S. degrees from Kansas State University Ph.D. from Utah State University.
Present Position - Scientist and Project Leader with the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) Olympia Field Station Olympia Washington.
Dale has also worked at the Monell Chemical Senses Center Philadelphia Pennsylvania. His recent research activities have focused on developing feasible means to protect forest resources from wildlife depredation. These activities have investigated chemical and chemical barriers to deter foraging animals foraging ecology habitat management efficacy of approaches to reduce damage and the impact of damage reduction techniques on non-target species. This work has included efforts with a variety of species including bear beaver deer elk mice mountain beaver pocket gophers porcupine and voles. Dale has made extensive efforts to ensure the station's research activities address the concerns of resource managers. This effort has generated collaborations with private and industrial forest producers universities and state and federal agencies. Dale has also developed and participated in numerous outreach activities to provide information on wildlife damage issues and feasible means to reduce problems.
Rebecca (Becky) Stout
Education - B.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in fisheries and wildlife management M.S. from Michigan State University in fisheries and wildlife management graduating this May with a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in wildlife and fisheries sciences.
Present Position - Wildlife Specialist University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
Becky is a native of Jefferson City Missouri and has worked periodically for the Missouri Department of Conservation in education and policy coordination programs. Her dissertation assessed public attitudes and opinions about white-tailed deer in St. Louis and Kansas City including deer damage to flower and vegetable gardens ornamental landscape plantings and vehicles. Previously she worked at Cornell University as a Research Support Specialist where her primary responsibility was evaluating Deer Management Unit Task Forces in New York State which received the 1996 Jack H. Berryman Institute for Wildlife Damage Management national Program Achievement Award for the Human Dimensions Research Unit Cornell Cooperative Extension and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Becky has chaired the Conservation Education Awards Committee for The Wildlife Society. Recently she and Donna Minnis co-chaired a paper session titled "Confronting the Questions of Advocacy" at The 1997 Wildlife Society Conference at Snowmass Village Colorado.
Peter Windler
Education - B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from Texas A&M University in 1979 M.A. in Computer Resource and Information Management from Webster University in 1996.
Present Position - Major United States Air Force (USAF) Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard Team member.
After graduating from Texas A&M Peter held several jobs including a brief stint with the USDA/Soil Conservation Service before joining the Air Force in 1982. He joined the Air Force's Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Team in 1995. Currently he directs the USAF worldwide BASH program writing USAF policies on reducing wildlife hazards and working closely with agencies outside the Department of Defense to reduce wildlife hazards to aviation. Peter is a member of TWS and the steering committee of Bird Strike Committee - USA. In addition to being a member of the Wildlife Damage Management Working Group he is an active member of an aviation industry wildlife hazard working group.
13 March 1998 Logan Utah - Each year the Jack H. Berryman Institute bestows awards for exemplary work focused on enhancing human-wildlife relationships through the resolution of human-wildlife conflicts. This year¹s awards were presented at the Vertebrate Pest Conference in Costa Mesa California. Dr. L. David Mech received the Research Award in recognition of superior achievement in the creation of new knowledge. He was honored for his innovative research on wolf ecology and management. Dr. Mech a scientist with the USGS/Biological Research Division is stationed at the Northcentral Forest Experiment Station in St. Paul Minnesota. The Professional Achievement Award recognizes superior "hands-on" effort to help resolve a wildlife damage management problem or a human-wildlife conflict. The award went to Mr. John Turman a District Supervisor for USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services in El Cajon California. Mt. Turman was honored for his commitment to reducing bird-aircraft collisions and to protecting threatened and endangered species. The Program Achievement Awards were given to the Vertebrate Pest Council for fostering communication in wildlife damage management over the past 35 years. The Council has hosted 18 Vertebrate Pest Conferences. Dr. Walter Howard received the Award for his work in creating the Vertebrate Pest Council. Dr. Howard is an Emeritus Professor at the University of California Davis. Mr. Guy Connolly was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. During his long career at the USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Research Center Mr. Connolly distinguished himself as an outstanding research scientist authoring more than 80 scientific publications. He is best known as an authority on coyote biology and management but he has also published over 30 papers on mule deer.
I am exited to report that starting with the next issue of this newsletter you will be able to regularly hear from members of this working group who live outside the United States or Canada. Identification of the main wildlife damage issues and current status of research in the member¹s home country and if wildlife damage management is keeping up with internationally orchestrated animal rights politics have been suggested as possible topics by the members who have agreed to participate in this series. Just another reason to be a member of the working group! Tell your friends!
