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New publication describes options for communities with too many geese

MADISON – A new free brochure describing options for managing increasing numbers of resident Canada geese in communities, on golf courses, school grounds and in parks is available at Department of Natural Resources Service Centers and from USDA-Wildlife Services.

The brochure [PDF] is also available online or by calling the DNR Bureau of Wildlife Management at (608) 266-8204.

“The Canada goose raises different images for Wisconsin citizens,” said Kent Van Horn, DNR waterfowl ecologist. “Some recall an early morning at the Horicon marsh viewing flights of thousands of migrating geese. Others experience the excitement of seeing this large game bird flying into their decoy spread. Still others see Canada geese as a nuisance in their local parks. Whatever your view of Canada geese, they are a part of life in Wisconsin and a wildlife resource that requires management.”

Two different populations of Canada geese are found in Wisconsin. The Mississippi Valley population nests in northern Ontario and spends fall and winter in Wisconsin. The resident giant Canada geese nest and raise young in Wisconsin and most frequently become the nuisance.

“This time of year, the young geese that hatched this spring have almost reached adult- size as they approach the time when they can fly,” explained Van Horn. “Many of these geese have adapted to life in man-made landscapes such as parks and golf courses. As their numbers grow, they can come in conflict with human activities.”

Wisconsin’s resident Canada goose population has been growing an average of 13 percent per year since 1986 when DNR began monitoring the population. As their numbers have grown, so have complaints.

The department has taken several steps to address the growing problem, including implementing and expanding an early September goose season that targets the problem geese, said Van Horn. He hastens to add that all populations of Canada geese are protected by treaty, as well as federal and state law, so specific guidelines must be followed when seeking to reduce human/goose conflicts.

Decisions on how to respond to a resident Canada goose problem are up to the communities but DNR is available to study communities’ goose problems, explain their options, and assist them in implementing solutions, Van Horn said.

Wisconsin and its partner in nuisance wildlife management, USDA-Wildlife Services, have designed an integrated management program with a range of options. It includes techniques such as working with the community to get people to stop feeding the geese, substituting the birds’ ideal habitat -- mowed grass up to the water’s edge -- with native plants, and barriers and scare devices which provide relief in some instances.

In other situations, controlling populations through killing nuisance geese or destroying their nests may be necessary. In some cases, adult geese killed as part of a control program can be donated to food pantries.

Wildlife managers and the state Natural Resources Board also have created hunting seasons that focus on the resident goose populations causing the majority of the complaints. The first of the targeted hunting seasons was implemented in 1990 with an early-September Canada goose hunting season in southeast Wisconsin. That early date meant that migratory geese returning from their Hudson Bay summer range were not yet in Wisconsin in any great number. As the resident Canada goose population continued to grow, the early season was expanded statewide in 2000 and lengthened in 2005.

“Hunting provides a recreational opportunity and a tool for controlling population growth,” Van Horn said. “The 2006 early season yielded a record harvest of 20,000 geese. Additional goose hunting opportunities are available from September through December during the regular hunting season when migratory Canada geese are moving into the state.”

The early Canada goose hunting season for 2007 is Sept 1-15.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn - (608) 266-8841, Brad Koele - (608) 266-2151.

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Aug 1. deadline to apply for sharp-tailed grouse harvest permits

MADISON – Hunters have until Aug. 1 to apply for one of 695 sharp-tailed grouse hunting permits available for the season running Oct. 10 – Nov. 11, 2007.

Sharp-tailed grouse management units use the same boundaries and designations as deer management units (DMU). Four DMUs will have grouse permits available in 2007. The number of permits available by unit are: 520 permits for DMU 2; 50 permits for DMU 8; 100 permits for DMU 9; and 25 permits for DMU 10.

“This is a slight decrease from 2006 when 775 permits were available,” said Scott Hull, upland wildlife ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources. “Although there were a few more males observed this spring, traditional sharp-tailed grouse dancing grounds have become less stable over the last few years, warranting a more conservative approach in our harvest framework this year.”

Last fall, 403 applicants applied for 775 permits. Hunters harvested 28 birds during the 2006 season.

