Tom Dotson

Increased interactions among humans and black bears (Ursus americanus) are spurring increased concerns over property damage and human safety. These concerns become more apparent with habitat loss and fragmentation, particularly in relation to urban situations. To better understand the behavior and ecology of nuisance and non-nuisance black bears, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) captured 152 (127 males, 25 females) nuisance and 118 (61 males, 57 females) non-nuisance individuals from 1996 to 2002. Sample sizes for each analysis were lower due to missing or incomplete...

Trapped European wild hogs (Sus scrofa) were immobilized with a combination of azaperone (AZ) and ketamine hydrochloride (KHCl). One capture dart containing AZ was followed in 4-26 minutes by an injection of KHCl with a hand-held syringe. It was our intent to inject each hog with 4.4 mg/kg of AZ and 6.6 mg/kg of KHCl. This drug combination was safe and effective. A mixture of KHCl and xylazine hydrochloride (XHCl) also was used. However, the KHCl-XHCl mixture required drug volumes > 10 ml to achieve chemical restraint for hogs >65 kg. During the time required to deliver a second or...