- An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.
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Stephen M. Vantassel baiting a Collarum.
Fur Trapping and Difficult Landowners
I am on the state’s list as a trapper who is willing to help landowners with wildlife problems. Essentially, we trap during the season for landowners who are having a problem. I recently received a call from a landowner having a problem with a particular species.
I asked him to describe the problem. His description was rather imprecise so I asked some follow-up questions regarding what the problem was. My philosophy is I don’t want to get involved in something that won’t work or may be too difficult (unless I am looking to learn from it).
He needed the problem resolved quickly. I said, I wanted to wait a few weeks for the fur to get more prime. I also wanted to trap other species at the same time. He remarked he didn’t want me there for a long time. I said, I had no intention to be there for a long time. I said mileage expenses were $0.555/mile so I was not going to dally around. He already knew that the animal he wanted controlled was only worth around 20 dollars so was aware I wasn’t getting rich and would probably lose money on an absolute basis.
He then seemed to get frustrated and said he would call someone else.
Bottom Line
My point is simply this. Landowners, unless you are paying for trapping services, don’t be cheap. Understand that fur trapping is time intensive and that trappers can trap other species at the same time they are resolving the original problem. That is the beauty of trapping as a force multiplier. Fur trappers are not getting rich despite what you might think.
Fur trappers don’t devalue your services. I suspect that this unnamed landowner may have been someone who didn’t like trapping and only wanted trapping to occur to solve his problem. I could be wrong. But don’t be so desperate to trap that you make your important services a commodity. Remember, no one respects what they get for free.
About the Author
Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest book is the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.
If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.
Copyright
All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.
Are Foothold Traps Indiscriminate?
This size trap is what the animal rights protest industry wants you to think is what the majority of trappers are using. Image via Wikipedia
One of the charges that Animal Rights Protest Industry Activists lay against trappers and wildlife control operators (WCOs) is that footholds are indiscriminate. Typically this charge is coupled with “cruel” but for this post I only want to discuss the indiscriminate charge.
The accusation usually goes like this. This trap (fill in the blank) needs to be banned because it can’t distinguish between target (the desired animal in need of control) and the non-target animal (the animal that is not sought to be controlled). The idea is to make traps appear to be these lurking threats in the landscape that are waiting to harm everything.
Here are the facts about foothold trapping
1. If your definition of indiscriminate requires a standard of 100% accuracy then, the animal rights protest claim is correct. Traps are indiscriminate if the standard is perfection. But notice, this standard also rules out cage and box traps (often mistakenly called “live traps). Furthermore, even hunting is not 100% selective as noted by the fact that humans, livestock, and non-game animals also get shot.
2. For those willing to have a more reasonable standard, then footholds can be decidedly selective. Here’s how.
a. Location. Trappers select sites where the desired animals are likely to go. For instance, placing a trap in water (particularly cold water of November through February) make is very unlikely to catch non-targets.
b. Bait. Certain lures and baits are more likely to attract some animals over others.
c. Trap type. Certain traps are designed to capture certain animals while avoiding others, e.g. Collarum, Lil’ Grizz, etc. While these traps are not typically called, footholds, animal rights protest activists hate them too as demonstrated by their proffering Question 1 in Massachusetts (which ultimately was passed by an ignorant and misinformed voting public) in 1996.
d. Trap size. Small traps are less likely to catch large animals.
e. Pan Tension. The pan is the disk in the middle of the foothold that triggers the trap when depressed. By increasing pan tension, trappers make it harder for lighter animals to fire the trap.
So the bottom line, just as guns don’t kill people, people kill people, traps are only as good or bad as the person who uses them. Unfortunately, in our soundbite society, it is easier for people to demonize a tool rather than to understand the complexities of reality.
About the Author
Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control professional who has a great interest in the way the animal rights protest industry distorts the facts about wildlife management and consumptive sports. His dissertation on the animal rights movement was published in a book entitled, Dominion over Wildlife? An Environmental-Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations (Wipf and Stock, 2009). He has written many articles on the animal rights protest industry and actively seeks opportunities to debate them to set the record straight.
