CHARISMATIC MEGA-FAUNA OR VERMIN VERTEBRATE-WHERE ARE YOU?

GARY J. SAN JULIAN , The Pennsylvania State University School of Forest Resources , 7 Ferguson Building, University Park , PA 16802, USA

Abstract: Wildlife populations throughout much of the United States were decimated by the end of the 1800s. Many states established game agencies to protect wildlife and generate revenue through the sale of hunting licenses. These efforts were successful, populations grew, and citizens enjoyed seeing the large herbivores and camivores--the charismatic mega-fauna. In the past , most citizens and students had some tie with the farming community. Today's students often lack that link to the land and hunting. Wildlife agencies and universities are looking at ways to improve young professionals' understanding of the role hunting plays in management. Citizens that once left their homes to see wildlife are finding them in increasing numbers in their backyards, and these interactions are cause for concern. Because wildlife is a common property resource , fun1re students must be able to relate to all opinions about wildlife , and universities should develop curricula that reflect the changing needs of managing wildlife in an urban environment.

Key words: charismatic mega-fauna, common property resources, cultural carrying capacity, curriculum , urban and suburban , vermin vertebrate, wildlife damage, wildlife management

Proceedings of the 10th Wildlife Damage Management Conference . (K.A. Fagerstone , G.W. Witmer, Eds). 2003

INTRODUCTION THE HISTORICAL GAME MANAGER By the end of the 1800' s, market In the next 100 years, the job of hunting , predator removal programs and the being game manager or a wildlife biologist lack of regulations had decimated wildlife grew into a profession. What a job - you populations throughout much of the United lived in the outdoors, hunted animals, States . Many states were establishing fish avoided people , played in the woods , and game commissions to protect their camped out, chased big game-what a remaining wildlife populations . Regulations romantic life. Most of them chewed were put into effect to protect many of the tobacco , had beards and were revered by the game species from exploitation and hunters, who made up a significant portion poaching. Seasons and bag limits were of the male population. Talking with a established as a way to control hunting . In "biologist" was the highlight of any family many states hunters were required to buy a vacation in Yellowstone or the Horicon license for the first time and the revenues Marsh . Those were the days when you left funded the early game commissions and the home to see wildlife. Watching a black bear new game wardens. The Era of Exploitation (Ursus americanus) sow with her cubs being of wildlife had come to an end, and we were fed by the road in the Great Smoky , catching beginning the Era of Preservation and a glimpse of a tawny mountain lion (Fe/is Production. concolor) in Yosemite National Park, or

