Podcast will start again this month, we are looking to do the first one on bats, this seems to be the subject of the most downloads of our past podcasts.
So Tuesday the 16th of September at 9:00 time on the Talkshoe network we will be off and running for another year.
Mike Flick will list the phone number and the pin number for the show...This first one will probably be a long one, so much good stuff to cover on bats, it was a amazing year and I think the bats have made a come back!!
We have our past podcast listed per situation on the wildlife pro network site... podcast page

Hey Mike,

Just curious are you saying bats are recovering or simply that bat calls for exclusion are up this year for other species?

Many folks might assume one or the other, curious what you were stating or going to state, will try to catch the podcast.

White nose syndrome is definitely snuffing out little brown and others are proposed for listing, think many folks are getting more big brown calls and others and that in part WNS awareness has made more people aware and calling excluders.

Thanks for any clarifying you can do prior to the podcast here on this thread.

Justin

Can't wait Mike! We always find the podcast both informative, and of course, often entertaining. As busy as we all may be, this is always time well spent.

I am really Looking forward to the podcasts starting back up!!

Glad to hear that everyone is ready for the return. Hope to have even more structure this year and make these 2014 podcasts better than ever. We are gonna have more industry experts this year as well as include many up and coming folks. Looks to be a great year to come.
Justin, we have seen a very drastic recovery in our neck of the woods. Bat calls seem to be up over 50 percent from last year and 75 percent from the year previous. Total number of bats in colony seem to be up also.
Overall apperancre of bats looks very healthy and I am excited about the years to come.
We went thru our decline several years back.

Mike,

Decline and recovery of all species or the WNS impacted?

Thanks for answering just trying to clarify, everyone I've talked to in
our industry who can ID bats suggests they get more calls but
nearly all are big brown colonies or others not taking heavy losses to
WNS.

I know many folks do not ID bats which isn't necessary for good exclusion
just concerned about anyone stating bats are recovering from WNS as the
species of greatest concern are not recovering based on all states reporting,
winter hibernacula counts and all other available scientific counts.

I'd be thrilled if all bats were recovering but this isn't the case. Big browns are
Increasing by as much as 25% in many winter counts while little browns are
either gone or right on the fringe of regional or local extinction.

Heading to the WNS conference for NWCOA next week in MO, am updated
with conference calls all year the last three I've been sent to attend, no recovery
of the heavily impacted bats has occurred.

Just don't want anyone reporting to folks that WNS is gone when it is tearing across
the country with no signs of stopping.

If operators think their little browns are recovering they should notify their
G&F or USFWS folks to confirm species in the structure, VT and a few other states
are very interested in finding remnant populations to track.

Best,

Justin

HD,

In our market area we have never seen the little brown bats more plentiful than the last couple years.

Don't know if we ever had a problem with them here?

PWC,

WNS has yet to be documented west of Arkansas and Missouri, it started in NY and has spread across the Midwest, up into Canada and all over the eastern states.

Thankfully it hasn't been out where I live or where you live but folks in the impacted areas have a very different population trend in the bats impacted.

Everyone is looking in the remaining states in the lower 48 and much surveillance work is going on to have baseline data of populations in the event WNS reaches us in the west.

Operators on the leading edge of WNS and any further west should be quick to report any unusual die off events or mortalities to local
officials, this can greatly enhance response time.

The most devastating wildlife disease ever to hit North America and no sign of it stopping other than possibly selective immunity which
in a slow reproduction species (1-2 pups per year) means an insanely long road to recovery if this takes place.

Best,

Justin

Glad to be gettin all this top of the forum time with my podcast post!!

I have been dealing with both little brown bats and big brown bats all my adult life, I do know the differance in the two species and Im here to tell you that little brown bat numbers are up in my area.
Dont know about your area, simply because I dont work there.
But I can honestly tell you both species are at a all time high here..keyword is here.
I am seeing numbers that we have not seen since the mid-90's.
So I have no problem stating that bats are heathlty and plentiful HERE.

Hey Mike,

I want to be sure I clarify, when I say many operators don't ID, it wasn't directed at you, simply a statement of all the conversations I've had
with other operators across the country in our industry, some do, some don't, some can't, some won't, so on and so forth. Just wanted to be
sure you knew not a personal statement at all.

Where I am is many states away from impacted WNS areas, whereas in VA and the eastern seaboard I hear talks every year from those who
do winter counts on hibernating bats and summer field studies (mist netting etc...) and the results have been steep declines that show no signs
of letting up.

I'm glad you are seeing the opposite, but since I know no one else is in little browns please do call your local state/federal bat folks and let them
know what you are seeing and where (not the address of the house or personal information of that sort that you'd want to protect, but even town or county).

If you are seeing a comeback in an area, they might be able to find a hibernacula for those bats that maybe no one is seeing or knows of.

I've had first hand conversations with folks doing counts and while big browns are up in the winter counts, little browns and the others like northern long eared are continuing to decline and listing is imminent.

So would be in your best interest to share this info and intel for yourself, your business and those in the industry near you. I say this in all sincerity, not poking fun, not in jest, this is the most serious impact to wildlife in north america and in bats it is devastating and continues to be. Maybe you are seeing a local or regional immunity and again, this would be massively valuable.

I'll leave it at that, hope it comes across as intended, too many operators in other states right near you telling me they see nothing but big browns, and other species not suffering the declines that the other two are.

Best,

Justin

p.s. last post to kick you to the top for advertising!

lol thanks ......I have been in contact with the VA people and they know what we are seeing, no troubles and we all appreciate your being very explanatory...all to often people do not understand a simple conversation.

I am excited about my numbers in my areas, just hope those numbers hold and other areas start to see a rebound soon..rebounds in the bat populations is very good for the exclusion business. But we all know the environmental benefits far out weight the money gain of these animals.

Thanks for the conversation

Mike

Thanks Mike, appreciate your feedback and the conversation as well I think all excluders should get to know someone locally or regionally that works with bat conservation from the state/fed end of things. Especially with disease issues like WNS.

Best,

Justin