National Feral Animal Control Program FINAL REPORT TO THE BUREAU OF RURAL SCIENCES, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF REGIONAL FOX CONTROL PROGRAMS LYNETTE McLEOD, GLEN SAUNDERS, STEVE McLEOD AND MICHELLE WALTER VERTEBRATE PEST RESEARCH UNIT NSW DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES SEPTEMBER 2007 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures............................................................................................................... 4 List of Tables................................................................................................................ 6 PART A: PROJECT OUTLINE..................................................................................... 8 1. PROJECT INFORMATION .................................................................................. 8 1.1 Project Name.................................................................................................. 8 1.2 Details of Applicant......................................................................................... 8 1.3 Collaborators / Third Parties........................................................................... 8 1.4 Period of Project............................................................................................. 8 1.5 Project Objectives .......................................................................................... 8 1.6 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................ 9 1.7 Conclusions from this study ........................................................................... 9 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION................................................................................. 10 2.1 Background .................................................................................................. 10 2.2 Project Outcomes......................................................................................... 12 2.3 Methodology................................................................................................. 13 2.3.1 Questionnaire Design............................................................................ 13 PART B: EFFECTIVENESS OF CURRENT BAITING STRATEGIES....................... 15 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 15 1.1 Outfox the Fox.............................................................................................. 15 2. OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................... 16 3. METHODS ......................................................................................................... 16 3.1 Study Area.................................................................................................... 16 3.2 Data Collection............................................................................................. 17 3.2.1 1080 Poisons Register .......................................................................... 17 3.2.2 Lamb Production Data........................................................................... 18 3.2.3 LambAlive Model................................................................................... 18 3.2.4 Drought and Locust Data ...................................................................... 20 3.2.5 Cost Effectiveness Calculations ............................................................ 22 3.2.6 Fox Population Monitoring..................................................................... 22 3.3 Statistical Analysis........................................................................................ 23 3.3.1 Questionnaires ...................................................................................... 23 3.3.2 Program Effectiveness .......................................................................... 23 3.3.3 Baiting Strategy ..................................................................................... 25 4. RESULTS........................................................................................................... 27 4.1 1080 Poisons Register ................................................................................. 27 4.2 Lamb Production Data.................................................................................. 28 4.3 Program Effectiveness ................................................................................. 34 4.3.1 Landholder Baiting ................................................................................ 34 4.3.2 Group Baiting ........................................................................................ 35 4.4 Baiting Strategy............................................................................................ 36 4.5 Fox Population Monitoring............................................................................ 40 5. DISCUSSION..................................................................................................... 41 5.1 Questionnaires and Response Rates........................................................... 41 5.2 Effectiveness of ‘Outfox the Fox’.................................................................. 42 5.3 Baiting Strategy............................................................................................ 42 5.4 Fox Population Monitoring............................................................................ 44 5.5 Summary...................................................................................................... 44 PART C: IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF 1080 IN FOX CONTROL .......... 45 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 45 1.1 Bait Degradation........................................................................................... 45 1.2 Bait Caching................................................................................................. 46 2. OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................... 47 3. METHODS ......................................................................................................... 47 3.1 Model Development ..................................................................................... 47 3.2 Model outcomes........................................................................................... 49 4. RESULTS........................................................................................................... 51 1 5. DISCUSSION..................................................................................................... 53 PART D: SHOOTING AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL .................................................. 56 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 56 2. OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................... 56 3. FOX SHOOTER QUESTIONNAIRE .................................................................. 57 3.1 Methods........................................................................................................ 57 3.1.1 Questionnaire Design and Sampling..................................................... 57 3.1.2 Statistical Analysis................................................................................. 58 3.2 Results ......................................................................................................... 58 3.3 Discussion.................................................................................................... 60 4. CASE STUDY – MILTON FOX CONTROL PROGRAM .................................... 61 4.1 Background .................................................................................................. 61 4.2 Objective ...................................................................................................... 62 4.3 Participation.................................................................................................. 62 4.4 Fox Control Methods.................................................................................... 63 4.5 Monitoring..................................................................................................... 63 4.5.1 Fox Population Counts .......................................................................... 63 4.5.2 Landholder Questionnaire ..................................................................... 63 4.6 Results ......................................................................................................... 63 4.6.1 Trapping and Shooting .......................................................................... 63 4.6.2 Fox Population Counts .......................................................................... 64 4.6.3 Landholder Questionnaire ..................................................................... 66 4.7 Discussion.................................................................................................... 71 5. CASE STUDY – LANDCARE ILLAWARRA FOX CONTROL PROGRAM ........ 73 5.1 Background .................................................................................................. 73 5.2 Participation.................................................................................................. 74 5.3 Fox Control Methods.................................................................................... 74 5.4 Monitoring....................................................................................................