181 hearing an elk (Cervus elaphus) bugle in social and experiential background than the Yellowstone was the memory of a lifetime. students that filled the same chairs 40 years These animals were truly charismatic mega­ ago. They will much more likely come from fauna . Wildlife biologists in fish and an urban background than a rural one. More wildlife agencies worked to increase "open" land existed because it took more populations of game species for hunting and farms to feed us. Many of my students will were primarily supported through the sale of have never seen a chicken , hog, or a steer hunting licenses. Hunters paid for the butchered. Today , about 2% of our conservation of wildlife and almost population are farmers , and in a recent everyone was interested because they either survey nearly 88% of Pike County , in the hunted or their family did or their friends northeast corner of Pennsylvania, was did. Wild meat was often a part of an posted with no hunting signs . More women American 's diet. Hunting is a long-standing are in wildlife biology majors than ever tradition in our country , and hunters were before. At Pennsyvania State University and, in many cases , still are the major young women will make up about 40% of supporters of state game agencies. They WFS 209: Conservation of Fisheries and hunt because they like spending time in a Wildlife. When I started college at West challenging pursuit , gathering food for their Virginia University in 1965, I can only family , enjoying the peace and solitude of remember a few women in my classes. the woods, or joining in the history of their Many students coming to the major ancestors. Whatever the reasons , the are non-hunters. Hunters make up about tradition is still held sacred by many and is 10% of our population, and in Pennsylvania almost fanatical for some. in recent years the number of hunters has People in the late 40's and 50's were dropped from about a million to about still linked to the farm. If you didn't live on 850,000. Students say they do not hunt for a one, you had family or friends that did. variety of reasons, but a major one is the Most likely you were only one or two lack of opportunity. Wisconsin and generations removed from the farm and Pennsylvania have provided Hunter probably had a big garden . There were Education programs for faculty , seniors , and towns and communities and not as many graduate students in the major that are non­ cities, and we were pretty able to handle hunters . While there are fewer hunters than animal concerns . Being a biologist and in the past , women make up a larger working with wildlife back then was a neat percentage of hunters than ever before. The and romantic job , at least from the outside. realization that women had special Explaining what you really studied was like equipment needs and a lack of mentors explaining to your grandmother that you when it came to hunting prompted the were getting a degree in forestry, but you creation of the Becoming an Outdoors weren't going to live in a fire tower for the Women (BOW) program . State agencies rest of your life. Citizens and students had a have been quick to support this national different set of values, beliefs , and attitudes program and help teach and fund it. While that were more rural in nature. these courses are not a part of a college curriculum, they provide majors a better CURRENT WILDLIFE BIOLOGY understand of the role hunting plays in MAJORS society and in the management of game Wildlife majors in my class next species. semester will come from a far different State fish and wildlife agencies are

