Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC

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Buying Books

Buying books. That’s right, Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC is buying books. Not just any books, we are interested in obtaining the rights to books related to vertebrate control, pest control, animal control, wildlife control, trapping, fur harvesting, bait making, trap adjustments, specialty trapping, animal control trapping, inspection, the business of wildlife control and fur harvesting etc. In other words, if the book or publication explains “how-to” do wildlife control or vertebrate control, Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. is interested in talking about purchasing all rights to the publication.

Books by Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.
Books by Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

Questions and Answers

Q. Are there particular species that are of interest?

A. We are interested in species resident in North America. But we will consider books delving into species that occur elsewhere. We want books that address human-wildlife conflicts including birds, rodents, carnivores, deer, mustelids, reptiles, marsupials, amphibians, lagomorphs, shrews, and others.

Q. Do the species have to be native to North America?

A. No. We would welcome books on invasive species, such as pigeons, nutria, etc.

Q. Does the publication have to be in English?

A. Unfortunately, yes. We are looking for books written in English, whether American or United Kingdom versions 😊.

Q. Does the age of the book matter?

A. No. we are interested in books of historical worth as well.

If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. 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.

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Depopulation of Animals

Depopulation of animals has a rather ominous sound to it. Why would we ever want to depopulate an area of animals? Aren’t we struggling with enough losses in wildlife numbers already? What would be the purpose of trying to increase the deaths of wildlife that are already under strain in many parts of the world?

Large numbers of wildlife, like these mule deer, occasionally require depopulation. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel.
Large numbers of wildlife, like these mule deer, occasionally require depopulation. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel.

Those are all great questions. Let’s begin by noting that no one wants to depopulate an area of wildlife unless those animals are deemed invasive, such as feral hogs, nutria, etc. But aside from invasive animals, depopulation often needs to occur when there are significant disease outbreaks. Depopulation on large scales are used to either eliminate the spread of the disease, or to significantly reduce the spread of that disease to buy time.

Depopulation of animals isn’t pretty nor is it sought after but from time to time some animals must die in order to save the many. It’s just one of those hard facts that just has to be accepted even if the practice of killing all those animals makes one nauseous.

Because depopulation of animals is needed from time to time, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) established a working group to create standards to guide depopulation efforts. Their goal was to establish some principles and preferred methods to do this awful work in a manner that would be both effective but cause the least amount of suffering to the animals concerned and avoid harming non-targeted animals. I was grateful to be invited to participate in the creation of this document. It is an honor to be part of a publication that will guide the actions of agencies and wildlife control personnel tasked with performing mass depopulations of wildlife.

The document is called the AVMA Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals 2019. It has just been made available. You can download your copy at https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/depopulation-guidelines.aspx

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. 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.

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Bats and the Law

I occasionally receive calls from people looking for ways to handle bats. They often tell me that they “know” that bats are protected and cannot be handled. So, they are looking for ways to evict the bats from their homes while following the law. I asked one caller where he heard this and he said the “internet.” It’s incredible that such bad information exists in cyberspace so I thought I would provide a brief summary of bats and the law to help clarify things for wildlife control operators (WCOs), pest control operators (PCOs) and the general public.

Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is an endangered species. Photo: USFWS.
Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is an endangered species. Photo: USFWS.

The first fact about wildlife law is that the vast majority of wildlife law is governed at the state rather than federal level. Federal law on wildlife is, for the most part, restricted to threatened and endangered species (T & E), migratory birds https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-act.php , and ocean mammals https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/. Presently, 12 bats https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/pub/SpeciesReport.do?groups=A&listingType=L&mapstatus=1 are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The majority, if not all of these bats, are not typically found in structures. But if they are, contact USFWS immediately.

Since states have the primary role in governing the handling of wildlife, it should come as little surprise that state wildlife agencies (typically named Fish and Wildlife, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Game Commission, etc.) must establish regulations covering bats and other wildlife.

States classify wildlife into two major categories, Game Animals and Non-game Animals. Game animals is a legal classification for those species that are hunted, fished, and trapped. Sub-categories of game animals include big game (deer, elk, etc.), small game (rabbits, tree squirrels, etc.), furbearers (mink, muskrat, etc.). Most people learn about state wildlife agencies as the place where hunting, fishing and trapping licenses are obtained. Licenses are granted for the taking (i.e. capture and killing) of game animals.

The other major classification is non-game animals. These are animals that are not hunted such as voles, chipmunks, garter snakes, and a host of other animals. Now what is confusing for people is that non-game animals may be protected or unprotected. For example, in Montana, prairie dogs are a non-game animal, but they are not protected. Landowners can shoot them at will. Woodpeckers, being a migratory bird, are non-game but they are protected. You cannot harm them without a federal and in some cases a state permit.

How are bats classified? Bats are non-game animals. But depending on your state, bats may be protected or unprotected. Since the occurrence of white-nose syndrome (https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/), an increasing number of states mandate that any type of structural exclusion of bat (the process of getting bats out of your house) must be performed outside of the “blackout dates.” Blackout dates are typically between May and August. States prohibit the exclusion of bats during this period to prevent the possibility of killing juvenile bats during the exclusion process. Owners may evict bats from their buildings but only outside the blackout period. Likewise, these states may prohibit the arbitrary killing of bats. Other states, however, do not protect bats. While these states would like you to use proper exclusion practices that evict but don’t kill bats, they can’t force you because the regulations do not require it. For the record, I recommend following NWCOA’s Bat Standards (http://nwcoa.com of which I am instructor).