Streamlight 44200 Vulcan Flashlight : A Review
Vulcan Flashlight by Streamlight. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel
Ever since my spotlight of choice was no longer being manufactured, I’ve been on a quest to find a spotlight capable of replacing it. I use the term spotlight, rather than flashlight, because a spotlight is a light designed to throw a concentrated beam of light over a great distance. Flashlights are less powerful and designed more for close up work and/or area illumination.
Review of the Flashlight
I recently had the opportunity to review or try out the Vulcan® Flashlight manufactured by Streamlight. The light comes with a number of nice features. The manufacturer says it provides up to 80,000 candela (peak beam intensity) with its halogen bulb. The battery can last over 3 hours per charge.
It is heavy duty uses a lead-based battery which means that you don’t have to train the battery to recharge it. It has superb handle grip and quality lens cover and two different settings for shining light. The toggle switch is long enough and positioned to allow it to be moved even with a gloved hand.
After charging the flashlight up (which took about four hours) I was able to try it out. The light is pretty focused but I didn’t notice a significant difference in the illumination between the low and the high settings. On the day with some overcast, I tested the flashlight on my house to see how well it would illuminate during a daylight inspection. I spotlighted the attic vent of my ranch house which is about 20 feet above me. The light illuminated quite well, as I was able to evaluate whether the mosquito netting was intact. I then shined the light at my roofline to see what kind of range I would have with the light. I was able to see the light at the peak my roof which would 30 to 40 feet away from where I was standing. While I could see the light, I don’t believe it would have been strong enough to allow me to assess the integrity of the gable of a second-floor house.
The package comes with two chargers, home outlet and a cigarette lighter adapter for charging in a vehicle. The shoulder strap enable hands-free carrying, which would be useful when climbing a ladder or entering an attic. I believe the flashlight is worth $105.00 particularly for anyone who would be looking for a good balance between battery life and illumination. The price comes from WildlifeControlSuppllies.com which made the device available to me for review.
About the author
Stephen M Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator and is available for consultation, seminars, and research projects related to wildlife damage issues. You can reach him at StephenVantassel(at)Hotmail(dot)com. He has received no compensation for this review.
Choosing a Career in Wildlife Damage Control
I had been asked for information on this career by a Vocational Career Counselor. WCC hopes to help career counselors to understand more about this occupation.
Defining Terms
- Trappers are normally fur trappers. Trappers are people who seek animals for their fur. This occupation is usually a hobby or a part time business except for a few individuals.
- Animal damage controllers, wildlife control operators, nuisance wildlife control operators, wildlife controllers by contrast are people paid by customers to remove problem animals. While there is overlap between these two jobs, (as people can do both and often do) they are in many respects different. Animal damagecontrollers work year round. Fur trappers work in the fall and winter.
- Pest Control is a different industry. Pest control deals primarily with bugs, mice and rats and often use pesticides. Animal damage controllers, by contrast, rarely use pesticides and handle wildlife such as squirrels, skunks, raccoons, moles, voles, beaver, etc.
Key Facts about Animal Damage Control
Most animal damage controllers are self-employed. They tend to be a very independent bunch and don’t like working for others. However, some of the larger companies do hire workers. While not many have reached this size, the industry is maturing and so the opportunities for employment are growing.
Normally, these companies are contracted by the customer for a specific problem, ie. squirrels in attic. The relationship ends when the problem is resolved. Sort of like the way people hire a plumber to fix a leak. You pay for the service and the plumbler leaves when the problem is resolved.
Legal Issues for Wildlife Controllers
Most states require a license. These licenses will be issued through the state’s division of fisheries and wildlife or similar sounding agency. Wildlife control is a controversial issue. Potential workers need to understand that humane issues are a prime concern. Failure to follow standard procedures can result in severe legal and publicity problems. The field is still lacking many regulations so entry into the field is relatively easy.