“Because sharp-tailed grouse numbers are low, it’s a challenge to locate these birds,” said Sharon Fandel, DNR assistant upland game ecologist. “Given the tough odds of locating these birds, anticipating and allowing yourself to enjoy the experience of the hunt is strongly encouraged and likely more realistic than the prospect of finding and harvesting a sharp-tail.”

Applications for a permit can be purchased at all ALIS vendors, DNR Service Centers, by calling 1-877-WI-LICENSE, or by applying on the DNR Web site. Applications cost $3. Hunters are encouraged to carefully review the zone map and apply only for units that are open. Applying for closed units will result in an invalid application.

The sharp-tailed grouse is native to Wisconsin and historically occupied suitable habitat throughout the state. Long-term population declines across North America, including Wisconsin, have occurred since the early 1900s.

Sharp-tailed grouse management began in northern Wisconsin during the late 1940s and early 1950s in response to concerns of habitat loss. Sharp-tailed grouse require specific habitat for courtship, nesting, brood-rearing, and wintering sites.

Suitable habitat currently exists in patches separated by large tracts of unsuitable habitat. Today, sharp-tailed grouse in Wisconsin are primarily found in the early successional pine barrens and savannas of the northwestern portion of the state. Some of the larger state-owned areas that focus on sharp-tailed grouse management include Crex Meadows and Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Areas in Burnett County.

Sharp-tailed grouse resemble its close relative, the greater prairie chicken, and are also sometimes mistaken for the female ring-necked pheasant. Sharp-tails have a distinctive pointed tail edged with white, and produce a “chuck, chuck, chuck” call when flushed. They are largely known for their spring courtship display on clearings called "dancing grounds." During this display, the male uses a stiff-bodied stepping motion, with tail and head feathers pointed up, wings spread, and head held low. This is followed by a vigorous “dance” (feet stamping) in small circles. While dancing, the male vibrates his tail feathers, which produces a clicking or rattling noise. Males also inflate and deflate lavender-colored air sacs in their breasts, creating soft cooing sounds.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hull (608) 267-7861; Sharon Fandel (608) 261-8458

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Hunters, trappers reminded of Aug. 1 permit application deadline

MADISON – Hunters and trappers are reminded that applications for harvest permits for fall wild turkey, Horicon and Collins goose zones, sharp-tailed Grouse, bobcat, otter and fisher are due Aug. 1.

Drawings for the fall turkey and Horicon and Collins Goose zone seasons will take place in late August.

Drawings for Sharp-tailed Grouse, Bobcat, Otter and Fisher will take place in mid-September.

Fall seasons for these species are as follows:

• Wild Turkey: Sept. 15 – Nov. 15.
• Horicon & Collins Goose: framework set in Aug.
• Sharp-tailed Grouse: Oct. 20 – Nov. 11.
• Bobcat (north of Highway 64) Oct. 20 – Dec. 31.
• Fisher – trapping only - (various zones) Oct. 20 – Dec. 31.
• Otter – trapping only – North Zone: Nov. 3-April 30; Central Zone Nov. 3 – March 31; South Zone: Nov. 3 – March 31.

Hunters and trappers will receive a permit in the mail if their name is selected for a permit in the application process. They also can check their permit status online after the drawing has been completed. Be sure to have your DNR customer ID with you as you will need to enter that number.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Your local DNR service center.

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New guide offers information on managing unused pharmaceuticals

MADISON – People, businesses and institutions have new online resources to help them manage or dispose of pharmaceuticals and other personal care products in ways that are safe for them and the environment, state environmental officials say.

Visit the Department of Natural Resources pharmaceutical waste web pages for the new resources.

Pharmaceutical waste such as pills, ointments, liquids, sprays and other items that have passed their expiration dates or are no longer needed can find their way into lakes or rivers and groundwater, or pose risks to human health and the environment if they are not disposed of properly, according to solid and hazardous waste officials with the state Department of Natural Resources.

“Traditionally, people have flushed the pills and liquids down the toilet or drains or put them in the trash,” says Joanie Burns, chief of the DNR Hazardous Waste Prevention and Management Section. “But these disposal methods can pass drug components into the environment. People want to do the right thing. They’ve heard about how pharmaceutical chemicals are being found in surface water. We hope this will help.”