To learn where your state stands on bat control, contact the non-game biologist and ask what the regulations in your state demand. Individuals wanting to know what the regulations are must contact representatives of that agency, typically a non-game biologist or game warden, for that information. A list of state wildlife agency websites can be found here https://www.fws.gov/offices/statelinks.html.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. 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.

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Refresher on Deer Mice

Deer mice is an umbrella term for rodents in the genus Peromyscus. Two species of deer mice are common in the U.S namely the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and the white-footed mouse (Permomyscus leucopus). Because deer mice frequently occur in structures, it is important that pest control operators (PCOs) and wildlife control operators (WCOs) become familiar with the biology of these mice. Thus, this blog entry will be a refresher on deer mice. The primary source of this post will be gleaned from an article by Gary W. Witmer and Rachael S. Moulton. 2012. Deer Mice (Peromyscus spp.) Biology, Damage and Management: A Review. Vertebrate Pest Conference 25:213-219.

Deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus. Photo by CDC.
Deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus. Photo by CDC.

Deer mice range in size from 15-30 g (0.5-1.06 oz) and have a total length (total length includes the tail) of 130-200mm (5.12-7.87 in). They may be distinguished from the house mouse (Mus musculus) by their bi-colored coat and tail and larger eyes and ears.

Deer mice occur in a variety of habitats including areas along the coast, brushlands, grasslands, deserts, woods, alpine, and tropical. They can nest in below ground (though neither are strong burrowers) and above-ground cavities. Nests are lined with grass, feathers, and/or shredded cloth. They can move rather broadly with some research showing they travel up to 100 meters (109.4 yards) in a beet field. Home ranges can vary between 0.1 to 1.0 ha (0.25-2.2 acres). Deer mice are omnivores feeding on seeds, insects, fungi, bones, eggs, and nuts.

Females breed primarily between March and October but in warmer climates can breed in other months. Litter sizes range from 1-9 pups. Deer mice tolerate each other, but females in estrus will defend territories.

Deer mice are associated with two key diseases, Hantavirus and Lyme disease so technicians should visit the CDC.gov to learn more about both of these infectious diseases.

Control of deer mice mirrors that of house mice. Habitat modification, exclusion, traps, and toxicants labeled for deer mice, are standard controls. Technicians are admonished not to assume toxicants will resolve infestations if alternative and preferred foods are available.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. 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.

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HD 360X Zoom Lenses

Product Review: HD 360X Zoom and Macro and Fish Eye Lenses. HD 360x 2105 Foothill Blvd. Suite B123. La Verne, CA 91750.

HD 360X Zoom and Macro and Fish Eye Lenses. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel.
HD 360X Zoom and Macro and Fish Eye Lenses. Photo: Stephen M. Vantassel.

In my work with the wildlife control industry, I take a fair number of photos related to wildlife damage, sign, and wildlife control techniques. It seems I never have enough photos as I am missing the needed angle or subject. But carrying around my bulky camera bag is a tedious. So, I have really appreciated the convenience of taking pictures with my iPhone (6s). I grant you that other cell phones have better capabilities (such as Droids and the iPhone 7), but for many shots, it has fit the bill quite nicely.

But is there is a way to get more capabilities without adding a lot of bulk? I recently saw a Facebook ad for add-on telephoto lenses. The ad had a comment by a photographer who said the lens let him leave his digital camera behind. I wanted to see for myself. I purchased the HD360x Zoom (8x magnification), the fish eye lens and the macro lens. Keep in mind that the lenses are only designed for single lens cell phones. They won’t work with phones that use two lenses, such as the iPhone 7 and comparable non-Apple phones.

All the lenses screw onto a clip that pressure fastens to your phone with a clothespin-like clip. Affixing the lenses is easy. The problem was lining up the lenses to the lens of the phone. The telephoto lens was particularly difficult for me. I should also point out that if you protect your phone with a cover such as an Otter Box, you have to remove it for these devices to work.

Readers should keep in mind that my review is based on initial use of these products. My opinion could change with more practice and experience with the lenses. Nevertheless, I think initial impressions are important. So here they are.

Zoom Lens. It did bring the target significantly closer to me. But I was not impressed with the clarity of the photo. I need photos that are crisp and my initial experience didn’t provide that.

Macro Lens. This lens is designed to let you take close up shots of small objects. I tried it on a box of colored pencils and my desk. When I compared the photos to just using the camera lens by itself, I didn’t see any difference significant enough in either clarity of magnification to justify using the macro lens.

Fish Eye Lens. This lens lets you expand the field of vision taken by the photo. This lens did fulfill its promise as it definitely added a few more degrees to the camera’s field of vision. Now whether the fish eye beats using the panoramic setting on the camera is a separate question.

Cost. I paid $56.00 for the all three lenses including shipping.

Should you buy a set? I would say not this brand. At least not until I can figure out how to make it work better. Is there another brand that would work better? Maybe. If you have ideas. I am all ears.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. 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.