WILDLIFE DAMAGE MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP BALLOT - May 1998
This ballot should be mailed before May 31 1998. If you fold on the dotted lines tape it shut and affix a 32 cent stamp the address on the reverse side plus your stamp will ensure delivery to the official ballot counting committee. It is important that you vote for no more than three of t he Candidates. Indicate your choices by CIRCLING the names of the candidates you are voting for.PLENARY ABSTRACTS FROM THE 18TH VERTEBRATE PEST CONFERENCE 2-5 MARCH 1998 COSTA MESA CA
(Jay McAninch did not submitted a written abstract of his paper).Richard A. Dolbeer USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center 6100 Columbus Ave. Sandusky OH 44870.
To justify and defend lethal or reproductive control programs to solve vertebrate pest problems wildlife biologists must have a sound understanding of the population status and dynamics of the problem species. Models are essential to project how populations will respond to proposed management actions providing a scientific foundation to counter the emotional debates that often arise. Four population models (PM1-PM4) for predicting population responses are described. PM1 and PM2 explore the relative efficacy of reproductive and lethal control for vertebrate species over 10-year internals. PM3 simulates population responses to actual management actions through 10-year intervals. PM4 simulates population changes for a species at weekly intervals over an annual cycle exploring the immediate (£1 year) impact of population management actions. Population simulations using PM1 and PM2 demonstrated that for most vertebrate pest species lethal control will be more efficient than reproductive control in reducing population levels. Reproductive control is more efficient than lethal control only for some rodent and small bird species with high reproductive rates and low survival rates. A simulation of the removal of 47000 laughing gulls (Larus atricilla) from the Long Island-New Jersey population demonstrated the utility of PM3 in documenting the 33% decline of the population over 5 years. A simulation (PM4) of the annual cycle of the common grackle (Quiscalus Quiscula) population in the eastern United States demonstrated why the removal of 4.2 million birds in 1 winter had no discernible impact on subsequent breeding populations. Understanding the population dynamics of wildlife species is the cornerstone to successful management and population models will be essential for this task in the years to come.
Allan E. Houston University of Tennessee Agricultural Experimental Station Ames Plantation PO Box 389 Grand Junction TN 38039.
Beaver populations extirpated in the previous century have returned to the South often causing severe damage to timber and other resources. Many landowners perceive trapping programs as being ineffectual perhaps because most programs are overwhelmed with immigrant beavers. To quantify immigration patterns from November 1984 to May 1985 resident beaver were removed from a 1619 ha. study area in west Tennessee and for the next 40 months immigrants were captured within 1 month of immigration. Removal patterns of the resident population (169 beavers) suggest that bounty systems may be ineffectual to protect natural resources. Immigration was low (5.5 beavers) June - September and significantly ( P £ 0.05) higher (46.4 beavers) October -May.
James A. Cooper Department of Fisheries and Wildlife University of Minnesota St. Paul MN 55108.
Urban Canada goose (Branta canadensis) populations have grown rapidly during the past 3 decades. This paper reviews short-term and long-term urban goose management techniques and using data for the Twin Cities of Minnesota assesses the potential utility of habitat modification. Ninety-four percent of Twin Cities damage complaints occurred during the brood-rearing period 5% in fall and >1% in spring and winter. The potential for reducing goose damage by altering nest habitat is insignificant brood-rearing habitat high but expensive and fall and winter habitat low and also costly. Fences thwart flightless geese but can entrap birds leading to starvation. Cost projections for programs limiting the Twin Cities summer population at 25000 were $125000/year for relocation $325000/year for processing for human consumption $12.3 million/25 years for wire fences $33.9 million for tall grass prairie and $1.8 billion for ground juniper (Juniperus spp.). Human preference for savanna and the fear of urban crime associated with dense vegetation may hamper implementations of goose habitat modification.
CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROLIFERATION OF INTRODUCED FERAL PIGS IN MAINLAND AND ISLAND ECOSYSTEMS WITH A CASE STUDY OF THEIR EXPENSION IN CALIFORNIA
Rick Sweitzer Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks AK 99775.
