Repellency of Deer Away Big Game Repellent (R) to eastern cottontail rabbits

Deer Away Big Game Repellent(R) (BGR) effectively deters browsing deer, mos t likely by the release of sulfur odors and volatile fatty acids. Because m any herbivores avoid these odors, a logical inference is that BGR may repel herbivores other than deer. To address this possibility, we tested whether BGR was repellent to eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus). D uring fall-winter of 1994-95, we located 4 test sites (0.4- 2.0 ha) in comm ercial nurseries in southern New Jersey. Different sites were planted to fl owering pear (Pyrus calleryana), dogwood (Cornus florida), firebush (Pyraca ntha coccinea), and crab apple (Malus spp.). We split each site into 2 plot s (0.2-1.0 ha), and plots then were randomly assigned to the treatment or c ontrol condition. After recording the number of damaged plants in each plot , we applied a 32.4% (mass/volume) solution of BGR to treated plots at the labeled rate of 3.8 L/400 plants. We applied water alone to plants in contr ol plots. During a el-day posttreatment period, we reassessed damage at 7-d ay intervals. During fall-winter of 1995-96, we repeated treatment and cont rol applications, except that conditions were reversed (i.e., former contro l plots were treated with BGR and vice versa). We estimated rabbit numbers at each site during both years of the study and chemically evaluated the en vironmental persistence of BGR during the first year. Big Game Repellent wa s an effective repellent at all sites during both years of the study. These findings are consistent with the possibility that BGR represents an omnibu s repellent for problem herbivores.