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Regulations WCOs Should Support

In last week’s blog, I provided three reasons wildlife control operators (WCOs) should support regulations for their industry. Now, I would like to list several industry regulations WCOs should support. I contend that the listed regulations should be supported by WCOs because they will improve the professionalism of the industry, protect the environment, and safeguard the interests of consumers.

Regulations WCOs Should Support

The following regulatory suggestons are listed in no particular order.

Entrance to Minnesota State Capital Building
Wildlife control operators need to lobby state legislators to obtain industry supportive regulations.
  • Liability Insurance: State WCO regulations should require WCOs to carry at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance. This insurance is not prohibitively expensive and goes a long way to protect customers from damages caused by maloccurence, malpractice, and just plain bad luck, while simultaneously reducing fly-by-night WCOs.
  • Licensing Exams: State WCO regulations should require those who wishing to obtain a WCO license to pass an exam that assessess relevant knowledge of state wildlife laws and proper WCO practices.
  • Continuing Education: States WCO regulations should require WCOs to undergo continuing education training to maintain their licenses. Just as pest control operators must obtain continuing education credits to keep their licenses, so WCOs should also be required to keep learning to maintain theirs.
  • Broad Powers: State WCO regulations should give WCO license holders broad powers to control vertebrate pests. Too many states presently treat WCOs as glorified fur trappers, thereby saddling them with onerous restrictions that prevent WCOs from efficiently resolving human-wildlife conflicts. In some cases, WCOs are forced to use techniques that increase animal suffering.
  • Advertising Restrictions: State WCO regulations should state that ONLY licensed WCOs may advertise wildlife control services. This rule would allow game wardens to cite individuals and companies for advertising services that they are not licensed to do, thereby protecting licensed WCOs and the general public.

If you would like a proposed draft of regulations, click WCORegsProposal11-2-19

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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Why WCOs Should Support Regulations

Yes, you read that header right. I want wildlife control operators (WCO) to support regulations and lobby for improved regulations governing their business and

Photo of a judge's gavel.
Gavels often are used to signify the completion of a law or legal decision. Photo: Blogtrepeneur.

industry. Why do think that WCOs should support regulations given that regulations will likely increase the cost of doing business? I understand that business owners supporting increases in regulations regulations is counterintuitive but my support for regulations draws on three main reasons. While any one of them is sufficient to support the case, the fact that they stand together and mutually reinforce each other makes for a strong case in deed.

WCOs Need a Guild

My first argument in support of regulations is that WCOs need a guild. A guild is a business with barriers to entry. Lawyers are a guild. You can’t be a lawyer unless you pass the Bar. A guild would help WCOs by limiting access to the wildlife control industry. Notice I said, limit, not prevent. By adding barriers, only those individuals who were serious about the industry would make the effort necessary to join. An immediate advantage would be to eliminate those fly-by-night WCOs who just hang a shingle one day and remove it the next.

Regulations Protect Customers

The second argument to support regulations lies in consumer protection. When WCOs are regulated, customers have a better chance of hiring a qualified WCO to resolve his/her wildlife complaint. Licensing, and hopefully insurance, also gives clients greater peace of mind that they are hiring a professional who is vetted by the State. Is the protection perfect? No. But it certainly gives more protection than having no regulations. In addition, regulations allow customers to ask the government to punish wrong-doers and thereby avoid having to go to court on their own.

Regulations Will Protect the Industry

Perhaps the most important benefit of regulations is the protections they provide the WCO and the wider industry. The fact is governments protect what they regulate. The WCO industry has many opponents, not the least, the animal rights protest industry. I agree that the antis know wildlife control work will never be banned. But they can enact laws that will make WCO work onerous. Regulations (good ones) help protect WCOs because when someone makes the BIG MISTAKE and gets all kinds of media attention and public outrage, regulated WCOs can say that person broke the law so we don’t need new regulations.

Certainly more can be said about the value of regulations for the WCO. But I hope these three points will help convince naysayers to at least consider revising their opinion.

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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Why WCOs Should Be Regulated

WCO regulations?

Wildlife control operators (WCOs) are individuals that charge a fee to resolve problems customers have with vertebrate (i.e. a spine or backbone) animals. In this regard, WCOs are very much like pest control operators (PCOs), who help clients with insects (animals that lack a backbone) such as cockroaches and bedbugs. You may know that PCOs are regulated but are their any WCO regulations?

