DEP Position: Wildlife Management Overpopulated  Species Amendment

To: Thomas Tyler, DEP Legislative Liaison

From.- Dale W. May, Director, DEP Wildlife Division Date: May 23, 2001

Re. Follow up information requested by Senator Donald Williams

At our meeting yesterday, Sen. Williams requested examples of the types of-additional methods the Department might employ if Proposed Substitute Bill No. 1214 were amended as we proposed in Section 7 of the bill.

Note that the methods must be consistent with "professional wildlife management principles and scientifically accepted principles of ecosystem based management."

In addition, the methods would be employed only in circumstances when one of the five conditions listed on lines 278-281 applied.

The new methods provide the Department with alternatives to traditional hunting and trapping for addressing problems caused by overabundant wildlife. The new methods will be more efficient, more selective, and, in certain circumstances, safer than currently available methods.

Finally, in most cases the new methods would be applied in combination with other nonlethal and lethal techniques. In most cases they would be used on wildlife species (deer, resident Canada geese) existing at population levels higher than at any time in the past 300+ years and the source of serious problems. Birth control is not practical for free-ranging wild animal populations. Therefore, a controlled take is required in circumstances where populations must be reduced.

Example 1: Deer Management at Bluff Point Coastal Reserve. Objective: Periodically remove deer in accordance With regulations to allow ecological recovery of this unique site that has been severely degraded by deer overpopulation. Current Method.- DEP staff using traditional hunting techniques (shotgun, daytime hours). New Methods: Attractants (such as artificially placed food) to concentrate deer, firearms with noise suppression, spotlights. Benefits: Removals would be more selective and efficient, saving the Department tens of thousands of dollars and freeing up staff resources for other activities. Also, removals would be conducted at night when the Park is already closed. Public would not be inconvenienced by Park closures.

Example 2: Deer Management at Airports. Objective: To respond quickly to situations where deer constitute a public safety threat near runways. Current Method DEP authorizes volunteers to take deer at any time on airport property, but restricted to archery and traditional firearms. New Methods: Attractants (such as artificially placed food) to concentrate deer, firearms with noise suppression, spotlights. Benefits: Deer could be concentrated using attractants where they could be removed efficiently and in a setting where shooting could be conducted safely.

Example 3: Deer Management in Suburban Communities. Objective: To balance deer populations with ecological and human tolerances. Current Method Communities can use traditional hunting seasons and methods, however in many cases high-density development limits the application of these methods. New Methods: Attractants (such as artificially placed food), firearms with noise suppression, spotlights. Benefits: Improved efficiency, effectiveness and safety. Deer would be concentrated in areas where shooting could be safety conducted.

Example 4: Resident Canada Geese at Airports, Reservoirs. Objective: To supplement nonlethal control programs to reduce resident Canada goose concentrations at sites where public safety is jeopardized. Current Method Egg shaking, habitat modification, United States Fish and Wildlife Service depredation permits (shooting), traditional hunting. New Methods: Round up and removal of geese during the flightless molting period, use of rocket or cannon nets during other time periods. Benefits: Round ups are highly selective and effective for removing large numbers of birds quickly. Traditional hunting techniques are often impractical at airport or reservoir settings.

Example 5: Resident Canada Geese causing severe nuisance problems and property damage. Objective: To provide relief to municipalities and private landowners who, despite implementing all legal nonlethal and lethal techniques, suffer serious property damage and site degradation due to concentrations of resident Canada geese. Current Method.- Egg shaking, habitat modification, hazing, USFWS depredation permits, traditional hunting. New Methods: Round ups and netting (see Example 4). Benefits: More efficient, selective methods to alleviate severe nuisance or property damage.

cc: David Leff

Edward Parker