Occupational Requirements
- Physically demanding. Success in this field will require walking, climbing ladders, scaling roofs, crawling under buildings and into attics. If you cannot lift 80 pounds or more comfortably, you would not be able to work with ladders. Animals can weigh anywhere from 2 pounds for a gray squirrel to 20 pounds with a raccoon to 50 pounds for a beaver. While the weight doesn’t appear to be that high, remember, you will need to carry the trap away from your body which causes the weight to feel heavier due to reduced leverage.
Carrying caged animals off roofs adds to the danger as the animal will run back and forth in the cage thereby shifting the weight of the cage. Failure to prepare for the change can cause a catastrophic fall off the ladder. - Dangerous: Job exposes the worker to dangers from animals, heights and crawl spaces. Exposure to zoonotic diseases is a real risk.
- Methodical: Workers need to perform similar tasks with consistent accuracy and thoroughness.
Responsible: Workers will need to remember where traps have been set. In some cases, dozens of traps located around a city will need to be remembered and checked daily no matter what the weather. - Driver’s license: Worker will need to be able to operate a light to heavy truck safely while under time pressure.
- Customer Relations: Workers will be required to have high customer service skills. Work is often done inside homes with customers watching. Phone skills is a definite must.
- Ability to work without supervision. Work is often lonely and without supervision of a boss or client.
Opportunities for Training
National Wildlife Control Program
National Wildlife Control Training Program. I am the primary author for this training published by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Cornell University.
I have published the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, rev. ed. The third edition is expected by March, 2011.
Wildlife Control Technology Magazine. This is the trade magazine of the industry.
Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators Assoc. This is the trade association of the industry.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesistate to ask.
About Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP
Stephen is a Certified Wildlife Control Operator who is nationally known for his writing on wildlife damage management topics. He can be reached at stephenvantassel(at)hotmailDOTcom
CDC provides quality information on diseases of concern to public health such as Hantavirus. Image via Wikipedia
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Hantavirus infection is a serious disease contracted from inhaling or coming into physical contact with droppings and rodents contaminated with the virus. With a 30% death rate for those infected, it is scary enough to warrant caution.
Don’t be Paranoid Get Educated
The challenge in getting information on zoonotic diseases is to find information that is both accurate and readable. Thankfully, the good people at the Centers for Disease Control have created a booklet on the subject.
Download your pdf at http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/pdf/HPS_Brochure.pdf . You will be glad you did.
About the Author
Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control professional and is available for consultation, writing, research, and public speaking about wildlife damage management issues and the dangers of the animal rights protest industry.
Christianity, Animal Rights, and Environmentalism
Dominion over Wildlife?
Why Christians Cannot Support Animal Rights
In recent years, an increasing number of self-identified Christians have begun propagating the beliefs of the animal rights movement. These Christians assert that, contrary to the traditional view of the Church, God does not want humanity to kill, harm or eat animals. They contend that humanity’s carnivorous behavior was a result of the Fall, when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden (Gen 3). God only tolerated our meat eating as a form of concession just as God conceded with our tendency to divorce (Mk 10). Rather Christ came to restore peace, not only between God and humanity, but also between humanity and animals (Col 1:20). Therefore, Christians, being followers of Christ (2 Cor 5:18), must participate in restoring relations by adopting vegetarianism and forsaking hunting, fishing, and trapping.
Animal Rights is UnChristian
To put the matter bluntly, I contend that self-proclaimed Christians cannot affirm that position and those that do are either ignorant, deceived, or are not really Christians. Let provide just a few reasons for this. First, Scripture clearly says that God gave dominion to men and women (Gen 1:26-8). As the animal rights activists rightly state, dominion does not mean despotism. Humans were to govern the world in service to God as a beekeeper manages the bees owned by someone else. Genesis 2 explicitly relates God’s command to work the garden and to protect it. The evidence suggests that God wanted humans to protect species from extinction. If God had an overwhelming concern over each and every individual animal then one would have to ask why God sent the flood to kill all air-breathing creatures, save those in the ark (Gen 6-9)? If you have any doubts, ask how our lives would be different if Adam and Eve decided to express dominion over the Serpent rather than listening to it (Gen 3). Adam and Eve failed to protect the garden because they failed to eject, or dare I say kill the Serpent, for its blasphemy. In short, they failed to express their God given authority over the serpent. So when the animal rights activists say that there was peace and harmony in the Garden they are not completely correct. For there was at least one animal that was not in harmony with the command of God.
