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5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a WCO

5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a WCO

While I give tips on how to handle your own animal damage problems, there are times when you just want to hire a wildlife control operator (WCO). The problem is you don’t want to hire a bad one. Since Spring is upon us, I thought it might help my visitors evaluate contractors to find the best WCO. That is why I am giving you 5 questions to ask before hiring a WCO to handle your wildlife problem.

WCO (Wildlife Control Operator). Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
WCO (Wildlife Control Operator). Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

Before we get to the questions, you need to understand the difference between pest controller operators (PCO) and WCO, also known as Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) also known as Problem Animal Controllers (PAC). A PCO is someone who handles bugs through the use of poison. A WCO is someone who handles vertebrate pests (animals with a backbone) with traps, exclusion etc. PCOs are licensed through their state’s Dept. of Food and Agriculture or Department of Agriculture. WCOs, if their state licenses them at all, will be regulated usually by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife or Department of Natural Resources.

Obviously, the first thing you should do is to look for a WCO (Wildlife Control Operator) to handle your wildlife problem and not a (PCO) Pest Control Operator. Once you know what you are looking for you should ask the following 5 questions before hiring a WCO.

1. Ask how many years have you been a WCO? This question is not to be confused with how many years in the PCO (Pest Control Operator) business. Bug killing is very different from controlling wildlife. Too many PCOs start doing WCO work with little to no trapping or wildlife experience.

2. Are you licensed? Is the contractor licensed to do animal damage control work in the state you live in? While some states don’t require licenses, many do. Ask if the person has completed a state certified trapping course. While most trapping courses teach fur trapping (not nuisance work), going through the training gives at least information about state laws.

3. Do you carry liability insurance? A surprising number do not.

4. Can you send me a copy of the contract? Does the WCO provide a clear contract along with an explanation of what services he/she will and will not provide?

5. Ask if the WCO is a member of the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA). Membership doesn’t prove competence, but it does show a certain level of commitment to the industry. Don’t just take their word for it. Contact the Association at NWCOA.com to see if the person is a member. Full disclosure, I am the Western Director for the Association.

These aren’t the only questions that you should ask, but they are an important start. You want your wildlife problem resolved inexpensively but also properly. Don’t let the stress of wildlife problems force you to make a bad hiring decision.

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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Wildlife Calendar

Wildlife Calendar

A Canada goose (Branta canadensis). Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
A Canada goose (Branta canadensis). Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

One of the challenges of wildlife control work is that it is tied to the seasons. Human-animal conflicts increase when animals seek mates, dens, and struggle to raise young. Since work in wildlife control varies by season, it is essential that wildlife control operators (WCOs) know the life-cycles of animals in their area.

Develop Your Own Wildlife Calendar

You can create your own wildlife calendar in two ways. First, contact your state’s division of wildlife or game agency and speak to biologists in charge of the species you handle. Ask them when the species hibernate (if it does), mate, raise young, and when young disperse to seek their own territories. The second way is to record your own observations.

To help make sense of all the data, I suggest using a table with 12 rows (plus one for the headings) and 3 columns.  Label the three columns of row 1 as Month, First 2 weeks and Second 2 weeks. Label the rest of the rows in column 1 according to the 12 months of the year. Setting this up in Microsoft Word will allow the table to grow as you put more information in it.

Benefits of the calendar

Use the calendar to plan your potential revenue stream as well as your advertising. The calendar also may help you prepare your truck for species that become active during the coming months.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a Certified Wildlife Control Operator (CWCP®) who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. 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.

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Relocation or Translocation?

Relocation or Translocation?

Stephen M. Vantassel rescuing a skunk trapped in a window well.
Stephen M. Vantassel rescuing a skunk trapped in a window well.

Every profession has its share of technical jargon. Sometimes that jargon prevents learning and understanding, but usually it helps clarify thoughts. Relocation and translocation are two terms that help rather than hinder understanding.

Relocation refers to the movement of an animal from one place to another but within it’s home range. For example, if you remove a skunk trapped in a window-well and let it go in the backyard, then you have “relocated” the skunk from the window-well to the backyard. You moved the skunk but he is still in the area he is familiar with.

Translocation refers to to the movement of an animal from one place to another but outside its homerange. For example, trapping a gray squirrel in your backyard and then driving 20 miles and dumping it off, is an example of translocation. You have moved the squirrel to an entirely new area that it is NOT familiar with.

As you can see, most people, including professionals use the term relocation to refer to translocation. I am hopeful that with more education we can help both professionals and the public can begin to use the correct terms.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a Certified Wildlife Control Operator (CWCP®) who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. 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.

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Choosing a Career in Wildlife Control

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 Training Program
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

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Review Article on Andrew Linzey’s Why Animal Suffering Matters

Those of you who have followed my career are well aware of my long standing critique of Andrew Linzey’s understanding of Christianity and animals. I have just published a review article of his latest book Why Animal Suffering Matters in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. I welcome your comments.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACP

Stephen M. Vantassel is an expert in wildlife damage management and nationally known writer on wildlife damage control and animal rights issues. His latest book is Dominion over Wildlife? An Environmental-Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations (Wipf and Stock 2009).