Knowledge about how to design research experiments is important when evaluating the extent of damage caused by wildlife, the effectiveness of damage management interventions, as well as evaluating if the design, conclusions, and inferences of research conducted by others is appropriate. I emphasize experimental design in FW565: Managing Human-Wildlife Conflicts, a 3 credit senior/graduate level class that I teach at Colorado State University. I provide a 1-hour lecture on the basics of experimental design. I then provide an example of an elk (Cervus elaphus) repellent experiment and request students to indicate what were the treatments, dependent variables, etc. The students then independently write a 1-page manuscript on designing an experiment that evaluates the effectiveness of 1 of 2 wildlife damage management techniques. We follow with an on-site field trip to discuss and critique the students\u27 experimental designs. Then, students are requested to write a 3-page manuscript and give a 6 to 8 minute presentation on designing an experiment that evaluates a new and unique method for reducing conflicts with wildlife in Colorado. Although we emphasize quantitative skills in our undergraduate program, a fair amount of repetition is required for students to grasp experimental design
