Notice of Hearing on the Application to Use Sodium Fluoroacetate ...

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drop-Sai rls were pi ac2d by AGC ?~rscnnel <strong>of</strong> the F%S in I :au, :hat
~lacemenzs increaszd tc appr2xi~az'y 922,CCO in 1964, decrsased zo
approximatsly 345,000 in 1969 and incr3ased to approximately
821,000 in 1970-71. During this period, the placement <strong>of</strong> 1080
large-bait stations declined from 15,349 in IS60 r,3 ,11,3T3 in 1970.
The 'concurrent use <strong>of</strong> 1 C80 1 arge-bai t stati ens compl i cates the
matter <strong>of</strong> det~nining he effectiveness af drop-~aits
95. Dr. Samuel L. Beasom, Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>~ssor in tne '2epart~en; <strong>of</strong>
!4i 1 dl i fe and ii sheri 2s Sci enczs at Texas ,A&:4 Uni versi ty and a
witness for the TexzS Department <strong>of</strong> Agriculture, perfamed a study
in 1971 and 1972 to deternine 2ffec;s <strong>of</strong> przcia ti on on whi te--tai i ed
deer popuia~jons.
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. ine sxdy *as pe~fcrrn?d by acpiic2~ion or ~nt~ns've
control techniques to remove predators frgm a 5,400 acr2 zrza <strong>of</strong>
the King 2anch in S~uth Texas and corncaring the resulcs with a
similar sized area without predator control approximately ,Five mi 12s
distant. Specific control tschniques institutzd on February 1 <strong>of</strong>
each year and terminated on June 30 <strong>of</strong> 1371 and 1972, included steei
traps, M-44's, strychnine neat-and-egg-baix and shooting 93th at
night and during the day. Approximately 2,000 strychnine trgated
egg-baits were used in each <strong>of</strong> the two years and approximately 3,500
meat-bai ts were used in 1971 and 4,530 i n 1972. A total <strong>of</strong> 188
coyotes and 120 bobcats were removed frcm the experimental area
during the two-year period. . Strychnine drop-bai ts were considered to
have been responsible for the removal <strong>of</strong> 10 coyotes and two bobcats.
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