The real key to baiting success, apart from the availability of natural food, is bait placement. Poor placement can lead to conclusions that aerial baiting ‘doesn’t work’, but examination often reveals that the baits were laid in inappropriate places, often not in wild dog refuge areas or near natural waters or hunting areas.
It is crucial that such places are better mapped and targeted, and that a person with sound knowledge of the area navigates the baiting plane. Ample proof exists showing the effectiveness of aerial baiting when carried out properly.
Can poor baiting results stem from poor quality baits?
Much time has been spent speculating about bait quality including:
- wet versus dry meat;
- too-dry baits;
- use of thawed frozen meat versus unfrozen meat;
- the effectiveness of the 1080;
- the method of applying 1080 to the baits; and
- ants eating baits.
These suggestions stem from the observations that some wild dogs were still alive after baiting, and were seen to walk past intact baits. It is likely that poorer results in some areas are due to the two main factors already mentioned:
- The baits not being placed in the most appropriate areas; and
- The availability of abundant, preferred natural food.
Can wild dogs become bait-shy?
The issue of sub-lethal baits is worth some discussion. 1080 is leached from baits by water, resulting in baits eventually losing their toxicity and going through a phase of being sub-lethal. Suggestions that this could explain an increase in supposedly bait-shy dogs is not supported by past experience.
If consumption of sub-lethal baits had been a regular occurrence over the past 20 years, there would have been a more rapid deterioration in the effectiveness of 1080 baiting.
There is also no evidence of this occurring with fox control, despite repeated baiting campaigns over many years, and in wetter areas than where most wild dog control is carried out.
1080 has a long latent period. This means that after the wild dog has eaten a bait, 10 hours or more can elapse before symptoms of poisoning appear. This latent period is greater for lower doses.
It seems unlikely that a dog, eating a variety of foods in the course of a 24-hour period, would be able to readily associate feeling sick with a bait eaten many hours earlier.
The practice of using dry rather than moist baits will counter any tendency for rapid 1080 loss and therefore reduce any potential problem with sub-lethal baits. Making and laying baits, and requirements for using 1080 products The following information is taken largely from the Directions for Use leaflets for the various registered 1080 products used in Western Australia for wild dog control.
A specific Directions for Use Leaflet accompanies the product when supplied. In accordance with Poison (Registered Pesticide 1080) Notice 2000 made under the Poisons Act 1964, 1080 poison baiting can only be undertaken with the approval of the Directors General of authorised departments, currently the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Department of Conservation and Land Management.
Only the Directors General (or officers delegated in writing) can approve the distribution of 1080 baits to other persons, subject to those persons having received adequate training. A formal assessment of risks to humans, domestic animals and wildlife must be undertaken before baiting is considered.
All 1080 dried meat baits must be laid as directed within the conditions of the 1080 Risk Assessment Approval, and appropriate warning signs must be displayed. Dried meat baits containing 1080 are very effective in controlling wild dogs. Used according to the label and associated directions, the baits are safe to use and pose little risk to non-target animals and the environment.
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