Greetings! I hope the winter season was not too difficult wherever this newsletter finds you. Here in Wisconsin, and I think in many parts of the country, it was another non-winter in terms of snow and bitter cold. We set numerous record high temperatures and lakes were frozen for a very short time. For northern states like Wisconsin this likely translates into excellent overwinter survival and an early, prolonged spring breeding/nesting season for many species including deer, geese, and others where a little natural population control would be most welcome.
It has actually been rather quiet on the Working Group front. Plans are being made for 2 more symposia on damage/control related topics (see Conference announcement) at TWS Annual Conference in Nashville this September. Previous symposia have been well done and well received. Also, the next Eastern Wildlife Damage Conference will be held just after TWS Conference in Pennsylvania. I know Gary San Julian, Jim Parkhurst and company will put on a great meeting! Mark your calendars now. Note the 3rd European Vertebrate Pest Conference for Israel in 2001.
Closer to home, the Vertebrate Pest Conference in California was a success a few weeks ago in San Diego. Unfortunately spring semester teaching kept me on campus but Bob Timm, Jim Miller, and others have reported another great conference with almost 400 in attendance. I do understand there was a little rain in sunny southern California! One important topic of discussion at the VPC was the future of NADCA. I'm told that some 2 dozen key players gathered for a spirited and thoughtful evening discussion.
The fate of NADCA appears to hinge on enough motivated individuals stepping forward to assume leadership, especially in the key roles of president, newsletter editor, and treasurer. Their task would be to redefine the role of NADCA given the emergence of the NWCO group and the WG, and re-energize the group. In the absence of such leaders, NADCA is likely to disband. From my perspective, the more active, professional groups focused on some aspect of wildlife damage management that provide perspective, profile, and service in the eyes of the public and profession, the better! Step up or be prepared to let it go.
Much of this newsletter is devoted to the next election to select 3 new board members. recall that due to a tie vote a year ago and a willingness to extend a term, we do not need to elect a president-elect or treasurer this time around. At the Nashville meeting, I will pass on Chair responsibilities to Bob Timm, Nancy Fagerstone will become chair-elect, and Gary Witmer will continue as treasurer. The 3 colleagues you elect with this ballot will join the Board. Please vote! Do it right now!
On a related manner, this will be the final newsletter sent to anyone who did not renew their year 2000 WG dues. Renew now! We need you!
That's all for now. If you have an idea, issue, or question related to wildlife damage management and the working group, let us hear from you. - Scott Craven
Thanks to the following individuals for contributing to this issue: Charlie Brown, Richard Chipman, Larry Clark, Scott Craven, Eric Gese, Dale Nolte, Gary San Julian, Bob Timm, Desley Whisson, and Gary Witmer.
CANDIDATES FOR THE WORKING GROUP OFFICERS - March 2000
The candidates are listed alphabetically by last name. The official ballot follows on page 4.
CHARLES S. BROWN
Education -Charlie graduated from Texas A&M University in 1976 with a BS degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
Present Position -Assistant Regional Director for the USDA-APHIS-WS Eastern Region.
He began his career as a Range Conservationist with the USDA - Soil Conservation Service (now NRCS) shortly after graduation. He transferred to the USDI - Fish & Wildlife Service - Animal Damage Control (now USDA - Wildlife Services) program in 1978. He has been with the Wildlife Services (WS) program since that time. His duty stations have included Goldthwaite, TX; Matador, TX; Uvalde, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Lincoln, NE; Nashville, TN; and Raleigh, NC. Charlie has been an active member of The Wildlife Society for many years and became a Certified Wildlife Biologist in 1984. He has been a member of the TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group since it was formed. He strongly supports the IPM approach and believes that a cooperative effort among government agencies, universities and other research institutions, PCO/NWCO's, and the public is needed to resolve the increasing number of WDM issues we are facing.
RICHARD CHIPMANEducation - Rich received his BA in Biology and BS in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine and his MS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont.
Present Position - USDA-APHIS-WS New York State Director since 1997.
Richard Chipman is a Certified Wildlife Biologist living in Castleton, New York with his wife and two sons. He has worked for the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services since 1991 including seven years as a Wildlife Biologist in Vermont. He is also currently an Adjunct Professor at the State University of New York at Cobleskill in Cobleskill, New York. Prior to that he worked for various State Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Universities on rare species in Vermont, Maine, Kansas and Costa Rica, Central America. He is Past President and Newsletter Editor for the Northeast Association of Wildlife Damage Biologists (1994-1997), past Vermont Representative to the New England Chapter of TWS, current Secretary of the National Animal Damage Control Association (1996-present) and current Secretary for the New York Chapter of TWS (1997-present). His research and management interests include raccoon and bat rabies, the impact of gull species and other wildlife at airports, conflicts associated with double-crested cormorants and promoting the teaching of wildlife damage management at universities.