182 concerned about the attitudes and beliefs of northeast alone. All of these groups enjoy their new employees concerning hunting. seeing deer at some level, however the level While these agencies have the responsibility of tolerance may be very different. Yet, of managing all wildlife species, hunters are because deer and all wildlife are common important stakeholders because the sale of property resources, everyone has a right to licenses still represents an important revenue have input into management decisions . stream, and they are a vocal group with Future students still need to legislators . Because a number of university understand ecology , population dynamics, wildlife graduates go to work for federal and and management techniques. They also state agencies, this question 1s also need to be adept at conflict resolution. important to educators . Sociology will be of as much value as Wildlife populations have done well mammalogy to students who must under management , especially our large understand that management of people is the herbivores. In many cases , we increased key to managing wildlife. Persuasive speech populations to historic levels. Hunters were classes will help biologists convince hunters pleased and asked agencies to continue their that in order to save their recreational good work. Concepts of biological pursuits, they must kill more does. These management coupled with the exceptional hunters recall the stories of a past when reproductive rate of white-tailed deer there were less than 1,000 deer m ( Odocoileus virginianus ), and abundant food Pennsylvania and biologists said that to have resources in many parts of the East have a population, you must protect the does. increased the deer herd to record numbers. Their traditions would indicate that killing Deer, once primarily an edge and woods does is not right. Are we suffering from our species, have become an all too frequent successes? urban visitor that will not leave . Listening to the sounds of Canada Unfortunately , seeing one 3 feet away in geese (Branta canadensis) was a pleasant your headlights , as more than 60,000 part of the early mornings in Fort Collins , Pennsylvania motorists do each year, is an Colorado . Aldo Leopold wrote very all too common occun-ence. On average eloquently about the beauty of goose music about 100 people die each year from deer vs. as the snow melted from the roof in early car interactions and there are hundreds of spring. Populations of geese were declining million s of dollars in auto repair costs , lost and citizens , waterfowl enthusiasts, wages, doctors' bills , and hospital costs environmentalists, and biologists worked to across the United States. Statistics like these bring them back to appropriate numbers. could easily tum a charismatic mega fauna We protected them through restricted into an "eastern mountain maggot. " harvest limits , re-introductions, habitat Many urban residents enjoy seeing improvements, and fundraisers . Biologists and feeding deer in their back yards, which were trying to enhance the migratory often creates problems for their neighbors populations; instead we created resident who may be losing hundreds of dollars in flocks that nest in parks, swim in aesthetic landscape plants to deer. Farmers complain lakes, and feed on nutrient rich soccer and that urban areas are refugium for deer that baseball fields . Populations of resident geese feed on their crops but cannot be hunted . have grown to such levels that they threaten Their damage to landscape plants , municipal water supplies with their nutrient agricultural crops, cars, and human health laden waste and are the bane of soccer and safety exceeds $600 million in the moms trying to get the stains off of uniforms . Courses in litigation , policies will also be needed to fill out the argumentation , and biochemistry are appropriate animal use and care materials . appropriate curriculum builders as biolo gists Populations of black bears (Ursus do battle in court , not trying to protect goose americanus) in the northeast have increased numbers but to roundup and slaughter the significantly in the last 20 year s as a result flightless birds. Employees of the of intensive management programs funded USDA / APHIS /WS and the HSUS have by state game agencies. Once , more or less squared off in court over this issue . How do a rare sight in the woods of Pennsylvania , future wildlife professionals prepare for this New York, and New Jersey , bears have day in court ? become a common spring visitor in many Snow geese ( Chen caerulescens) suburban neighborhoods. Many people like were protected for many years. Thereafter , a to see the bears and encourage them by limited season was established because putting out feed . Seeing a bear was a biologists had been successful in their work. novelty and quite a tourist attraction in many The level of success has been so great that to places , but seeing one in your yard ensure the quality of nesting habitat in redesigning your bird feeder to be more bear Canada and to prevent a major population friendly is not a pleasant sight. When one crash , snow goose numbers must be local bear feeder left on vacation , no one reduced . Agencies are recommending told the bear and he had gotten used to the techniques that were outlawed decades ago handout. He found a similar looking house, and suggesting market hunting techniques. proceeded to rip off the screen door , and Longer seasons , huge bag limits, flock ended up in a kitchen searching for goodies. shooting, and electronic calls have all been At this point , the Pike County , PA extension suggested to accomplish this objective. agent found the bear in the cabinets and Landscape ecology , avian physiology, managed to scare it off. ecosystem management , and animal While eastern bears have not seemed nutrition courses will help our students as aggressive as western black bears , a understand the landscape approach needed woman was killed last year in the Smokies, to manage this exponential resource . An and a child was taken from a stroller in New elective in creative culinary techniques York and ki lied. Because the bear problem would also be good. is growing , Bear Trust International has When most of us took zoology , it started a national program to make people was sufficient to learn the external and "Bear Aware. " They would like every internal anatomy of a number of domestic natural resources agency to make the public and wild animals. Future wildlife students aware that the encouragements they might will be tested on the insertion of tracking see in the media to get close to wildlife like devices and pass if their wild patients live. bears is not a good idea and can cause Internal transmitters and satellite collars will senous problems . Such an extensive be chapters in the Wildlife Techniques program requires a strong educational Manual of future decades. No more will it background to develop materials and be enough to conduct mark-recapture studies evaluation methods for all grade levels and or track counts to get population estimates. the public. A comprehensive marketing Courses in electrical engineering , statistics, program is necessary to get other and advanced computer software will be organizations and agencies to buy in to the required. A course in animal care and program. In this way , every one is getting welfare, and administrative forms and the same comprehensive message , and there