The introduction and spread of nonnative organisms to new regions can seriously disrupt ecosystems and lead to the extinction of native species. Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) have been introduced by humans on all continents except Antarctica where they may significantly affect native ecosystems in a variety of ways. A comprehensive review of the ecosystem level effects of feral pigs indicates that on oceanic islands where predators are absent feral pigs are a significant problem because they have contributed to declines and extinctions or near-extinctions of endemic plants sea birds such as dark-rumped petrels (Pterodroma phaeopygia) iguanid lizards (Conolophus subcristatus) giant tortoises (Geochelone elephantopus) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). In mainland regions however feral pigs appear to have both positive and negative effects on ecosystems. Reported positive effects of wild pig rooting includes increased growth of beech trees mobilization of nutrients by aerating soils and increased abundance of native grasses. However in addition to serving as reservoirs of livestock and zoonotic diseases documented negative effects of feral pigs include decreasing understory vegetation eliminating habtiat for some small mammals reducing tree regeneration reduced survival of woody plants and increased abundance of exotic grasses. Although the effects of feral pigs on mainland ecosystems appears quite variable one generalization that can be made is that their negative ecological effects are amplified when population densities are high. In many areas where feral pigs were introduced range expansion has ceased because suitable habitats are now saturated or intensive hunting campaigns have reduced numbers. In other areas including California the range of feral pigs continues to expand; feral pigs which have been present in California since the late 1700's but were restricted primarily to coastal areas until the mid-1900's have recently expanded in range extent and numbers. Analyses of combined data from annual hunter surveys and mapped locations of hunter-killed feral pigs indicates that the distribution of feral pigs in California has increased rapidly during the last 20 to 30 years; in the early 1960's feral pigs were restricted to around 10 coastal or near-coastal counties whereas they now occur in numerous inland areas in parts of 49 of California's 58 counties. An index to wild pig densities based on locations of hunter-killed pigs plotted in a geographic information system indicates that within the approximately 79550 km2 or 25% of the total land area of the state now occupied by feral pigs these animals are most abundant in the central and north coast regions. By stratifying each county into one of three relative abundance classes and assigning density values based on population research at multiple research sites my colleagues and I estimated that there were around 133106 (range = 106485 to 159727) feral pigs in California in 1996. The recent expansion of feral pigs in California was clearly facilitated by multiple post-1950's hunting-related introductions but the pattern of spread is also typical of many invading organisms where the rate of expansion is initially slow and then rapidly accelerates. These results are important because in addition to indicating the potential for further expansion they identify areas in California where high density populations of feral pigs may be having negative effects on mainland ecosystems. Because it will not be economically or politically feasible to eradicate feral pigs in most areas where they occur effective management of this exotic mammal will require monitoring of ranges and population densities combined with efforts to reduce wild pig numbers in localized areas where they pose a significant threat to native ecosystems.
Preliminary Program for
The Wildlife Society
5th Annual Conference
September 22-26 1998 Buffalo NY
Plenary Global perspectives in wildlife conservation and management
A practical view of excellence in wildlife stewardship through conservation and environmental education - 1 day The status and future of wildlife fertility control - 1 day & eve. (hosted by the WDMWG)
The cost of ignorance: a crisis in wildlife research in North America - day
Ecological restoration and biodiversity: theory and application - 1 day
Ecology and conservation of webless wetland birds - _ day
European wildlife land and people: a tapestry of science management and history - 1 day
Hypothesis testing/power analysis in natural resource studies: good science or misguided practice? - _ day
The importance of ecological economics to wildlife conservation - _ day
Managing abundant white-tailed deer populations in the eastern United States - 1 day
Public health and safety and wildlife in conflict - _ day (hosted by the WDMWG).
The role of large scale experiments in wildlife management: principles and practice - 1 day
Striving for excellence in wildlife stewardship in education: making programs marketable measurable and mission-driven - _ day
Wildlife toxicology in the Great Lakes: a forensic approach - _ day
Wildlife toxicology in northeastern North American ecosystems - _ day
Vertebrate Pest Conference (VPC) Proceedings These past volumes contain papers covering vertebrate pest problems and solutions from around the world. The following past VPC Proceedings are now available: 17th 16th ($25/copy) 15th - ($15/copy) 14th ($5/copy) 10th 8th 7th 6th 5th ($2/copy). Sales tax of 7.25% must be included. Shipping/handling prices: for 1-2 proceedings - US $4 foreign (include Canada/Mexico) surface $7 foreign air $13; add for each extra copy past 2 - US $2 foreign surface $2.50 foreign air $4. Checks/money orders drawn on US bank in US funds made payable to "Vertebrate Pest Conf." sent to: Vertebrate Pest Conf. T.P. Salmon Bus. Mgr. DANR: North Region University of Calif Davis CA 95616-8575 OR http://www.davis.com/~vpc/welcome.html
8th Proceedings (1997) expected mid/late 1998 contact: Jim Parkhurst Virginia Tech (540) 231-9283 jparkhur@vt.edu 7th (1995) and 6th (1993 210 pages) proceedings $20 (includes postage) each checks made payable to ³NCSU² to: Kelly Duffield Extension Forestry Box 8003 NCSU Raleigh NC 27695-8003 5th Proceedings (1991 225 pages) $10 (includes postage) checks made payable to "Cornell Cooperative Extension - Wildlife Damage to: Deanne Owens Cornell Coop. Extension Dept. of Natural Resources Ithaca NY 14853-2814.