There’s not just an environmental risk.

“Unused medications can be involved in medication errors, drug overdoses, drug abuse, crime, and accidental poisonings - all of which affect Wisconsin residents and their families,” she says.

The challenge of properly disposing of pharmaceutical waste is complicated by the fact that a small percentage of waste drugs are legally considered to be hazardous wastes under state and federal law.

“The sheer variety and nature of these wastes make complying with regulatory requirements a complex undertaking for businesses and institutions. We regularly receive questions about medical and pharmaceutical waste management from nursing homes, clinics and even larger hospitals,” Burns says.

Under current Wisconsin law, those who might like to collect household pharmaceuticals and law enforcement officials who ultimately fall heir to them, could be subject to some of the same stringent requirements as those facilities that collect and manage other hazardous chemical or industrial waste.

To address this problem and assist organizers of household drug collection events, the DNR adopted a limited conditional exemption from Wisconsin’s hazardous waste and solid waste rules for the collection and management of unused household pharmaceuticals.

Several collection events have been held since the guidance was issued, prompting the department to extend the limited conditional exemption for another two years.

“We’re very encouraged to see people stepping up to the plate to manage household pharmaceuticals safely,” Burns says, but adds that there are not enough collection events to cover the entire state.

So in addition to providing information on the various regulatory requirements and the exemptions that may pertain to different wastes and waste generators, the DNR Web site also has Web pages that suggest best management practices for pharmaceutical waste and numerous links and resources for additional information.

“Households without access to a collection event need to know their options,” Burns says. “That’s why we wanted to post this information on our Web site.”

In addition, the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service, Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC) maintains a database listing upcoming pharmaceutical collection events. The Medicine Collection Events Database can be viewed on the SHWEC Web site [exit DNR].

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Bangert - (608) 266-0014 or Joanie Burns - (608) 267-0545

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Condominium development may result in incidental take of rare snake

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Wisconsin’s endangered species law (s. 29.604, Wis. Stats.) requires the Department of Natural Resources to notify the public when it proposes to authorize the incidental taking of a state Endangered or Threatened species.]

MADISON - The construction of a condominium development on a 32-acre site in the City of Pewaukee in Waukesha County may result in the incidental taking of a gartersnake listed as a threatened species under Wisconsin law, under an authorization the Department of Natural Resources is proposing for the project.

A habitat assessment for the proposed La Bella Vita Condominium determined that the project will be constructed in 10.54 acres of suitable habitat for Butler’s gartersnake (Thamnophis butleri). Under a state conservation strategy for the snake, the site is classified as a Tier 3 conservation site, meaning it is a site of significant conservation value for Butler’s gartersnake.

As a result, the project developer, Pewaukee Ventures, LLC, completed a Conservation Plan for the project that will exceed the mitigation requirements to assure no net loss of suitable habitat, includes restoration of temporarily disturbed habitat, restoration of poor quality to good quality habitat to mitigate for the loss of suitable habitat, restoration of upland buffer areas, and protection and management of suitable habitat through a conservation easement.

Measures to avoid and minimize encroachment into existing snake habitat were implemented through sequential engineering adjustments, including adjustment to road, stormwater and building configurations, reduction of the number of housing units, and a 75-foot wetland setback. Although this project has the potential to cause incidental take of Butler’s gartersnake, a significant snake removal effort is currently underway to minimize take of the snake at this location.

As a result of the conservation measures in the Conservation Plan, Department of Natural Resources staff determined that the proposed project is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence or recovery of the state population of this snake or the whole plant-animal community of which it is a part and has benefit to the public health, safety or welfare that justifies the actions if the Conservation Plan is strictly adhered to.

Copies of the jeopardy assessment and conservation measures are available on the DNR website at Incidental Take Overview or upon request from Lisie Kitchel, Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources, 101 South Webster, Madison, WI 53707, (608) 266-5248. Public comments will be taken through August 9th, 2007 and should be sent to the above address.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisie Kitchel - (608) 266-5148, Bob Hay – (608) 267-0849 or Rori Paloski – (608) 264-6040