LARRY CLARKEducation - Larry received his Ph.D. in Evolutionary and Physiological Ecology at the University of Pennsylvania, a M.S. in Physiological Ecology from Northern Arizona University, and a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Maryland. Present Position - Research Biologist and Project Leader for Chemical Repellents, Sensory Biology Studies, and Waterfowl Zoonoses at the USDA's National Wildlife Research Center. Larry has been employed at the NWRC for the past 9 years. Prior to that Larry was on the faculty at the Monell Chemical Senses Center for 8 years. In between Larry's various degrees he worked as a field biologist for the National Park Service's Ecological Services Laboratory and Arizona State University on their Colorado River Project. Larry has over 100 publications on topics ranging from molecular modeling to field behavior studies in vertebrate pest management, and has three patents relating to animal repellents, with two patents pending.
Larry has studied all the vertebrate Classes in the laboratory and field using a variety of approaches. Several of Larry's research publications have been honored with awards from various wildlife societies. Larry is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Wildlife Management, and in the past has served on a variety of national and international task forces and committees relating to conflict resolution between humans and wildlife. Currently, Larry is organizing an NWRC sponsored conference on Human-Wildlife Conflicts: Economic Consideration to be held in Fort Collins, August 2000. Larry's current research interests focus on elucidating basic mechanisms (chemical, physiological, and behavioral) that can be used to develop methods and tools for the resolution of conflict between wildlife and humans.
ERIC GESE -Education - Eric received his B.S. in Biology at the University of Texas - San Antonio, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Present Position - Research Wildlife Biologist with the National Wildlife Research Center and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Utah State University.
Eric is a member of The Wildlife Society, Animal Behaviour Society, and Wildlife Disease Association. Research interests include behavior, ecology, and management of mammalian predators, principally wild canids. Research projects currently in progress include: population ecology and behavior of swift and kit foxes, evaluation of survey methods for carnivores, wolf-livestock interactions, non-lethal management actions and techniques for coyote predation on livestock, and conservation strategies and non-lethal depredation control techniques for large felids.
DALE NOLTEEducation - Dale received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Kansas State University, and his PhD is from Utah State University.
Present Position - National Wildlife Research Center's field station leader for the Olympia Field Station.
Research activities at the field station are directed towards developing means to reduce the negative impacts of wildlife on forest resources. The station works with a variety of wildlife species including bear, beaver, deer, elk, mice, mountain beaver, pocket gophers, porcupines and voles. Recent research efforts have investigated chemical and physical 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. Dale also is leader for a project in the southeast United States addressing beaver issues. 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 also has developed and participated in numerous outreach activities to provide information on wildlife damage issues and feasible means to reduce problems.
DESLEY WHISSON -
Education - Desley received her Ph.D. in wildlife management from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia in 1994.
Present Position - Extension Wildlife Specialist at the University of California at Davis since January 1995.
Desley's dissertation focussed on cultural control techniques for rodent pests in Australia sugarcane. Prior to moving to California in January 1995, Desley spent a year in Mexico at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexicó where she was primarily involved with research on pocket gophers. While at the University of California at Davis, she has been involved in research and extension activities related to vertebrate pest management. She is a member of the Vertebrate Pest Council and a Program Co-Chair for the 19th Vertebrate Pest Conference.
STUPID PEST TRICKS(or what your best extension call was all about)
Gary San Julian has come up with a great story for this issue. Now I know weird and funny things happen to people other than Gary. C'mon, send in your best!
BATteries
I had been working with a woman for several weeks concerning a bat problem. She complained that she kept hearing them in her attic. As the only NC Extension Wildlife Damage biologist, I usually don't make house calls. Because I had a dentist appointment that morning and she lived close to the office, I stopped to check out the problem first hand.
We sat in her living room to listen for the bats. We waited for awhile and heard nothing. She commented, "It is just like when you take your car to the garage, it never makes that noise". Finally we heard a squeak; she asked me if I had heard and I did. I wanted to try to hear it again to be sure.
Several minutes later, we heard it again and this time I was certain, I knew where the noise was coming from. I asked her if I could use a chair to stand on. Immediately, she asked if I planned to open the ceiling entrance to the attic. I said no, pushed the chair against the wall, stood up, and removed the old battery from her smoke detector. -Gary San Julian
This ballot should be mailed before April 15, 2000. Fold on the dotted lines so that the mailing address appears on the outside, tape it shut and affix a 33 cent stamp. This will ensure delivery to the newsletter editor who will hold the ballots for the elections committee. It is important that you vote for no more than three of the Board Members.