13th (1997 197 pages) $15 (includes postage) checks made payable to "Extension Wildlife" to: Charles Lee Extension Wildlife Rm. 127 Call Hall KSU Manhattan KS 666506 12th (1995 135 pages) $15 (includes postage) checks made payable to "OSU Wildlife Extension" to: Wildlife Specialist Dept. of Forestry 008 Ag Hall Oklahoma St. University Stillwater OK 74078.
Limited supply of the 212 page document includes all poster and paper abstracts and abstract index. Copy price of $10 (Maryland residents add $.50 sales tax foreign orders add $2/copy) to: 1997 Abstracts The Wildlife Society 5410 Grosvenor Lane Bethesda Maryland 20814 fax: (301) 530-2471
262 page book provides synopsis of research and management of sandhill and whooping cranes breeding biology captive management genetics reintroduction migration wintering population dynamics harvest and mortality. Copy price of $25 to: International Crane Foundation PO Box 447 Baraboo Wisconsin 53913.
Proceedings of the 76th Annual Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conference 1996
385 page book covers a variety of western united States and Canada wildlife issues. Copy price of $10 made payable to "Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies" mailed to: Larry L. Kruckenberg WAFWA c/o Game and Fish Dept. 5400 Bichop Blvd. Cheyenne Wyoming 82006 tel: (307) 777-4569.
Thanks to Paul Gorenzel Charlie Crabb Scott Hygnstrom Dick Curnow Lorraine LeSchack and the Board Member candidates.
May 3-8 1998 Lord Forrest Hotel Bunbury Western Australia. Focuses on research extension management and administration of vertebrate pests in Australia and New Zealand. Contact: Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd. PO Box 890 Canning Bridge Western Australia 6153 tel: 08 9364-8311 email: promaco@promaco.com.au web site: http://www.promaco.com.au.
May 17-20 1998 Ruttger¹s Bay Lake Lodge Deerwood Minnesota. Developed for natural resource educators interested in environmental education fisheries forest products forestry range recreation water and wildlife. Contact: Larry Biles National Program Leader - Forestry Management USDA-CREES Washington DC tel: (202) 401-4926 email: lbiles@reesuda.gov.
J
une 16-18 1998 Holiday Inn Lakeside / Burke Lakefront Airport Cleveland Ohio. Focuses on wildlife control techniques new technologies land-use issues engineering standards and habitat management. Pre-registration (May 1) $60 after $75. Hotel reservations call (216) 241-5100 for room rate of $89 mention ³BSC-USA.² Contact: Betsy Marshall USDA-APHIS-WS Sandusky OH tel: (419) 625-0242 fax: (419) 625-8465 email: nwrcsandusky@lrbcg.com.
22-26 September 1998 Buffalo New York. Plenary paper and poster sessions workshops symposia working group meetings student activities exhibits photo contest field trips and members forum. Contact: TWS tel: (301) 897-9770 email: tws@wildlife.org web site: http://www.wildlife.org.
5-9 October 1998 Beijing China. Organized by the Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Science and CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology Australia. Contact: Zhibin Zhang Secretary General International Conference 19 Zhongguancun Road Haidian District Beijing 100080 P.R. China email: zhangzb@panda.ioz.ac.cn.
If there are any interesting events or other items you would like to have included in the next newsletter the Summer 1998 issue please get them to me no later than 30 June. Thanks.
Art Smith newsletter editor
Art Smith
Department of Wildlife Ecology
1630 Linden Dr. Rm. #226
University of Wisconsin
Madison WI 53706
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Annual basic membership dues are $39.00 of which 15% pays for the bimonthly newsletter The Wildlifer. Dues for full-time students are $20.00. TWS accepts U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank only or by credit card.
WITH YOUR PAID MEMBERSHIP you may subscribe to the Wildlife Society Bulletin for an additional $18.00. The Journal of Wildlife Management with Wildlife Monographs for an additional $25.00 or ALL publications for an additional $42.00. Members may also join a section chapter and/or working groups. MEMBERSHIP: Regular @ $39.00 Student @20.00
WORKING GROUP DUES ($5.00 each)
01 - Wildlife Planning & Administration 10 - Population Ecology & Management
02 - Wildlife Economics 11 - Sustainable Use of Ecosystem Resources
03 - Biological Diversity 12 - Wildlife Damage Management
04 - Biometrics 13 - Wildlife Toxicology
05 - College Univ. Wildlife Education 14 - Urban Wildlife
06 - Furbearer 15 - Wildlife Nutrition
07 - Geo. Info. Syst. & Remote Sensing 16 - International
08 - Habitat Restoration 17 - Public Conservation Education & Extension
09 - Native People's Wildlife Management