184 is little opportunity for miscommunication. The problem could have been prevented Part of the public education program with a chimney cap that would have cost is a debunking or re-educating process. under $100. Following the incident , the Today with the access to The Discovery owners quit feeding wildlife in their back channel and The Leaming Channel, people yard. It takes training in diplomacy and see the exploits of biological adventurers . human behavior to tell a resident that a You know the program where they wrestle simple chimney cap would have saved alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), play thousands of dollars, and that wildlife are with grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis), always wild life. and grab snapping turtles ( Chely dra In the past , state wildlife agencies serpentina). Individuals see these shows , have not wanted to handle the concerns and and the number of wildlife species found in questions that arise from wildlife in an urban our urban and suburban landscapes and feel setting . Most agencies , however , have like Tarzan of the Saturday morning recognized the potential these situations matinees. Raccoons (Procyon lotor), geese , present for positive or negative public deer, and skunks (Mephiti s mephitis) once a relations and their responsibility to their treat to see in the country , have thrived in citizens who "own" the public property urban and suburban habitat with an resource. The agencies that do not want to abundance of exotic landscape plants , a host handle the sizeable number of contacts that of hot tubs and birdbaths , and a multitude of urban wildlife questions generate are dog doors and open chimneys. They moved partnering with other governmental agencies to the "burbs" and have done extremely or allowing private wildlife operators to fill well. The proximity to humans has reduced the void. For the most part , the public­ their natural fear of man , and some have private cooperation has worked well. A become quite bold in demanding food . significant number of biologists are For many human residents , this employed in the field of wildlife damage opportunity to view nom1ally secretive management , and wildlife curricula are wildlife has blunted their respect for the beginning to reflect the opportunity for traditionally "wild" animals . Such close minors in this area. Residents , while they living arrangements have created conflict s like to see wildlife , are not equipped to resulting in personal injury and the potential handle most of the real problems they for serious disease problems. A well present. meaning resident of State College , All of our management successes Pennsyl vania, learned ju st how expensive and the increasing negative interaction living with wildlife in a suburban setting between wildlife and humans have created could be. A mother raccoon moved her an "attitude" among many citizens . Some of young into the firebox of an uncapped them no longer see wildlife as charismatic , chimney in a wooded suburban but view them more as pests. They have de­ neighborhood . The only way to get the valued wildlife . Today , there seems to be a young out after trapping the mother was to widely divergent continuum in the way the break into the front of the fireplace. public views wildlife , moving from equating Meanwhile , another raccoon tried to get into animal rights equal with human rights to the fireplace or chimney and shredded a wildlife having no value at all. Wildlife potion of the shingles on the roof. The agencies are often caught in a dilemma of removal of the raccoon , and the repair of the responding to urban wildlife problems , the fireplace and roof cost thousands of dollars . need to conserve wildlife species for

185 hunting , or actively managing wildlife at all. and communication electives. Enough open While we all are careful to adhere to electives should be available so that students the letter and spirit of our game laws, many can build a concentration in a particular area of us are working to be less conservative in of interest such as wildlife damage our approach to taking species . We are management , communications , public pushing the regulations back in the opposite relations, or human dimensions . As we direction to help obtain a better balance of move forward in the new century, it will wildlife and habitat; however , for some become increasingly more important for landowners the change is not quick enough. wildlife professionals to be able to interact They are no longer interested in in a positive manner with the public, conservation or protection. If you tell them regardless of their attitudes , values, or they can't do what they want to do, they will beliefs about wildlife. It is up to us to tell you to get your wildlife out of their prevent charismatic mega-fauna from world. What was once considered becoming vermin vertebrates. We must charismatic megafauna have turned out to be ourselves value wildlife and work to achieve vermm vertebrates. To handle these a balance between wildlife, their habitat, and concerns , some agencies have moved to a the needs and desires of their stakeholders . community based management system. This has been termed "cultural carrymg capacity," which is a relatively new concept of wildlife human dimensions practitioners. The process seeks the input of all stakeholders in a community to detennine the number of organisms that the majority of the community will accept or tolerate and what methods can be used to reach that objective . The blending of biological and sociological sciences adds human dimensions as another element to our growing wildlife curriculum. To provide future professionals with a well-rounded and responsible education in the field of wildlife management, we must instruct them about enhancement and control of wildlife species while understanding the elements of the socio­ political community constructs. We need to help them understand the tools needed to increase populations , while showing them that they have a responsibility to keep populations in balance with the habitat. This balance is ever changing as the goals of the community of stakeholders shift. Curricula should be flexible enough to allow students to get a solid biological background with appropriate sociological