Please indicate your choices by CIRCLING the candidate's names you are voting for.
BOARD MEMBERS (vote for three)
Charles S. Brown Richard Chipman Larry Clark
Eric Gese Dale Nolte Desley Whisson
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Department of Wildlife Ecology 1630 Linden Dr., Rm. #226 University of Wisconsin Madison, WI 53706
PLEASE PLACE FIRST CLASS UNITED STATES POSTAGE HERE
Art Smith Department of Wildlife Ecology 1630 Linden Dr., Rm. #226 University of Wisconsin Madison, WI 53706 Wisconsin DNR won't bite on compensating muskie victim
The fish legend of the millennium in Wisconsin began one hot June Friday 1999 at Governor Dodge State Park, where the lazily dangling left foot of a canoeist was taken for bait by a 36-inch muskie on Twin Valley Lake. Daniel Droessler, a police officer and karate expert, pulled in the muskie, which "tore from his foot." The fish dropped into the rented canoe and Droessler briefly and reluctantly splashed into the national spotlight. He was driven by his girlfriend to the hospital, where he received the first of what would eventually be 60 stitches needed to close the gashes in his bloody foot. Later the state Claims Board announced its denial of Droessler's claim for $25 for uninsured medical expenses and $2,568.64 for the 160 sick hours he had to take. The DNR's response was that although it regrets the injury, "we do not believe the department is responsible for payment for . . . losses resulting from a person being bitten by a fish." The fish was temporarily confiscated since it was undersized and it was not legal to catch a fish with your foot.
That's what Sandy Parks shrieked when a juvenile red-tailed hawk dug its talons into Bandita, the spitting image of the talking Chihuahua in Taco Bell's "Drop the chalupa" commercials. The hawk found itself in a tug-of-war with Parks, 61, because Bandita was on a 5-foot leash when the raptor sprang from a neighbor's bushes. "Here I am yelling "Drop the Chihuahua! Drop the Chihuahua!" she recalled. "I am surprised I didn't scare the hawk away. I had no idea they had that much tenacity. I've been hungry before, but I've never held on to food that much." She yanked on the leash and slammed the 2.6-pound bird and 6-pound dog into the outside wall of her duplex in Bluewater Bay, Florida. The hawk, still grasping Bandita, dropped to the ground and Parks stomped its belly. It refused to let go until she dragged the animals into her doorway and slammed the door on the hawk's legs. Both survived and were treated at the Niceville Animal Clinic where it was discovered that the hawk was suffering from a previously broken wing. That's apparently why the hawk, weighing just half of what a bird with a 5-foot wingspan should have, had resorted to preying on a pet. The wing was healing well on its own and needed no further treatment. The hawk suffered only a broken feather in its battle with Parks. Bandita's puncture wounds were patched and she went home with Parks, but not before some tense moments when Aububon Society members brought the hawk to the clinic. "So there we are, the bird in a box and the dog in a cage in the same room," Parks said. "Bandita wasn't too thrilled about that." 3rd European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference
September 9-14, 2001
Conference Aim: "To bring together scientists in the field of Vertebrate Pest Management from Europe and beyond, to exchange information on problems, research and solutions; to provide opportunities for collaboration and to ensure that management techniques employed are effective, humane, environmentally safe, and conform with European legislation."
Kibbutz Ma'ale Hachamisha Guest House, Israel. Abstracts and posters for the conference are invited and due by March 2001. For further information, contact Conference Secretariat: Ortra Ltd., P.O. Box 9352, Tel Aviv 61092, Israel, email
Southeast Pest Conference
The complete schedule for the Southeast Pest Conference at the University of Florida, May 7-10, has been finalized and is now posted on the Florida Pest Alert site at:
http://extlab7.entnem.ufl.edu/PestAlert/
The conference includes training on general household, termite, lawn and landscape pests and diseases. Fumigation training is also available.
CEUs for Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi are available. Program Announcement and Call for Papers
Ninth Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference "Changes in Wildlife Damage Management for the 21st Century"
October 5-8, 2000 The Nittany Lion Inn State College, Pennsylvania
visit our Web Site: http://wildlife.cas.psu.eduThe need for innovative, humane, and effective methods of resolving conflicts between humans and wildlife increases daily. Wildlife damage management practitioners continue to seek approaches and techniques that provide efficient treatment of wildlife concerns while meeting society's expectations. This meeting will include symposia, field trips, exhibitors, contributed posters, and papers focusing on the critical issues in wildlife damage management.
