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

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carcasses <strong>of</strong> shee?, ,,vn;cn hzc 'Ied <strong>of</strong> natural iauias, *ere in;ected
bait and the solution i njxtzd i nto
82.4 grams <strong>of</strong> LiCL per liter <strong>of</strong> dattr. Dr. Gus tavson i ndi cat2d that
he would recamend using a slightly lower dose <strong>of</strong> LiCi at pressnt.
The study conducted through Xay 15, 1975, suggested a reduction in
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predation lossas <strong>of</strong> sheep 07 -from 43 cerc5nt Co 50 percen1. .r,e
report on chis s:ody indicasss tha~ :he range <strong>of</strong> oredaaiion r9duction
was from 30 percent tc 60 percent. This was based an a ccnparlion
<strong>of</strong> the rancher's pr2dation 105~2s for zne preceding three years. The
wide variation in ~ossi bi e predaijon reductjon was z::riLu;ed :s
uncertainty as ia (whe~her parxicglar losses 'were due XI coyotes.
Dr. Gusiavson acknowledged that because <strong>of</strong> the inabii i :y c3
incorpcra~e acequaie cantrois, ihe jtud~ djd not canclusively
os~ablish :he efficacy <strong>of</strong> aversive canditisning io deierring
predation. Yoreaver, a dispute arose between the reszarchers and
the rancner regarding the determination <strong>of</strong> coyote kills and rh?
result5 <strong>of</strong> this study were left in doubt.
136. Dr. Gustavson also cited a study in which he par~icipated conducied
in Saskatchewan, Canada. Thi s study, conduccad over the three-year
period 1976-73, involved the distribution to ranchers <strong>of</strong> ground sheep
meat wrapped and tied in sheep hide laced wich LiCL a t the rate <strong>of</strong> 6
and 4 grams per 100 grams <strong>of</strong> bait. Ten flocks having a total mean
size <strong>of</strong> 10,508 cornpl eted the three-yezr tesr and ful ii l I ed requirements