The Old Testament, Psalm 8 provides additional support for the traditional view of humanity’s authority over creation. The passage clearly observes how humans have authority over domesticated and wild animals alike. Of further interest is to see that the Psalm is treated as a prophecy of Christ by the New Testament (Heb 2:7).
Jesus Didn’t Support Animal Rights
Perhaps the greatest challenge to the animal rights view is Christ’s own words and deeds in regards to humanity’s treatment of animals. Here is the issue at stake. Either Christ was morally correct in his words and deeds or He wasn’t. If He was, then we can copy him. If he wasn’t then he was not God and certainly couldn’t die for our sins as the perfect Lamb of God (1 Pet 1:18ff). Consider Christ’s words. Jesus expanded humanity’s dinner menu by declaring all foods ceremonially clean. In one fell swoop, Christians were no longer subject to the restrictions of Kosher Laws (Mk 7:19) and could now enjoy the flavors of pigs and lobster with divine blessing. If Christ really wanted to protect animals from human predation, why would he expand the animals humans were allowed to eat? In addition, Christ asks the disciples to bring him some fish so he could cook breakfast (John 21:10f).
Christ’s actions towards animals are even more telling. He allowed demons to drown pigs without ever bothering to run into the Sea of Galilee to save them (Lk 8:33). He even helped the disciples kill more fish through the miracle of the fishes (Jn 21:6). Those actions don’t seem to speak very highly of the compassion to animals that animal rights activists say we should follow.
The Problem of Cruelty
Some of you may agree with my comments so far but are concerned that my position actually provides justification for people to be cruel to animals. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christ was not cruel to animals but neither was he subject to them. But we must first be clear on what constitutes cruelty.
Animal rights start from the assumption that humans do not have a right to utilize animals for our purposes. So from this starting point, anything that interferes with an animal’s freedom can be considered a violation of its being and therefore cruel. To an animal rights activist, keeping a lion in a zoo is cruel because the lion loses its ability to “enjoy” the great outdoors hunting its prey. Christians believe that zoos are an appropriate expression of dominion over creation provided the animals were treated properly (i.e. zoos that provide proper sanitation, care, and treatment of the animals).
But what about something more controversial, such as sport hunting or say fur trapping? Aren’t these expressions of human greed and selfishness? They certainly can be but that would depend on the individual sportsman. Sport hunting and fur trapping are not by definition instances of cruelty. Why? Because God put animals on the earth for human enjoyment and enjoyment can range from deer watching to deer hunting. Christ never condemned the disciples’ fishing with nets, devices where fish can actually die by being crushed. It isn’t that Christ wasn’t concerned with animal suffering as he clearly was (Lk 12:6; 13:15). The difference was animals under our direct control, such as pets or livestock, require a higher level of attention than animals in the wild. I believe if the apostles had a more humane way of capturing fish that didn’t unduly hinder them financially; Christ would have had them use it. But we need to distinguish between capture techniques and euthanasia. I suggest the view known as animal welfare provides the biblical balance of respect for animal suffering and human need. Animal welfare seeks to treat the animal in a way to minimize its suffering while recognizing that it is an animal. Hunters who employ good shooting practices, and trappers who choose their sets carefully are each exhibiting the best qualities of animal welfare. Trapping and hunting are capture techniques, not euthanasia techniques. Capturing free-ranging animals is very different than dealing with an animal in a controlled environment. You treat your dog differently than a deer because a dog is under your control a deer is not.
