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Response of Deer to Containment by a Poly-Mesh Fence for Mitigating Disease Outbreaks |
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| Authors: | MICHAEL J LAVELLE JUSTIN W FISCHER SCOTT E HYGNSTROM JOSHUA J WHITE AARON M HILDRETH GREGORY E PHILLIPS KURT C VERCAUTEREN |
| Institution: | 1. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO 80521-2154, USA;2. School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0961, USA;3. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE 68503, USA
2203 Ingham Lake Road, Wallingford, IA 51365, USA |
| Abstract: | Abstract: Rapidly deployable and effective methods are needed to contain free-ranging deer (Odocoileus spp.) during acute disease outbreaks. We evaluated efficacy of a 2.1-m-tall polypropylene mesh (poly-mesh) fence for containing ≥15 free-ranging white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) within a 42-ha area in eastern Nebraska, USA. We observed a 99% decrease in deer leaving the enclosure area after we installed fencing (1 deer jumped; 0.02 deer/hr) compared with prefence rates (5.26 deer/hr). However, 8 deer (53% of censused population) escaped the enclosure during a census drive after our study. Poly-mesh fencing may be effective in temporarily containing free-ranging deer during minimally disruptive deer removal actions such as trapping or sharpshooting. |
| Keywords: | containment disease fence livestock Odocoileus virginianus white-tailed deer wildlife damage management |