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Stephen M. Vantassel, ACE

Stephen began his work in the wildlife control industry before entering college in the early 1980s. In 1994, he founded Wildlife Removal Service, Inc. (sold in 1998) servicing clients in western Massachusetts. Later, he spent 10 years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln managing the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM.org). Stephen has published scores of articles, many available at http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantasseland several books on wildlife control https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com. He recently finished publishing a revision of Austin Frishman’s Vertebrate Pest Handbook where he narrowed the focus to commensal rodents. Stephen holds an Associate Certified Entomologist® (ACE) certification and continues to expand his understanding of the insect part of pest control. Today, Stephen runs Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. where he discusses vertebrate pest control on his podcast, “Living the Wild Life” https://rumble.com/c/c-296201. Stephen is available for training events, lectures, writing, consulting, and defending wildlife damage management activities against the criticisms of the animal rights protest industry. He lives in Lewistown, MT.

Stephen M. Vantassel speaking before an audience on vertebrate pest management and wildlife control.

Stephen M. Vantassel's Education

A Christian theology of animal use, creation care, and place within a biblical world view.

Dissertation

Stephen has a Doctorate in Theology. His dissertation was entitled, A Theological, Ethical, and Scientific Evaluation of the Christian Animal Rights Movement's Opposition to Wildlife Trapping. Did he publish his findings in a book entitled Dominion over Wildlife? An Environmental-Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations (Wipf and Stock, 2009). He believes his academic training and "real-world" animal damage control experience give him a unique perspective on this controversial topic. In addition, Stephen has an MS in Leadership Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2013).

Stephen is happily married to Donna Vantassel, a Nurse Practitioner in Lewistown, MT.

Wildlife Damage Management CV

I. CERTIFICATIONS:

Certified Wildlife Control Professional (CWCP #010005) 2001-2022
Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) 2019
Academy Certified Professional (ACP) 2007
Montana Certified Pesticide Applicator, Core 2015
Nebraska Certified Pesticide Applicator, Categories 00 & 14 (since 2004) and Category 8 (since 2010-2014)
The Fur Takers of America (Intermediate ranking) 2010, Master Ranking, 2013
Master NWCOA Instructor (MNI) Certified Basic Wildlife Control Operator, 2012-present
Safe-Capture International, 2012
NWCOA Bat Standards Certification, 2014
Certified NWCOA Instructor (CNI), Goose Academy, 2013-present
Certified NWCOA Instructor (CNI), Bat Standards Class, 2014-present

II. TRAINING:

National Wildlife Control Operators Association Wildlife Expo, 2011-2019
NWCOA Shooting Academy. (Videographer). Roanoke, VA. Sept. 21-22, 2014
Vertebrate Pest Conference. Vertebrate Pest Council. CA. 2006, 2008, 2016, 2018
Bat Standards Training Course. Middleton, NY. June 28, 2014
Goose Academy. Middleton, NY. June 26-7, 2014
Wildlife Control Technology Annual Seminars (http://www.wctech.com). 2000, 2005-2009
Wildlife Damage Management Conference, Wildlife Damage Management Working Group of the Wildlife Society. 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013
Assisted in producing the 2009 Wildlife Damage Management Conference in Nebraska City, NE
"Working with the UNL IACUC." May 5, 2005. Research Training.org
First Massachusetts Wildlife Control Seminar. September 20, 2003.MAPAC. Marlborough, MA
Fifth New England Wildlife Control Seminar. March 23, 2002. CT NWCO Association. Meriden, CT
"Water Level Control Devices to Address Flooding Caused by Beavers." June 30, 2000. Bureau of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, Session Woods, CT
Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference. College Park, PA. 2000
Massachusetts Trapper Training. Mass. Division of F & W. South Hadley, MA. Massachusetts Hancock & Bailey Beaver Trap Training. 1996. Mass. Division of F & W. Belchertown, MA
First Eastern Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator's Short Course. February 21-23, 1994. Lexington, KY. Hosted by the Cooperative Extension Service and the Dept. of Forestry

III. WILDLIFE DAMAGE MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE:

A. FIELD:

Massachusetts Lic. Problem Animal Controller 1982-2004.

Connecticut Lic. NWCO 1994-6. "Preliminary Investigation of Pocket Gopher Trap Efficiency." 2005-10. Article submitted.

Founder of Wildlife Removal Service Inc. 1994-98.

Animal Control Officer for the City of Springfield, MA Oct, 93-Dec 95 & Chicopee 95-1998. Involved in the Mid-Atlantic Rabies Epidemic.