As you can guess, my book, Dominion over Wildlife? An Environmental-Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations (Wipf and Stock 2009) has much more to say about this topic. But the bottom-line is trapping as performed legally and responsibly in the United States and Canada are completely within the bounds of good Christian behavior. Enjoy the bounty that God has bestowed upon us, recognizing that all of creation belongs to him and needs to be treated as such.
Stephen M. Vantassel is a specialist in the field of wildlife damage management as well as an Evangelical theologian. He has also dedicated his life to oppose the anti-environmentalism inherent in the animal rights protest industry and welcomes opportunities to show the public how dangerous animal rights is to the health of the planet.
- Image via Wikipedia
5 Tips for Effective Box or Cage Trapping
Many people, including some professional pest/wildlife controllers, think that live trapping wildlife is easy. Cage and box trapping (mistakenly referred to as live trapping when footholds and cable restraints are also live trapping) consists of using wire-based enclosures (cage traps) or solid wall enclosures (box traps) to capture wildlife. While it is true that the use of these devices is simpler than using footholds, the use of box/cage traps still requires attention to detail.
Here are five tips to make your use of cage/box traps more effective in resolving wildlife complaints for your clients.
Tip #1. Select the smallest size trap for the target animal.
Cage traps come in a variety of sizes and styles. It is best to choose the smallest size trap necessary for the animal you are planning to catch. For single door traps, choose 10x12x32; skunk 7x7x24 inches and squirrel 5x5x18 inches. These dimensions can be modified for different manufacturers but they provide a good guide. Small traps are less expensive and more of them will fit in your truck but the most important advantage is that they reduce non-target captures. Why set a skunk-sized trap when trapping for squirrels? Using a larger trap, increases the risk of catching a skunk or opossum or something else that isn’t the target animal your client has hired you to control.
Tip #2. Use the right bait
Failure to use enough traps means that you are not taking advantage of the time-benefits provided by traps. Traps work even when you are not around. I recommend setting at least 3 per job, more if you can. This allows you 3 trap nights for every 24 hour period where placing only one trap gives you only 1 trap night per 24 hour period. Think of it as more hooks in the water.
Tip #4 Choose the right location(s)
As they say in real estate, property is all about location, location, location. The same concept applies to trapping. Don’t make the animal move to your trap, move the trap to the path of the animal. Never make the bait do what moving the trap will do for you. Now of course, there are situations where the best location isn’t prudent, perhaps because children, pets, or the nosy public will interfere with your work. In those situations, you should still look for where the animal is likely to travel and find a more secluded spot. If that isn’t possible, then use a trailing lure available at professional trapping suppliers.
Tip #5 Follow the right setting procedure
Avoid sloppy setting procedures. Even though cage/box traps are more forgiving than footholds, you still need to stabilize them to keep them from wobbling when the animal enters. Wobbly traps can spook animals and sometimes cause the trap to spring prematurely allowing the animal to back out.
In addition, you must ensure the cage/box trap is humanely set. Contrary to popular mythology, cage/box traps can be quite cruel. Trapped animals can bake in the summer sun, or freeze in a driving ice-storm. So think about where you put your traps. Will they be shielded from the sun/rain. Chances are no. But simply covering 50% of the trap’s length with a sturdy cloth cover provides the animal with shelter from wind, rain, and sun. It also protects the bait from prying claws, forcing the animal to enter through the entrance to get the bait.
There is much more to effective box/cage trapping but these 5 tips will help remove a number of key mistakes made by wildlife control professionals.
Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACP
Stephen provides consulting services to the public, wildlife control professionals, and others on issues related to wildlife damage management. He is available for conferences, workshops, and private training.
This post goes out to the hardw0rking wildlife control operators (WCO) who have entered the digital age. While many of you prefer sloshing through a beaver pond to staring at a computer screen, I want to commend you for getting out of your comfort zone and embracing technology. Unfortunately, with every technological advance there are negative side effects.
Failure to Respond to E-mails
Wildlife control is a time intensive business. Unlike pest control, many activities in wildlife control can’t rely on toxicants which kill the animal and allow it to die out of site. Return visits and extended stops at customer locations are the norm, not the exception for wildlife control. Frequently, 12 hour days reach 15 and there is simply no time to boot up the computer, let alone answer e-mail.
