Vertebrate Pest Conference Submission

This page is designed to help you ensure your submission is ready for and fits the scope of the journal.

Before submitting you should read over the guidelines here, as well as the full instructions to authors found on the Vertebrate Pest Conference website, then register an account (or login if you have an existing account).

 

The Conference Proceedings are widely used for information and reference in the United States and in many parts of the world. For clarity and consistency, we request that you carefully follow these guidelines in the preparation of your manuscript.

In the event that your presentation at the Conference covers a topic for which you have submitted (or intend to submit) a manuscript to a journal or a different conference’s proceedings, we ask that the author provide us with a manuscript that is sufficiently unique that the other publication will not prohibit your paper from being included in our Proceedings. Some journals allow publication of your paper if the proceedings has a print run of <500 copies, which will be the case for the 32nd VPC Proceedings.

            General Formatting

Manuscripts should be prepared using word processing software (Microsoft Word preferred). The average manuscript has been about 12 double-spaced pages long (3,500 words). We strive to limit the length of each manuscript to a maximum of 20 double-spaced pages, including tables and figures, abstract, and references (maximum: 5,500 words, or approximately 275 words per page). Manuscripts longer than this limit may be returned to authors for condensing, unless prior approval has been obtained. (When tables or figures are included, the 5,500-word limit should be reduced commensurately.)

Tables and figures will be uploaded as separate files; additionally, please insert/imbed figures or tables within the text of the manuscript, beginning on a new page immediately following the Literature Cited section.

Name all files with the first (“senior”) author’s last name: the manuscript itself, which includes the Literature Cited and List of Captions for Figures and/or Tables, should simply be named with the first author’s last name (e.g., Thompson.docx). Name the files containing individual figures or tables as follows, also using the first author’s last name (e.g., Thompson Figure 1.xlsx; Thompson Figure 2.jpg; Thompson Table 1.docx).

            Abstract

The abstract should be a brief summary of the paper (350 words, maximum). It should give the reader the gist of the paper. Avoid using species’ Latin names in the abstract, unless the species has no familiar common name.

            Key Words

Appropriate key words must be included with each manuscript. Key words should be selected that will allow for the general content of the paper to be identified, including Latin names as well as common names of species that are the main topic of the paper. Place the list of key words in alphabetical order, typically not to exceed 10 words, after the abstract and before the body of the paper. For suggested key words, see the publication “Key Word Standardization in Vertebrate Pest Control” (R. M. Timm, T. P. Salmon, and R. H. Schmidt. 1988. In: Vertebrate Pest Control and Management Materials, ASTM STP 974, pp. 3-11), which can be viewed or printed from the Conference’s web site: https://ucanr.edu/sites/VPC/files/318211.pdf

 

            Styles, Formats, Fonts

Because all papers will be electronically reformatted into a two-column format, it is important that you prepare your final manuscript to be as simple and clean as possible. Please use the simplest page formats possible, with the fewest “autoformat” and “presets” possible.

 

·         The manuscript page size should be 8½ × 11 inches (“Letter” size in Microsoft Word). Text should be double-spaced, with 1-inch margins left and right, top and bottom, with no headers or footers, and no page numbers.

·         The corresponding author’s name, organization, mailing address, telephone number, and email address should appear at the top left side of page 1.

·         Use the line numbering option starting with the manuscript’s title.

·         Use the font Times New Roman (or equivalent TrueType font) in size 12, except as noted below for tables.

·         Insert 1 space (not 2 spaces) following the period ending each sentence.

 

New sections (with headings) should be separated by a single line space, and the first line of each paragraph of text should be indented 0.2 inch (If using Microsoft Word, use the “Paragraph – Indentation” command).

            References in Text

Cite references within the text whenever applicable, giving the name of the authors(s) and the year of publication in parentheses, without use of a comma between the author’s name and the year (e.g., Williams 1987). Multiple citations within one parenthesis should be listed in chronological order, oldest to newest (Jones 1988, Adams 2012). If there is more than one publication by the same sole author or same senior author during a single year, designate them (for example) as “Williams 2017a” and “Williams 2017b”. To cite both together, use the format “Williams 2017a,b”. Use a comma (not a semicolon) to separate citations, as follows: (Smith 1999, Williams 2017a). When a citation consists of three or more authors, cite using the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”. Do not italicize the phrase “et al.”

