Field Engine Wildlife Research & Management

Publications

Our research spans deer population management, movement ecology, tick-borne disease, island conservation, and invasive species eradication, grounded in peer-reviewed science and decades of fieldwork.

Field Engine is a research partner of White Buffalo, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to conserving native species and ecosystems. Together, we co-develop tools and methods, including the Pig Brig Trap System, and conduct collaborative research across wildlife management, fertility control, and conservation.

Field Engine Vickie DeNicola, Chad Hanson
White Buffalo Anthony J. DeNicola and collaborators

Science-based approaches to managing overabundant deer in suburban communities, from surgical sterilization and immunocontraception to managed hunts and population modeling.

2026
Large-scale eradication of non-native ungulates in U.S. National Parks: case studies from Point Reyes and Santa Rosa Island, California White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J., K. R. Faulkner, N. B. Gates, and J. R. Boulanger
Management of Biological Invasions (in press)
2025
Monitoring the effects of ovariectomy on seasonal movement behavior in suburban female white-tailed deer using internet of things-enabled devices Field Engine
DeNicola, V., S. Mezzini, and F. Cagnacci
Wildlife Biology, e01512
2025
Effects of vasectomy on breeding-related movement and activity in free-ranging white-tailed deer Field Engine
DeNicola, V., S. Mezzini, P. Bursać, P. Minasandra, and F. Cagnacci
Movement Ecology 13, 34
2021
Ovariectomy as a management technique for suburban deer populations Field Engine White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J. and V. L. DeNicola
Wildlife Society Bulletin 45:445–455
2020
Control and surveillance operations to prevent chronic wasting disease establishment in free-ranging white-tailed deer in Québec, Canada White Buffalo
Gagnier, G., I. Laurion, and A. J. DeNicola
Animals 10:283
2016
Immunocontraceptive vaccines or surgical sterilization for deer? A question of effort and efficacy White Buffalo
Evans, C. S., A. J. DeNicola, and R. J. Warren
Wildlife Society Bulletin 40:593–598
2013
Evaluation of organized hunting as a management technique for overabundant white-tailed deer in suburban landscapes White Buffalo
Williams, S. C., A. J. DeNicola, T. Almendinger, and J. Maddock
Wildlife Society Bulletin 37:137–145
2012
Sterilization as an alternative deer control technique: a review White Buffalo
Boulanger, J. R., P. D. Curtis, E. G. Cooch, and A. J. DeNicola
Human-Wildlife Interactions 6:273–282
2011
Efficacy of GnRH immunocontraception of wild white-tailed deer in New Jersey White Buffalo
Gionfriddo, J. P., A. J. DeNicola, L. A. Miller, and K. A. Fagerstone
Wildlife Society Bulletin 35:142–148
2008
Sharpshooting suburban white-tailed deer reduces deer-vehicle collisions White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J. and S. C. Williams
Human-Wildlife Conflicts 2:28–33
2008
Demographics of non-hunted white-tailed deer populations in suburban areas White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J., D. Etter, and T. Almendinger
Human-Wildlife Conflicts 2:102–109
2000
Managing white-tailed deer in suburban environments: a technical guide White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J., K. C. VerCauteren, P. D. Curtis, and S. E. Hygnstrom
Cornell Cooperative Extension. 52pp.
1997
Nontraditional techniques for management of overabundant deer populations White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J., S. J. Weber, C. A. Bridges, and J. L. Stokes
Wildlife Society Bulletin 25:496–499
1996
Effects of parturition on home-ranges and social affiliations of female white-tailed deer White Buffalo
Bertrand, M. R., A. J. DeNicola, S. R. Beissinger, and R. K. Swihart
Journal of Wildlife Management 60:899–909
1996
Ballistics of a bio bullet delivery system White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J., D. J. Kesler, and R. K. Swihart
Wildlife Society Bulletin 24:301–305

Investigating the relationship between deer, ticks, and disease, and developing new delivery methods for acaricides to reduce tick-borne pathogen risk.