If this sort of time constraint affects your business from time to time, then relax it’s normal. it is acceptable to wait a couple of days to respond to e-mails. After all, if the customer really needs you, he/she should call your cell phone.
If you know that you will be out straight or on vacation for several days, then it is absolutely necessary to let your customers know that you are unavailable. An auto-responder e-mail, is acceptable provided it explains when you might be able to respond. I would also place a notice of your situation on the contact page of your site.
Otherwise, if you have regular difficulty responding to e-mails, do yourself a favor, don’t make it available.
E-Mail Auto-Responders
E-mail auto-responders are convenient. The inquirer e-mails and the server responds with a boiler plate message telling the potential customer that your business actually exists and is active. However, if you are using an auto-responder everyday, then there is something very wrong. E-mail is not supposed to be instant access. It’s not live-chat or a phone call. If the customer doesn’t know that then do you really want him?In addition, if people e-mail you, get the auto-respond message, wait a few days and still don’t hear from you, then your business is losing credibility. I bring this issue up because I know of a company that I have e-mailed from time to time in regards to a project and I regularly get the auto-responder blithely telling me how my e-mail is important and he will get back in touch. I would have thought the e-mail was great if the person really followed up in a couple of days. But I have waited weeks, even following up with phone calls, all to no avail. As they say in Hollywood, when the phone don’t ring you know it was me. Well that is how I feel with this unnamed company.
Bottom Line Business Tip
1. Announce ways for people to get in touch with you that you actually follow up with.
2. E-mail can wait up to 24 hours. If the person really needs you quickly, then he/she could call.
3. Auto-responders only help your business if you actually follow what you say in the auto-response message. Otherwise, they simply annoy your callers.
Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACP has written dozens of articles on wildlife damage management topics and advises clients on wildlife damage management issues.
Myths about Trapping as a Wildlife Control Technique
English: Cage trap with shade cloth to protect animal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I get a lot of requests from people wanting me to tell them how to stop wildlife damage without having to trap it. Too often, these people of suggest that they don’t want to trap because they think trapping does not work. I ask them why they think trapping doesn’t work. They reply, “The animals come back.” I suggest that perhaps they should euthanize the animal, which then receives the correction, “Other animals return.”
Trapping Held to Unfair Standard
Now we are getting to the hub of the matter. People hold trapping to an unfair standard that they don’t hold other techniques to. For example, why is it that property owners will spray for bugs, repeatedly throughout the year, every year without thinking twice about it. Yet, if they have to trap for one week a year, the technique is declared to be a failure because it didn’t stop the wildlife damage for perpetuity.
Myths Display a Misunderstanding of Nature
This attitude displays a fundamental misunderstanding of nature. First off, everything in nature is temporary. How temporary depends on your time horizon. Have a couple of billion years to spare and the world will will look quite differently than it does today. While that is extreme, a shorter time horizon still proves the point. Animal populations are cyclical. Some years they may be high and others low. So control in year one may need to be followed by control for the next several years if the animal species you are controlling is on the incline of the population curve. By the same token, trapping one year may solve the problem for years if the species population curve is on the decline.
Only a Small Percentage of Wildlife Cause Problems
Second, only a small fraction of animals cause the damage. If you can remove the “guilty” animals then you can not only stop the damage but also prevent the offending animals from educating their neighbors to follow suit. Think of it as targeted police work. Get rid of one shoplifter and you likely stop several others from following the same path.
Cutting Grass Argument
If those arguments don’t convince you about the legitimacy of trapping as a tool in wildlife control, then consider the question: ”Why do you mow your grass?” I ask this question of urbanites (people who have lost their connection to the earth) and frequently get blank stares. I remind them that mowing grass clearly doesn’t work because the grass grows back. The fact is, God built the world to be abundant and restorative. The fact that wildlife populations reproduce is not a bad thing, it’s a good thing for it allows us to harvest the abundance. If we do so responsibly, the harvest is essentially everlasting, like living off the interest of the principle in your savings account.