            Headings

Section headings within the text of the manuscript (except headings for “Abstract” and “Key Words”) should conform to the following example:

 

MAIN HEADING IN ALL CAPS, BOLD

First Subheading in Title Case, Bold

Second Subheading in Title Case, Bold Italicized

            Page Numbering

Do not number pages anywhere in the manuscript. Instead, add line numbers started with the article’s title.

            Tables

Simple tables created in Microsoft Word are preferable. Do not insert additional empty rows to create space between rows with text. Instead, format the height/width of each row and column to allow for proper spacing. For text within tables, use Arial font in size 11 or size 10. Table headings can be in Arial bold font, if appropriate. When tables contain data in columns, numerals should be right-justified (rather than centered) so that numerals or decimals are aligned vertically. Please remember to include or imbed tables within the body of the manuscript following the Literature Cited section, as well as uploading them as individual files.

 

Because all papers will be re-formatted for printing in a two-column format, tables will need to be sized to fit either a single column (3 3/8 inches wide) or two columns (7 inches wide) and should not exceed 9 inches in length. Avoid long and complex tables. Each table should be referenced at some point within the text (e.g., “Table 1”). However, a good table should be understandable without reference to the text. A caption for each table should be submitted on the separate page at the end of the manuscript that contains all figure and table captions.

 

Table captions should include a location (i.e. study area) and date in the title.

            Figures

Because all papers will be re-formatted for printing in a two-column format, most figures will be re-sized to fit a single column (3 3/8 inches wide). Ensure that all figures have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. It is critical that you make sure that your figures are designed so that when reduced to fit a single column, important data or captions will not be lost or impossible to read due to reduction in size. Since most figures have to be reduced to fit within the column format, it is important to avoid complex figures. Each figure should be referenced at some point within the text (e.g., Figure 1). However, a good figure should be understandable without reference to the text. Also, figures must be uploaded as separate files from the text of the manuscript.

 

Usually, figures will have to be re-sized by the layout staff. Therefore, we prefer figures such as graphs (bar graphs, line graphs, etc.) be created in Microsoft Excel or other compatible software, enabling the editors to make adjustments to size, shading, and text labels within graphs as necessary. Figures created in Microsoft Excel should be submitted electronically as Excel (.xlsx) files. Such files should contain the raw information used in creating the figure, so that the font size of data labels, etc., can be manipulated by the Editor.

If figures are not computer-created but instead are original line drawings, they should be submitted as .jpg images (preferred); alternatively, submit them as hard copy, in black ink on white paper. Be aware that the original figure will typically have to be reduced to a maximum width of 3 3/8 inches, and any labels or other content must remain legible following this size reduction.

            Photographs

Photographs often do not reproduce well in the Proceedings, and their use as figures is discouraged unless the photo has a high pixel count (i.e. above 1000 x 1000). Photos will be accepted only if they add significantly to the paper. Photographs that help demonstrate specific control procedures or techniques may be an asset to the paper, but photographs of habitat or examples of damage are usually not acceptable. Submit photos in .jpg or .tiff formats; these should be uploaded as separate files and labeled according to their figure number. Submit text for captions (legends) for photos along with your manuscript.

            Literature Cited

Each citation listed should be referenced somewhere within the text of the manuscript, or within accompanying tables or figures. Citations should be in alphabetical order by the authors’ surname(s). Within the alphabetical order, sequence is chronological from oldest to newest.

In your manuscript, citations should be double-spaced and formatted with a hanging indent of 0.2 inch. Authors’ names should be in “Title Case” (not in ALL CAPITALS) and author initials should be formatted as follows: “J. M. Bond” or “Bond, J. M.” Note that there is a single space after each period. Please refer to the examples below and attached manuscript sample. Citation style is similar to that used by the Journal of Wildlife Management. Add DOI information when available. Examples of the most common types of literature citations are as follows:

 

Journal Article

Bélisle, M., and A. Desrochers. 2002. Gap-crossing decisions by forest birds: an empirical basis for parameterizing spatially-explicit, individual-based models. Landscape Ecology 17:219-231. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020260326889

 

Cox, W. A., F. R. Thompson III, B. Root, and J. Faaborg. 2012. Declining brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) populations are associated with landscape-specific reductions in brood parasitism and increases in songbird productivity. PLoS ONE 7(10):e47591.

