Telephone Survey of Black Vulture – Livestock South Carolina Roundtable Participants

Black Vulture Information Sharing

Interview Guide

Questions for Producers/Landowners

1. Please describe the nature of the interactions you have with black vultures.

2. Do these interactions happen to you personally, and/or do they affect your associates, neighbors, family, friends?

3. What do you think is the extent of this problem in your region? That is, is the problem really bad, but only for a few people, or is it widespread across the region?

4. Do you think this problem is increasing in your area? (How? Is it getting worse just for a few landowners, and/or spreading across the landscape?)

5. [If the person represents a national organization] Do you think the problem is localized, or is it increasing across the range of the black vulture?

6. What is it about these interactions with vultures that is intolerable? (is it the frequency or amount of damage, or is ANY damage not acceptable? Is there a level of damage that you would consider tolerable?)

7. What is the process you currently follow when you sustain damage from black vultures? (Which agency(ies) do you contact? What do you have to do?)

8. Please describe your working relationship with the agency(ies) who assist with addressing the problem. Has the response been adequate? Timely? Are there recurring problems?

9. If you feel the response/solutions to your problems have been inadequate, what would make them better? How would you “fix” the problem? What are alternative solutions?

10. What is your relationship with U.S. FWS, APHIS- Wildlife Services, SCDNR and with SC Farm Bureau?

11. What is the best aspect of the current management approach? What is worst?

Questions for Agency Representatives

1. Please describe the nature of the interactions that producers/landowners have with black vultures.

2. What do you think is the extent of this problem in your region? That is, is the problem really bad, but only for a few people, or is it widespread across the region?

3. Is the number of complaints you receive increasing in your area? (How? Is it getting worse just for a few landowners, and/or spreading across the landscape?)

4. What is it about these interactions with vultures that is intolerable? (is it the frequency or amount of damage, or is ANY damage not acceptable? Is there a level of damage that you would consider tolerable?)

5. What is the process you currently follow when you get a call about damage from black vultures? What tools can you offer to help?

6. How would you describe your relationship with the producers who call with black vulture problems? Are you able to solve their problems? Is the process timely?

7. Do the producers you work with think the solutions you can offer are adequate? Are they satisfied in general? In what ways are they dissatisfied?

8. Can you think of ways to make the tools you offer even better? [Don’t “worry about” the constraints. If you were king for a day, how would you “fix” the problems? What are alternative solutions?

9. What is the best aspect of the current management approach? What is worst?