2026
Oral delivery of the systemic acaricide moxidectin to a confined Odocoileus virginianus herd parasitized by Ixodes scapularis Field Engine White Buffalo
Brown, J. E., M. A. Linske, A. J. DeNicola, V. L. DeNicola, J. R. Boulanger, C. Tamez, S. C. Williams, and K. Poh
Journal of Medical Entomology 63:tjag022
2023
Resource selection by New York City deer reveals the effective interface between wildlife, zoonotic hazards and humans Field Engine White Buffalo
VanAcker, M. C., V. L. DeNicola, A. J. DeNicola, S. G. Aucoin, R. Simon, K. L. Toal, M. A. Diuk-Wasser, and F. Cagnacci
Ecology Letters 26(12):2029–2042
2023
Experimental oral delivery of the systemic acaricide moxidectin to free-ranging white-tailed deer parasitized by Amblyomma americanum Field Engine White Buffalo
Williams, S. C., M. A. Linske, A. J. DeNicola, V. L. DeNicola, J. R. Boulanger, and P. Olafson
Journal of Medical Entomology
2019
Emergence of Haemaphysalis longicornis on Staten Island, NY White Buffalo
Tufts, D. M., M. C. VanAcker, M. P. Fernandez, A. DeNicola, A. Egizi, and M. Diuk-Wasser
Emerging Infectious Diseases 25:792–796
2009
Acaricidal treatment of white-tailed deer to control Ixodes scapularis in a New York Lyme disease-endemic community White Buffalo
Daniels, T. J., R. C. Falco, E. E. McHugh, J. Vellozzi, T. Boccia, A. J. DeNicola, et al.
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 9:381–387
2006
Topical treatment of white-tailed deer with an acaricide for the control of Ixodes scapularis in a Connecticut Lyme borreliosis hyperendemic community White Buffalo
Stafford, K. C. III, A. J. DeNicola, J. M. Pound, J. A. Miller, and J. E. George
Vector Borne Zoonotic Diseases 9:371–379
2003
Reduced abundance of Ixodes scapularis and the tick parasitoid Ixodiphagus hookeri with reduction of white-tailed deer White Buffalo
Stafford, K. C. III, A. J. DeNicola, and H. J. Kilpatrick
Journal of Medical Entomology 40:642–652

Understanding how animals move, respond to management, and interact with human landscapes using GPS, IoT biologging, and accelerometry.

2025
Are your data too coarse for speed estimation? Diffusion rates as an alternative measure of animal movement Field Engine Preprint
DeNicola, V. L., S. Mezzini, F. Cagnacci, and C. H. Fleming
bioRxiv
2025
Understanding mammal avoidance of human settlements Field Engine Preprint
Potts, J. R., L. Börger, M. A. Tucker, F. Ossi, S. W. Yanco, ... V. DeNicola, ... et al.
Authorea (preprint)
2023
Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns Field Engine
Tucker, M. A., A. M. Schipper, ... V. DeNicola, ... et al. (175 authors)
Science 380(6649):1059–1064
2020
A comprehensive framework for handling location error in animal tracking data Field Engine Preprint
Fleming, C. H., J. Drescher-Lehman, M. J. Noonan, T. S. B. Akre, D. J. Brown, M. M. Cochrane, N. Dejid, V. DeNicola, C. S. DePerno, J. N. Dunlop, et al.
bioRxiv
2008
Behavioral responses of white-tailed deer subjected to lethal management White Buffalo
Williams, S. C., A. J. DeNicola, and I. M. Ortega
Canadian Journal of Zoology 86:1358–1366
2005
Home range increase of lactating female white-tailed deer following herd reduction White Buffalo
Williams, S. C. and A. J. DeNicola
Northeast Wildlife 57:29–38
1997
Public involvement, science, management, and the overabundance of deer: can we avoid a hostage crisis? White Buffalo
Swihart, R. K. and A. J. DeNicola
Wildlife Society Bulletin 25:382–387

Developing and evaluating best practices for humane wildlife management under field conditions.

2021
Animal welfare testing for shooting and darting free-ranging wildlife: a review and recommendations White Buffalo
Hampton, J. O., J. M. Arnemo, R. Barnsley, ... A. J. DeNicola, et al.
Wildlife Research 48:577–589
2020
Assessment of lead-free .22 LR bullets for shooting European rabbits White Buffalo
Hampton, J. O., D. M. Forsyth, and A. J. DeNicola
Wildlife Society Bulletin 44:760–765
2019
Assessment of humaneness using gunshot targeting the brain and cervical spine for cervid depopulation under field conditions Field Engine White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J., D. S. Miller, V. L. DeNicola, R. E. Meyer, and J. M. Gambino
PLOS ONE 14(2):e0213200
1997
Capture-induced stress in white-tailed deer White Buffalo
DeNicola, A. J. and R. K. Swihart
Wildlife Society Bulletin 25:500–503

Restoring island ecosystems by removing invasive vertebrates, from feral cats and rats to mongooses and primates.