Book

Kleinbaum, D. G., L. L. Kupper, A. Nizam, and K. E. Muller. 2008. Applied regression analysis and other multivariable methods. Fourth edition. Duxbury, Belmont, CA.

Miller, K. V., and L. Marchinton. 1995. Quality whitetails: the why and how of quality deer management. Stackpole, Mechanicsburg, PA.

Edited Book

Temple, S. A., editor. 1978. Endangered birds: management techniques for preserving threatened species. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI.

Chapter in Edited Book

Zeleny, L. 1978. Nesting box programs for bluebirds and other passerines. Pages 55-60 in S. A. Temple, editor. Endangered birds: management techniques for preserving threatened species. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI.

Newspaper, Newsletter, and Magazine articles

Associated Press. 1997. Feathers could fly over dove hunting. Columbus Dispatch. 28 December 1997; section E:15.

Eisler, P. 1996. Voters to get a shot at hunting laws. USA Today. 25 April 1996; section A:4. Hogan, M. 1997. Political season as important as hunting season. Safari Times 9(8):18.

Jones-Jolma, D. 1993. The fight to reform trapping in Arizona. Animals’ Agenda. March-April:20-24.

 

Paper in a numbered Proceedings volume

Palmer, T. K. 1976. Pest bird control in cattle feedlots: the integrated system approach.

      Proceedings of Vertebrate Pest Conference 7:17-21.

 

Agency or Government Publication

Anderson, D. R. 1975. Population ecology of the mallard: V. Temporal and geographic estimates of survival, recovery, and harvest rates. Resource Publication 125, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C.

Thesis or Dissertation

Breitwisch, R. J. 1977. The ecology and behavior of the red-bellied woodpecker, Centurus carolinus (Linnaeus; Aves: Picidae), in south Florida. M.S. thesis, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.

Tacha, T. C. 1981. Behavior and taxonomy of sandhill cranes from mid-continental North America. Ph.D. dissertation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.

Web page

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]. 2005. National Weather Service internet services team. Monthly precipitation for Reno, Nevada.

     <http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/rev/ hydrology/monthly_precip.php>. Accessed 23 Aug 2005.

            Style

For general style of manuscripts (e.g., capitalization, abbreviations, punctuation, symbols, tables, etc.), refer to previous VPC Proceedings. Some commonly-encountered style items are as follows:

·         When a list of items appears in a sentence, do use a comma following the next-to-last item (e.g., California, Nevada, and Arizona).

·         When expressing values exceeding one thousand as numerals, do use a comma in the expression to set off the “thousands” digits (e.g., 1,250 rather than 1250), except when used to denote page numbers within citations in the Lit Cited section.

·         Do not use periods as punctuation after the abbreviations for length, area, weight, or time (i.e., g kg mi yr min sec lb)

·         Express symbols correctly; for example, do not use the letter “x” for “by” and do not use apostrophe to express “degrees”

·         Leave one space on either side of symbols like “>” “<” “+” “=” and others; do not leave a space around hyphens when using them to express a range of values (e.g. 4-6 years, not 4 - 6 years); do not leave a space around virgule (e.g. this/that, not this / that)

·         For expressing numerals, please use words for numerals one through nine, and digits for numerals 10 and above (e.g. four deer; 12 deer)

·         For abbreviating, use “U.S.” or “U.S.A.”, not US or USA

·         When listing multiple points within the text that are numbered or lettered, numerals are preferred, followed by a single parenthesis: e.g., 1), 2), 3), etc.

·         For consistency, use “pers. commun.” for personal communication; “pers. observ.” for personal observation; and “unpubl. data” for unpublished data. Note that “et.al”, “et. al.” and “et al” are incorrect: the correct expression is “et al.”

·         Latin names of species should be italicized. Vernacular names of animals should be accompanied by their scientific (Latin) names the first time mentioned within the body of the text. Do not capitalize the common name unless it includes a formal noun (e.g. mountain lion, American robin).

·         Spell out the words “Figure” and “Table” rather than using the abbreviations “Fig.” and “Tab.”.

·         If subscripts or superscripts are appropriate within the text, they should be appropriately “reduced” in format.

Extended Abstract Preparation

The Conference Proceedings are widely used for information and reference in the United States and in many parts of the world. For clarity and consistency, we request that you carefully follow the formatting guidelines provided below in the preparation of your extended abstract.