Animals controlled/trapped: Bat, Badger, Beaver, Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Bull Frog, Canada Goose, Chipmunk, Coyote, Crow, Eastern Mole, Feral Cat, Columbian Ground Squirrel, Feral Pigeon, Flying Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Great Plains Pocket Gopher, Hairy-tailed Mole, House Mouse, House Sparrow, Mule Deer, Muskrat, Nutria, Opossum, Peromyscus spp. Northern Pocket Gopher, Raccoon, Red Squirrel, Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Shrew, Snapping Turtle, Starling, Striped Skunk, Star-nosed Mole, Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel, Voles, Woodchuck, and Woodpecker.

B. Expert Witness:

Godnik Law, S.G., Superior, WI. May 2022.

Toll v. Scott. Fairfax, VA. November 4. 2009.

C. INTERNET:

The webmaster of www.icwdm.org 2004-2015.

Wildlife Damage Management Community of Practice with eXtension.org 2006-present

Wildlife Damage Expert for Allexperts.com since Pest Control 10/22/2000 Pests 10/22/2000 Animal Rights 1/3/2001 Wildlife DC 10/11/2006

IV. PRESENTATIONS:

Stephen can speak on a variety of wildlife control-related topics. Below is a list of topics he can discuss for you and your organization. All are hour-long topics unless otherwise noted. Topics can be modified to go shorter or longer.

Effective Cage and Box Trapping
Advanced Cage and Box Trapping
Skunk Control
Control of Turf-Damaging Vertebrates
Control of Raccoons
Control of Urban Birds
Control of Woodpeckers
Control of Tree Squirrels
Wildlife Diseases and Mitigating those Threats
Inspecting Structures for Wildlife Damage
Control of Commensal Rodents

Control of Richardson's Ground Squirrels
Control of Columbian Ground Squirrels
Control of Prairie Dogs
Control of Pocket Gophers
Fumigants for Control of Vertebrate Pests
Understanding Vertebrate Toxicants
Control of Voles
Control of Moles
Use of M-44s (Sodium Cyanide)
State of the Wildlife Control Industry
And More

Stephen has spoken for various groups and events, including the National Wildlife Control Operators Association, Wildlife Control Technology Seminar, American Society of Home Inspectors Annual Meeting, Kansas Pest Control Association, New York State Wildlife Management Association, Connecticut Wildlife Control Operator Association, Montana Environmental Health Association, Montana Sheepherders Association, Vertebrate Pest Conference, Wildlife Damage Management Conference, Ecological Society of America, Connecticut Master Gardener's Association, Pest Management Association of Alberta, and others.

V. PUBLICATIONS:

A. BOOKS:

Vantassel, Stephen M. 2017. Being Kind to Animal Pests, Rev. ed. Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC
Vantassel, S. 2017. Wildlife Removal Handbook: A Guide to the Capture and Control of Urban Wild Animals, 3rd ed. Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC
Vantassel, S. 2013. The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. Lincoln, NE: Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.
Vantassel, S., P. Curtis, and S. Hygnstrom. 2013. National Wildlife Control Training Program: Supplemental Species Information. University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Cornell University
Vantassel, S. 2012. The Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. 180 pp
Vantassel, S., P. Curtis, and S. Hygnstrom. 2012. National Wildlife Control Training Program: Core Principles and Information. University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Cornell University
Vantassel, S. 2009. Dominion over Wildlife? An Environmental-Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2009
Vantassel, S. 2002. A Beginner's Guide to Mole Control Using NoMol Traps. Wildlife Control Supplies

Articles

Cover of the July 2013 edition of Pest Management Professional magazine
Additional publications may be found at Stephen's Publications

Stephen M. Vantassel, 2012 Educator of the Year Award from the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA).

VI. AWARDS

2012 NWCOA Wildlife Educator of the Year
2008 NWCOA Wildlife Damage Educator of the Year
2008 (Fall) University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources Staff Recognition Award

About Wildlife Control Consultant

Why You Can Trust Us

VII. OTHER WILDLIFE DAMAGE CONTROL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES:

Contributor to the Pest Geek Podcast, 10/2018-present
Q.& A. Column writer for Animal Damage Control from December 1993 to January 1995
Asst. Editor of Wildlife Control Technology Magazine, March-April, 1999-2001
Founder of Massachusetts Association of Problem Animal Controllers in December 1993. Registered with the state in 1996
Former NWCOA Correspondent for the National Animal Damage Controllers Assoc
Articles published in The Trapper-Predator Caller, Animal Damage Control, Probe, Wildlife Control Technology, Fur-Fish-Game, Condo Media, Pest Control Technology, American Society of Home Inspectors, and NACA NEWS

VIII. OTHER LIFE EXPERIENCES:

Vertebrate Pest Specialist. Montana Department of Agriculture. 2015-Present
Project Coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2004-2008
Program Coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009-2015
Emergency Medical Technician, licensed in Massachusetts. Hospital Orderly, Johnson Memorial Hospital. Stafford Springs, CT. 1990-1991

Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC publishes the Wildlife Control Consultant Podcast.