Delta to pull the plug on predator control / North American Duck Symposium

[Sportin' Woodies]

quality built wooden deer stands are better than metal deer stands.

[Tuffy]

Delta can speak for themselves, but it does appear that Delta did present and/or introduce a series of research presentations at NADS that, IMO, does cast doubt on the effectiveness of predator control beyond the single research. The implication seems to be that predator control CAN increase nesting success, but that natural processes may then "compensate" for that increase during the overall nesting process. The series is shown on page 14 of this document:

http://www.northamericanducksymposiu...%20Program.pdf

The "extended abstracts" (at least) of most of these are available on the NADS site, but must be found via google as I don't think there are any links yet. The glaring omission is the "wrapup" by Mr. Rohwer, "
Predator Reduction in the PPR – Adaptive Science and Management". Let me know if you find it.

I didn't see the $125M or the 1% directly here, but it's not hard to see that such a conclusion could exist. My take is that this IS the first hint from Delta that deemphasis of predator control IS coming.

For the record, I am a Delta member and not DU, more as a function of being asked or not than any deep convictions of support. Delta vs. DU feels like a separate topic; doing that here before understanding Delta's final take on recent research is kinda knee-jerk, ain't it?

[DeltaDucks]

Tuffy I wouldn't say a deemphasis more like a re-alignment. PM has primarily focused on nest success and hen success by reducing the number of skunk, racoon and foxes. Keep in mind this is a strategic tool and it simply compliments other tools and it is most effective in areas below the habitat threshold. No one is wanting to trap the entire PPR.

Courtney's study found that although nest success was good, brood survival was not. This is directly linked to another predator, Mink.
Mink populations explode during wet years, then as the praries dry the mink are even more concentrated on the remaining wetlands. So dry years are the worse.

No doubt that brood survival is just as or more important as nest success, so is hen survival. Traditional PM consistently increases nest success and hen survival, now we have to work harded on brood survival and we are already working on innovative ways to reduce mink numbers on the wetlands. It will be interesting to see what the science says over the next few years.

Do you have a link to Dr Rohwer's wrap up?

[2thDoc]

hen houses negate ground predators.

just sayin.

all you DU bashers send money to www.flywayfoundation.org

i am an UNpaid, volunteer. and I approve this message.

[Tuffy]

DD...I never found the wrap-up.

There seemed to be some consideration of the compensation coming from avian predators and/or "bottom-up" via food sources. Anyway, it's all interesting and, as noted in the introduction, a good direction of research to understand the mingled effects of various measures. I'll take it as a credit to Delta that they are questioning their own assumptions and earlier research. Maximizing nest success would, intuitively, seem to be a good starting point. Evaluating the overall effectiveness of emphasizing that approach is a good thing on top of it.

DU seems (IMO) to be somewhere else and that feels okay, too. The AHM/NAWMP coherence thing is going to need some habitat-importance expertise and that's where I see DU fitting best. There is a lot of internal scientific politics and BS in that area. DU could be MORE involved, IMO.

FF strikes me as having a fine niche approach with the nests. I haven't yet seen the research that counters it, although some have tried, it seems. If it keeps its focus on GL nesting areas and the volunteer, rather than massive funding, techniques, I'd think it offers more direct benefits to SC.

I'm a fan, DD; you're doing good.

[Tuffy]

This might be a better link (with links) to that series of oral presentations. I notice that there is no link for the wrapup here either, though.

http://www.northamericanducksymposiu...m?page=Plenary 4

[DeltaDucks]

Thanks Tuffy and you my friend are RIGHT on the money so far!

[novaggie]

DD...I never found the wrap-up.

.

This may help
http://www.northamericanducksymposiu...ohwer_oral.pdf

Here is Courtney's study that started the whole thing I believe
http://www.northamericanducksymposiu...ndson_oral.pdf

[Tuffy]

I think that's his introduction. He did a wrap-up at the end of that series, it appears. That's what's hard to find.

[novaggie]

gotcha

[h2ofowl]

My money will continue to go to DU, Delta Waterfowl, and Flyway Foundation. All these organizations when it comes down to it are trying to accomplish the same GOAL!