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Title: A MECHANISM FOR PREVENTION OF DIURNAL FEEDING FROM THE '4-POSTER' DEER TREATMENT STATION

Author
item Pound, Joe
item Miller, John
item Earl, Gary
item Ryan, Randy - Wayne

Submitted to: Patent Application
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/29/2005
Publication Date: 2/18/2007
Citation: Pound, J.M., Miller, J.A., Earl, G.R., Ryan Jr, R.W. 2007. A mechanism for prevention of diurnal feeding from the '4-poster' deer treatment station. U.S. Patent 7,308,867 B1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The ARS-patented '4-Poster' Deer Treatment Bait Station (Patent No. 5,367,983)is a passive topical treatment device that enables the application of acaricide to white-tailed deer for control of ticks. The subject invention is a mechanism that prevents non-target, day-feeding animals, such as birds and squirrels, from feeding at the '4-Poster'; yet allows access by white-tailed deer which feed predominately at night. In addition to consuming large amounts of corn, birds and squirrels produce broken kernels that both directly prevent access of the deer to fresh whole kernels and cause the corn to absorb moisture, decompose and promote fungal growth. This adulterated corn is repellent to the deer and reduces their usage of the '4-poster', thereby reducing its efficacy in controlling ticks. The mechanism is specifically designed to install into the plastic commercialized '4-Poster', either as a factory installation or an optional retrofit.