Stephen M. Vantassel at the 25th Wildlife Society Conference in Cleveland, OH explaining how wildlife agency neglect of wildlife control operators harms wildlife and consumers.
Stephen M. Vantassel at the 25th Wildlife Society Conference in Cleveland, OH explaining how wildlife agency neglect of wildlife control operators harms wildlife and consumers.

What most people don’t realize is that in many states, WCOs have few regulations and in some instances virtually none. In other words, the WCO you hire may not have any official training in wildlife control and may not even  have a business license. This is one reason why I believe, WCOs should be regulated. But there are also other reasons.

I recently gave a talk at the 25th Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society in Cleveland, OH (Oct 11, 2018). There I explained that state wildlife agencies that ignore regulating WCOs are not fulfilling their responsibilities to follow the North American Model of Wildlife Management. Wildlife control operators handle thousands if not tens of thousands of animals every year. Where are all those animals going? Are they being translocated, relocated, dispatched? If moved, what are the environmental impacts of moving those animals to new locations? If the animals are being dispatched, are there guidelines for dispatching and disposal of carcasses?  I recognize that the animals typically being controlled are not in danger of becoming extinct. But there should be some oversight given the volume of wildlife being handled on an annual basis.

Unfortunately, many WCOs oppose regulation. They mistakenly think that regulation is automatically bad. In fact, regulation means the government has an interest in protecting your work. The solution to bad regulation is not no regulation but good regulation. But that is a topic for another blog.

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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WCO Job Requirements

WCO employee on the phone.
WCO employee on the phone.

So your business is expanding and you are thinking of adding a new WCO (wildlife control operator) to your staff. Congratulations. To truly make money in a service industry you need to either raise prices, add labor, or both. But what makes a good WCO? In other words, what are the WCO job requirements or skills needed to make an outstanding WCO?

You have to be careful. Hiring the wrong person can cost you dearly. But, hiring the right person can make you a lot of money, help someone else, and bring peace of mind to yourself, your employee and your customers. So what should you look for? Here are some key WCO Job Requirements that I think you should have.

  • Physically fit. This is a big one. WCO work is grueling when it is done right. Your worker needs to be strong, healthy, and able to handle uncomfortable environmental conditions.
  • Personable. WCO work is a service business. Employees need to be able to converse with customers in a professional manner.
  • Handy. WCO work requires hands-on skills. Anyone can learn trapping. The hard part is finding someone with ability to do handy-man type repairs.
  • Reliable. WCO is a loner job. You simply can’t be there with your employee all the time. If you can’t trust him/her. Then don’t hire that person.

If you need advice on how to screen workers, why not give us a call?

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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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WCOs and Dogs

WCOs and dogs may seem like a strange topic but a few moments of reflection would suggest otherwise. Wildlife Control Operators (WCOs) visit the homes of clients.

Sign warning people about dogs. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
Sign warning people about dogs. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

Lots of clients have dogs and dogs can bite. According to the Dogs Bite.org, between January 1 2005 and December 31, 2017, at least 433 people died from dog attacks in the United States. Granted 48% of the deaths were of children less than 9 years of age. Makes sense, children are more vulnerable. But don’t let your guard down. people in older groups including adults have been killed by dogs. Deaths are only part of the story as most incidents involve bodily injury, some quite severe, meaning that the victim required medical treatment.

Bottom line. WCOs need to be on the look out for more than just slippery sidewalks. They need to be paying attention to whether a domestic animal is on location and whether it can pose a threat to the WCO’s personal safety.

WCOs should protect themselves by following these suggestions:

  • Ask clients whether they have a dog on the premises when hired. Make it part of the phone inspection process.
  • Keep an eye out for signs of dogs when driving up to the job site. Are there dog food dishes present? What about dog toys? Is there a fenced area that seems quite secure? Is the grass destroyed by that fence line suggesting a dog spends time monitoring that fence?
  • Do you hear barking when you arrive?

Once you see a dog, don’t assume it’s friendly. Keep away from it unless the client suggests otherwise. The Centers for Disease Control has many more suggestions on how to prevent dog bites. I suggest reading their tips to keep you safe. If you have employees, take the opportunity to train them. A few minutes of training can save hours of lost work, pain, and expensive medical bills.

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 (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. 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.

 

 

About Stephen M. Vantassel

Stephen M. Vantassel, MNI, CNI, CWCP, ACP, ACE Stephen M. Vantassel's Bio Stephen M. Vantassel is the Vertebrate Pest Specialist for the Montana Department of Agriculture (2015-present). Formerly, Stephen M. Vantassel was the Program Coordinator of Distance Education-Wildlife Damage Management for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources from 2004-2014. Stephen filled … Learn More

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