Published June 1963 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
From the office of UNITED STATES SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD Room 342, Old Senate Office Building, Washington 25, D. C. Volume III -- Number 25 6-21-63 BYRD'S EYE VIEW A Public Service Column by SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD WILDLIFE PREDATOR CONTROL PROGRAM UNDER STUDY A new look at predator control in the United States will be taken by the U,S. Bureau of Fisheries and Wildlife to determine what further steps may have to be taken in the battle against predatory animals and birds. While most of the large predators are in the West, farm crops in the East are often affected by the activities of small animals and birds. The fox is no longer a serious threat to the chicken coop or sheepfold. This animal is currently being trapped, under federal supervision, in several eastern states, including West Virginia, as a potential transmitter of rabies. But the most active farm predator is the common field mouse, which, in addition to a voracious appetite for stored grain, causes considerable damage to fruit trees by eating the bark at the base of the tree in the winter. This little rodent, however, is now subject to a control program supervised by the Wildlife Bureau which is calculated to save farmers millions of dollars annually. Weasels, skunks, and similar small, fur-bearing animals are on the increase in West Virginia, much to the sorrow of poultry farmers. This is due to the fact that these animals are no longer being trapped for their pelts, which have lost the market value they had twenty years ago. Researchers say that steel traps and poisoned bait are still the best control methods against these predators. Some species of birds are severe farm pests, and the problem of keeping them away from ripening grain, berries and fruits is still in the research stage. Flocks of blackbirds and starlings may settle in a sweet corn field, and by pecking at a corner of an ear they spoil the crop for marketing. More troublesome than the blackbird is the starling, a fairly recent emigrant from Europe. Originally introduced here as a means of controlling insect life, the starling has had a population explosion, making this bird a menace to cities, farms, and even to aircraft. Some jet planes have crashed on take off when their intake tubes sucked in errant starlings. When a large flock of these birds land in an orchard, they may not leave until the trees are bare of fruits. Experiments with noisemakers appear to be the most promising methods for scaring off pestiferous birds. Certain types of firecrackers have been used with good results, although a prolonged bombardment is often required, and this can be costly. Direct extermination of the starling and blackbird could upset the balance of nature. Therefore, wildlife scientists are studying how to make the natural habitats of these birds unwholesome indirectly. But whether man is smart enough to outwit these birds remains to be seen. -30-