Related articles
- D.C. Goes Wild: Urban Wildlife Protections Pass Unanimously (animals.change.org)
- A Soft, Furry, Stone-cold Killer Researchers say domestic, feral cats kill as many as 1 billion birds a year Sunday, June 12, 2011 03:13 AM By Spencer Hunt (Columbus, OH) http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/science/stories/2011/06/12/a-soft-furry-stone-cold-killer.html?sid=101
About the Author
Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest book is the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. He can be contacted at stephenvantassel at Hotmail dot com.
Copyright
All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included.
History on the National Wildlife Control Training Program
For those of you not familiar with this project, let me provide a little background. Regrettably, most states lack even rudimentary training requirements for the licensing of wildlife control operators (WCO). Part of the reason for this situation is the dearth of training materials and the fact that state wildlife agencies, already underfunded and overworked, don’t have the resources to create a program let alone administer it. Our program seeks to correct that. We have created a training program designed to provide beginning WCOs the fundamentals of the trade.
We will provide this training in multiple ways, including print (book forthcoming in January, 2011), online (January 2011) and in person if states desire that. This training will also be open to businesses wishing to train new workers.
Description of the National Wildlife Control Training Program
The training consists of two main parts. First is the core modules. Core modules are what we believe every WCO should know regardless of where they live. It’s written in a manner that makes it suitable for WCOs regardless of their respective state laws.
Part 2 consists of species modules. Each species module will address the biology, damage, and control methods related to that particular species. We anticipate that states or individuals can select which species they want to learn about. This allows individuals to learn about species that they are allowed to control.
The exam at the end will cover the modules that were selected.
In addition, states that wish to work with us, can edit the species modules so that only those techniques permitted in their state are discussed. Biology and range information can also be adjusted to reflect the specific facts in that respective state. These state specific training materials can then be printed and/or provided on-line. States won’t have to bear the costs of hosting or modification of materials as the user can bear the full price. What is that price? We don’t know at the moment because we are still preparing the document for publication. But we anticipate the on-line training (which will have additional training resources than what can be provided by the book) to be less than 200 dollars which will include the cost of the exam. Of course, advanced training modules will be provided in the future. If you are interested in providing advanced training, please contact me. We want to work with you.
Outline of the National Wildlife Control Training Program
Here is an outline of the National Wildlife Control Training Program
Part 1 WCO Core Training Modules
1. Principles of Wildlife Damage Management – Introduction to principles, definition of concepts, best practices concepts,.
2. Physical Safety – The section on physical safety (like ladder safety) and expand on details related to working in the field dealing with animal capture and certain control techniques.
3. Wildlife Diseases – We discuss personal safety, personal protection equipment, common diseases, and the meaning and problems of zoonotic diseases.
4. Site Inspection – The process and theory of on-site investigation of wildlife damage complaints.
5. Overview of wildlife control methods – The overview of control methods prepares technicians for the control techniques they fill find in the species specific information.
6. Animal Handling—Treatment and capture of free-ranging and trapped animals. .
7. Euthanasia & Carcass Disposal—Killing methods and options for the disposition of carcasses.
8. Business Practices – Overview of standard business practices. This is NOT a how to run you business.
9. Legal and Ethical Issues – The importance of following federal, state and local laws. Demonstration of values, business and personal ethics, the ethical treatment of wildlife (animals in general) in the media.
PART 2 Species Modules
Raccoon
Skunk
Bat
Beaver
Squirrels
Etc.
We are excited about this new development. Stay tuned or even better, stop by and see us at NWCOA’s convention in New Orleans Jan 13 and following.
Stephen Vantassel, Project Coordinator, CWCP, ACP
Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management
School of Natural Resources
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
414 Hardin Hall
Lincoln, NE 68583-0974 U.S.A.
phone: 402-472-8961
fax: 402-472-2946
email: svantassel2@unl.edu
web site: http://icwdm.org