The extended abstract is intended to represent a brief summary of a presentation or poster. It is different than an abstract in its length, and the inclusion of elements that you would expect in a manuscript. The extended abstract will be 2-4 pages, excluding abstract and references, and include the following information:

Title and Author

o Title should ideally be the same as the presentation title

o Full name, affiliation, and contact details of corresponding author

o Full name and affiliation of contributing authors, if applicable

Abstract

    This can be confusing, but the Extended Abstract includes a short abstract of its own. The abstract includes a 150-200 word summary of the presentations purpose, methods, results, and conclusions for indexing purposes. This may simply be the abstract accepted for the conference presentation, adjusted to fit the word limit.

Key Words

    Include 4-6 relevant keywords for indexing purposes

Introduction

o Brief background and rationale for the study

o Objectives

o Research question or hypotheses where relevant

Methods

o Briefly summarize experimental design, data collection and analysis

o Provide enough detail for readers to understand the approach, without going into the depth one would if writing a manuscript

Results

o Key findings with 1-2 figures or tables if necessary

o Focus on main outcomes and decisive results

Discussion/Conclusion

o Concisely interpret results and implications

o Explain practical application or recommendations

References

o Use the Journal of Wildlife Management for reference style

o See below for examples.

For all other formatting details see above as described in Manuscript Preparation

Additional Required Documents

A submission checklist and Author Agreement form are included in the final pages of the Instructions for Authors. The agreement form must be signed by all authors and submitted with the extended abstract or manuscript as instructed via eScholarship. 

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About

A journal.

Focus and Scope

 

The objective of the Vertebrate Pest Conference and the resulting Proceedings is to help disseminate factual and ecologically sound information concerning human-wildlife conflicts and vertebrate pest damage and its control. The Conference continues to make significant contributions toward effectively understanding and resolving undesirable human-wildlife interactions and animal damage problems, promoting better management and control methodology, and minimizing adverse ecological effects.

Vertebrate pest control uses applied ecology, with the goals of improving public health and conserving resources. The Conference is a forum for sharing knowledge and experiences among researchers, administrators, and practitioners in vertebrate pest control and wildlife damage management. It is organized by the California Vertebrate Pest Council, which also publishes the Conference Proceedings.

Submission Checklist

 

Proceedings Manuscript Checklist

 

 

Corresponding Author’s contact information in upper left corner of p. 1.

Manuscript includes abstract appropriate for manuscript or extended abstract.

Manuscript includes key words (maximum = 10), alphabetized.

Manuscript formatted as instructed for either an extended abstract or manuscript. Any Tables or Figures, as well as captions for these, are included in the Word document, on pages that follow the Literature Cited section.

All citations mentioned in text are listed under Literature Cited; all publications listed in Literature Cited are referred to within the text or in table/figure captions.

All entries in Literature Cited are in the format similar to that of the Journal of Wildlife Management  (see detailed examples)

Figures and Tables are to be uploaded as separate, individual files (file types are specified in these instructions)

Manuscript (.docx), Tables (.docx) and Figures (.xlsx), and the signed

Author Agreement Form should be submitted via email not later than

April 10, 2026

 

 

Copyright Notice

The following is an agreement between the Vertebrate Pest Council (the Council) and the submitter (the Author), governing the work currently being submitted to the Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference (the Proceedings), including the primary contribution as well as any supporting materials such as an abstract, data sets, media files, figures, or tables created by the Author and any co-authors (the Submission). 
 
The Proceedings is an open access publication which means that all content is freely available without charge to readers or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the contents, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. 
 
1. As consideration for publication in the Proceedings, the Author grants the Council the following rights: 
1.1. A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free right to publish, reproduce, publicly display, publicly perform and distribute the Submission in perpetuity throughout the world in all means of expression by any method or media now known or hereafter developed; and 
1.2. A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free right to license others, including databases or printing vendors, to do any or all of the above on a non-exclusive basis. 
 