2022
Invasive rodent eradication on islands: assessment and mitigation of human exposure to rodenticides Field Engine
Castaño, P. A., C. Hanson, K. J. Campbell, ... S. R. Siers
Biological Invasions
2022
Managing non-target wildlife mortality whilst using rodenticides to eradicate invasive rodents on islands Field Engine
Castaño, P. A., K. J. Campbell, G. S. Baxter, ... N. D. Holmes
Biological Invasions
2020
Feasibility of a successful rat eradication on Wake Atoll following initial partial failure Field Engine
Hanson, C., K. R. Rex, P. J. Kappes, and S. R. Siers
29th Vertebrate Pest Conference
2020
If at first you don't eradicate: remediating rat eradication failure on Wake Atoll Field Engine
Kappes, P. J., S. R. Siers, K. R. Rex, and C. Hanson
29th Vertebrate Pest Conference
2019
Rhesus macaque eradication to restore the ecological integrity of Desecheo NWR, Puerto Rico Field Engine White Buffalo
Hanson, C., T. Hall, A. J. DeNicola, S. Silander, B. S. Keitt, and K. J. Campbell
Island Invasives: Scaling Up to Meet the Challenge. IUCN SSC No. 62
2018
Introduced non-hominid primates impact biodiversity and livelihoods: management priorities Field Engine
Jones, H. P., K. J. Campbell, A. Burke, ... C. Hanson, ... R. A. Mittermeier
Biological Invasions
2017
Resurgence of Harrisia portoricensis on Desecheo Island after the removal of invasive vertebrates Field Engine
Figuerola, C., K. J. Swinnerton, N. D. Holmes, ... D. A. Croll
Endangered Species Research
2015
Feral cat eradication in the presence of endemic San Nicolas Island foxes Field Engine
Hanson, C., W. J. Jolley, G. Smith, ... K. J. Campbell
Biological Invasions
2014
The Wake Island rodent eradication: part success, part failure, but wholly instructive Field Engine
Griffiths, R., A. S. Wegmann, C. Hanson, ... N. Torr
Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference
2014
Eradication of wild turkey from Santa Cruz Island, California White Buffalo
Morrison, S. A., A. J. DeNicola, K. Walker, et al.
Oryx 50:121–127
2013
Floreana Island ecological restoration: rodent and cat eradication feasibility analysis Field Engine
Hanson, C. and K. J. Campbell
Technical Report, v6.1
2011
Review of feral cat eradications on islands Field Engine
Campbell, K. J., G. Harper, C. Hanson, ... S. Robinson
Book chapter
2011
A review of small Indian mongoose management and eradications on islands Field Engine
Barun, A., C. Hanson, K. J. Campbell, and D. Simberloff
Book chapter

Broader ecological research and international field projects, from disease surveillance in wild pigs on Guam to Mongolian argali sheep ecology.

2022
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) infection of wild white-tailed deer in New York City White Buffalo
Vandegrift, K. J., M. Yon, ... J. R. Boulanger, ... et al.
Viruses 14:2770
2019
Rickettsia species in ticks collected from wild pigs and Philippine deer on Guam White Buffalo
Cleveland, C. A., L. Swanepoel, E. K. Box, A. DeNicola, and M. J. Yabsley
Acta Tropica 194:89–92
2017
Survey for select pathogens in wild pigs from Guam, Marianna Islands, USA White Buffalo
Cleveland, C. A., A. DeNicola, J. P. Dubey, D. E. Hill, R. D. Berghaus, and M. J. Yabsley
Veterinary Microbiology 205:22–25
2009
Argali lamb morphometric measurements and survivorship in Mongolia White Buffalo
Reading, R. P., D. Kenny, S. Amgalanbaatar, A. J. DeNicola, and G. Wingard
Mammalia 73:98–104
2008
Successful field capture techniques for free-ranging argali sheep in Mongolia White Buffalo
Kenny, D. E., A. J. DeNicola, S. Amgalanbaatar, Z. Namshir, G. Wingard, and R. P. Reading
Zoo Biology 27:137–144