Proposed session topics include:
Sustainable Ecosystem Management: The Course for 2000
- Forested landscapes
- Suburban and urban landscapes
-Agriculture
- Community values versus scientific fact
Wildlife Wars: Writing the Peace Agreement for the New Century
- Human health and safety issues
-Economic, social, and political aspects
- Identifying stakeholders
-Public relations
-Conflict resolution
20/20: The Latest News on Wildlife Damage Control
- Wildlife damage education and curricula
- New techniques and technology
- Collaborative decision-making and partnerships
- Ecological needs assessments
- Standard protocol and techniques
Population Dynamics: When is Enough Enough?
- Management issues for deer, geese, turkey, and cormorants
Origins, Innovations, and Futures of Wildlife Damage Management
- Innovative presentations
Call for Papers/Posters: Receipt Deadline: March 17, 2000
Paper presentations will be 20 minutes in length, followed by 5 minutes for questions. Papers from students are encouraged. An award will be made for the best student presentation. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by April 14, 2000, and are expected to submit a final paper for printing in the proceedings before the conclusion of the conference. Full-length manuscripts must follow the Journal of Wildlife Management (JWM) style; specific guidelines can be requested from The Wildlife Society at (301) 897-9770. The final papers should be submitted both as hard copy and on a 3.5" computer disc in Microsoft Word. Final papers not received by October 8, 2000, will not appear in the proceedings.
Poster presentations will be displayed for the first two days of the conference during breaks and receptions. Authors are requested to attend their posters for a minimum of two hours. Posters will be displayed on boards limited to a 4' x 6' in size.
Guidelines for Preparing Abstracts An abstract submission form must be submitted with an abstract. Provide all of the information requested on the form. Presenters of papers and posters should send an abstract in JWM form for review by the program committee for consideration. Questions related to abstract submission may be addressed to the program chair: Jim Parkhurst Telephone: (540) 231-5573, Fax: (540) 231-7580 ,E-mail: jparkhur@vt.edu
Symposia, Workshop, and Special Poster Sessions
7th Annual Conference * September 12-16, 2000
Habitat Classification Systems and their Implications for the Conservation of Biological Diversity Sponsor: Biological Diversity Working Group
Status and Trend of Wildlife and Land Management Implications in the Interior Columbia River Basin
Mammal Community Dynamics in Western Coniferous Forests: Management and Conservation for the New Millennium
Current Bobcat Research and Implications for Management
Implementing CARA: Understanding Public Attitudes Toward the Environment and Wildlife Diversity & Using Public Involvement in Developing Program Direction
Excellence in Biometrics Education: Views from Employers and Academicians Sponsor: Biometrics Working Group
Thirty Years of Urban Wildlife Management: Directions for a New Millennium Sponsor: Urban Wildlife Working Group
Sustainable Use: Making It Work Sponsor: Sustainable Use of Ecosystem Resources Working Group
Nonlethal Approaches to Wildlife Damage Management: Promise, Potential, Reality Sponsor: Urban Wildlife Working Group
Wildlife and Highways: Seeking Solutions to an Ecological and Socioeconomic Dilemma Sponsor: Wildlife Damage Management Working Group
The Role of Fire for Nongame Wildlife Management and Community Restoration: Traditional Uses and New Directions from Eastern and Western Perspectives
Workshop
Information-Theoretic Methods: Alternatives to Statistical Hypothesis Testing in Wildlife Data Analysis Sponsor: Biometrics Working Group
Special Poster Sessions
Geographic Information System (GIS) Software Applications for Wildlife Sponsor: GIS and Remote Sensing Working Group
Wildlife Toxicology: Contaminant Issues in the Southeastern U.S. Sponsor: Wildlife Toxicology Working Group
Art Smith
Department of Wildlife Ecology
1630 Linden Dr., Rm. #226
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706
NON-PROFIT ORG.
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MADISON, WI
PERMIT 2783
5410 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814-2197 * Phone: (301) 897-9770 Fax: (301) 530-2471, TWS@wildlife.org, http://www.wildlife.org/index.html
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Annual basic membership dues are $53.00 of which 15% pays for the bimonthly newsletter, The Wildlifer, which is received by all members. Dues for full-time students are $27.00. 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 $22.00. The Journal of Wildlife Management with Wildlife Monographs for an additional $25.00, or ALL publications for an additional $47.00. Members may also join a section, chapter, and/or working groups.
WORKING GROUP DUES ($5.00 each)
01 - Wildlife Planning & Administration 11 - Sustainable Use of Ecosystem Resources
02 - Wildlife Economics 12 - Wildlife Damage Management
03 - Biological Diversity 13 - Wildlife Toxicology ($7.00)
04 - Biometrics 14 - Urban Wildlife
05 - College and University Wildlife Education 16 - International Wildlife
07 - Geographic Information Systems & Remote Sensing 17 - Public Conservation, Education & Extension
08 - Restoration 18 - Local Governance
09 - Native People's Wildlife Management