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

4. Lamb Izsszs r2p0r224 k;/ Sae, zt 21. incl;~de 7as55s incurr2d SeScr2
as qxeil as after dockins. 32causa rany rancners naks no aetznpx to
obtain an accurate counx <strong>of</strong> iamb numbers until docking ("is is
alnost always true in range iambing situazicns), producer estimatss
<strong>of</strong> losses to predators prior to docking mustbe viewed i ~ rth i some
caution. !*areover, the record supports the cbnc1usion that few
ranchers maintain complete and accurate records sn the causes af a!:
1 oss2s .
5. Much time and attention ai the hearing was del~oced co the problzn
<strong>of</strong> non-response bias in conducting mail surveys, xnat is, ranchers
suffering the highest predation losses or nost cgncerneci about
przdation would be most likely to r3spond co the ques~ionnaire, while
those suffering 1 izt-lie or no predation aight fail to 3ns~r the
quest-ic~nai re. The Sta~i s-ci cal Rzporti ng S~r-ii ce <strong>of</strong> :he USDA has
been conducting ~ aI i surveys for inany years, hcwever, and must be
re~arded as expert in the conduct <strong>of</strong> such surveys. Yoreover, the
telephone and personal interview follow-up conducted with a sample
<strong>of</strong> non-respondents, greatly redued, if it did not eliminaes entirely,
non-respons? bias 2nd any contention that thos2 respcnding to the
Gee, et al. survey were not representative <strong>of</strong> all sheep producers in
the states surveyed i s rejected. The questicnnai re was constructed
in sach a manner as to de-emphasize predation losses (producers
being asked to state total losses first) and thus minimize prejudice.