2. The Author warrants that: 
2.1. The Author is the author of the Submission, or is authorized to act on behalf of the author(s) and copyright holder (if different from the author(s)), and has the power to convey the rights granted in this agreement. 
2.2. If the Submission has multiple authors, the other authors are identified in the Submission, and the Author will inform the other authors of the terms of this agreement. 
2.3. Any textual, graphic or multimedia material included in the Submission that is the intellectual property or work of another is identified and cited in the Submission.  
2.4. If the Submission reproduces any material that is the intellectual property of another, the Author has received permission to publish that material in the Submission, or the material is being incorporated based on an informed, reasonable, and good faith application of fair use. 
2.5. The Submission is the original work of the Author(s). To the best of the Author’s knowledge, it does not contain matter that is obscene, libelous, or defamatory; it does not knowingly violate another’s right of privacy, right of publicity, or other legal right; does not contain false or misleading statements; and is otherwise not unlawful. 
2.6. The Submission has not been previously published, and is not pending review elsewhere. If this is not the case, the Author will provide the Council with information about the other locations where the Submission appears or is pending review. Prior distribution of a Submission, including on a preprint server or in a repository, does not disqualify a Submission from potential publication; the Council is primarily concerned with other appearances in similar publications. 
2.7. If the Author is a student, the Author agrees to share their work and waive any privacy rights granted by FERPA or any other law, policy or regulation, with respect to the Submission, for the purpose of publication. If the Author has any student co-authors, the Author will obtain a signed copy of this agreement from those co-authors.  
 
3. Indemnification 
The Author will indemnify and hold the Council harmless against loss, damages, expenses, awards, and judgments arising from breach of any of the above warranties. 
 
4. Author’s Rights and Obligations 
4.1. Nothing in this agreement constitutes a transfer of the copyright by the Author. As such, the Author retains all rights not expressly granted herein, including but not limited to, the right: 
4.1.1. To reproduce and distribute the Submission, and to authorize others to reproduce and distribute the Submission, in any format; 
4.1.2. To post the Submission in an institutional repository or the Author’s personal or departmental web page. 
4.1.3. To include the Submission, in whole or in part, in another work. 
4.2. If the Author distributes the Submission on another website or in another publication (as described above), the Proceedings will be cited as the source of first publication. 
 
5. Rights for Readers 
The Journal and the Author agree that the Submission will be distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), or other later version of the same license, that allows others to copy, distribute, translate, adapt, and build upon the Submission, even commercially, as long as they provide appropriate credit to the author(s). Anyone who uses or redistributes the Submission under this license must indicate any changes that were made, must link to the license, and cannot imply that the author(s) endorse them or their use. More information about this license is available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.  
 
6. Termination 
The Author agrees to the terms of this agreement for the Submission being considered for publication. If the Submission is declined, this agreement is terminated. 
 

For authors who are not employees of the University of California:
The Author agrees to hold The Regents of the University of California, the California Digital Library, the Journal, and its agents harmless for any
losses, claims, damages, awards, penalties, or injuries incurred, including any reasonable attorney's fees that arise from any breach of warranty or for any claim by any third party of an alleged infringement of copyright or any other intellectual property rights arising from the Depositor’s submission of materials with the California Digital Library or of the use by the University of California or other users of such materials.

Peer Review

Peer Editing

All papers and extended abstracts contained within the Proceedings of the 32nd Vertebrate Pest Conference will be peer edited. Papers will be evaluated by the Proceedings Editor and by selected other academicians and resource professionals from within the Vertebrate Pest Council. This process of peer editing, while not as rigorous as peer review typically practiced by scientific journals, permits review of manuscript content and expedites more timely publication of the information presented at the Conference. Editorial liberties will be taken in instances where improved clarity is needed or where style is incorrect. In the case of most manuscripts, the authors will not be contacted during the peer editing process. Unfortunately, time does not permit circulation of galley proofs for authors’ review.

Manuscripts improperly prepared or formatted, or which need significant improvement to meet the Proceedings’ standards for scientific merit and clarity of expression, will be returned to the authors.

Licences

The following licences are allowed:

  • Copyright
    © the author(s). All rights reserved.
  • CC BY 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-ND 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-NC 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
  • CC BY-SA 4.0
    Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Publication Cycle

 

Publication

We intend to review and edit manuscripts as quickly as possible following their receipt, and we will endeavor to make them available individually as open-access publications within 6 months or less after the Conference. Papers submitted after the due date may not be included in the 32nd Proceedings. It is to the authors’ advantage to submit their paper as soon as possible, as papers will be published in the order received, reviewed, and finalized.

 

Sections

Section or article type

Public Submissions

Peer Reviewed

Indexed

Article