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29th Vertebrate Pest Conference

In early March, I was privileged to be in attendance at the 29th Vertebrate Pest Conference in Santa Barbara, California, March 3-5, 2020. This was my fourth or fifth time attending a VPC. The Vertebrate Pest Conference is the oldest and longest continuing running conference on wildlife damage management and wildlife control topics in the United States and possibly the world. It is truly the grand daddy of wildlife control training. It discusses structural vertebrate control as well as agricultural and public health vertebrate control.

Stephen M. Vantassel speaking at the 29th Vertebrate Pest Conference on M-44s and Box trap temperatures.
Stephen M. Vantassel speaking at the 29th Vertebrate Pest Conference on M-44s and Box trap temperatures.

The Vertebrate Pest Conference started in the 1960s in response to a perceived need for improved research and transfer of information on managing human-wildlife conflicts. Since that time, the conference occurs every other year, (even years), usually in California but there have been instances where the conference occurred in Nevada and Hawaii. I am told that the next Vertebrate Pest Conference in 2022 will occur in Reno, NV, so start planning.

I not only was an attendee, but I also presented on two topics. The first topic was titled, “M-44 Use Non-USDA Personnel in Montana between 2006-2019.” Montana is one of the few states that licenses private applicators to use M-44s to control coyotes (Canis latrans). I collected the use data and presented on that information as well as discussed implications.

My second topic was titled, “Temperature and Humidity Study in Cage and Box Traps: Implications for Animal Welfare.” This presentation was based on a research trial I did while I was at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Essentially, I placed temperature and humidity loggers in a cage and plasti-catch trap for over a year. A third one was placed between the two traps. The idea was to see what the conditions were in each of the traps. Turns out that the box trap was significantly warmer than the cage trap. Hotter traps can be useful for animals in the winter time, but in the summer can dramatically undermine animal welfare.

Both presentations will be published in the Proceedings of the 29th Vertebrate Pest Conference, which should be out before the end of 2020. I’ll update the publication status in a future blog, or you can visit my Academia.edu page.

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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Click the links for past {shows} and {interviews}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} 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 [email protected] 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 Research Questions

Wildlife Research Questions

Stephen M. Vantassel at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Stephen M. Vantassel at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The field of wildlife damage management has come a long way in the past 40 years. But despite those advances (just visit http://icwdm.org/Publications/ResearchWDM.aspx for proof), much more needs to be learned. Regrettably, it seems that most of the research dollars still funds research on wildlife in natural environments. I certainly think that such research is important, but with the growth of urbanization, we need more information about wildlife behavior in human-impacted environments.

To help biology and natural resources students focus on questions important to those in the field of wildlife damage management, I am providing a list of research topics that may wish to select for their own studies.

How about answering the question of how humane is the use of Acetone, Alcohol or other non pharmaceutical drugs in euthanasia?  Does the animal die as quickly with this chemical as the registered chemicals and how are they different in their effects?

  • Why are woodchuck populations so different in urban/surburan areas than in the wild?  Such as the difference between one woodchuck per hole in the wild vs up to six or eight adults at times in urban/surburban areas? One ADC person states, “In Indiana, from my observations over the last 20 years, the reason is because coyotes have severely reduced the rural populations. City groundhogs must live in the available urban and sububan habitat and this causes overcrowding even to the point that their social structures may have changed somewhat. This is not fact just my speculation because I see the same thing here.”
  • What are survival rates for relocated fox squirrels in summer vs. winter?
  • What percentage of striped skunks may have rabies in an urban vs. suburban area?
  • What makes raccoons rip asphalt shingles off one roof and not another?  And sometimes return to the same roof the next year? Is it odor? Eg. Pheromones or is it through air flow/leakage.
  • Caged trapped animals that have been released, Can they be cage trapped again. Which species are cage trappable again, Which are not?
  • Effects of Population control (hunting and Trapping) on occurrences of damage complaints.  Do cities that have banned traps have a higher damage rate, i.e. effects in MA after trap ban.
  • Survey of economics of loses to wildlife damage in urban and agricultural settings. The impact of trapping regulations on the extent of damage.
  • Public opinion of disposition of animal involved in damage complaints, measure the acceptance of lethal control measures.  How much damage will the public accept before requiring or wanting the animal problem ended regardless of method.  The public has no problem allowing a burglar to be shot and killed if they enter their homes and threaten their family, how do their feel about raccoons in their attics?  I know the answer from years of listening to customers and I think it would be interesting to see the results of an unbiased survey.

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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5 Steps to Identify What Killed Your Livestock

5 Steps to Identify What Killed Your Livestock

Blue Jay killed by a predator.
Blue Jay killed by a predator.

I receive requests from animal owners looking for help in identifying what killed their animal. Whether the animal is a pet or a production animal the steps for identification are the same.

Step 1. What animals are in your area? Knowledge of the animals in your area is critical because there is no reason to suspect an animal that doesn’t live in your location. Think of it as your list of suspects. Don’t forget to include domestic species, like cats and dogs, too.

Step 2. Photograph the scene. Take clear, high resolution images of the scene. Take photos from different angles and distances. Ideally all photos should include a standard sized object such as a yardstick or ruler to show scale.

Step 3. Evaluate the scene. Was the animal killed during the day, night, inside a shed? Tick off as much detail as you can about the scene or setting surrounding the animal’s death.

Step 4. Investigate the carcass. This step requires wearing gloves to protect yourself from animal’s fluids. Carefully inspect the carcass, looking for puncture wounds and broken bones and other signs of injury. In most cases, an external survey will not provide many clues. Hair or feathers too often conceals signs needed to accurately identify the predator. Thus you will need to take a sharp knife to skin the animal. Skinning is necessary so you can have clear access to punctures, abrasions, contusions, and other signs. This step is critical. Failure to do it will result in inaccurate identification of the predators. Take careful pictures of punctures, particularly distances between canine or talons marks.

Step 5. Put it all together. List all the facts you have and use them to rule out potential suspects. Focus on ruling suspects out rather than looking to identify the guilty predator. This tactic helps prevent you from falling into tunnel vision. Check your data against a predator damage identification guide such as the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition.

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 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.

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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Click the links for past {shows} and {interviews}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} 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 [email protected] 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.

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 Damage Management by Reidinger and Miller

Reidinger Jr., R. F., & Miller, J., E. (2013). Wildlife Damage Management: Prevention, Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Reidinger Jr., R. F., & Miller, J., E. (2013). Wildlife Damage Management: Prevention, Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Reidinger Jr., R. F., & Miller, J., E. (2013). Wildlife Damage Management: Prevention, Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Wildlife Damage Management (WDM) is a complex field of study that involves biology, ecology, medical science, economics, a myriad of control methods, the law, and issues related with human values and beliefs. The task of putting the diversity of topics into one manual is a difficult one. Fortunately, however, Reidinger and Miller have not only accomplished this difficult goal, they have done it well.

The text is smartly divided into six sections: introduction, theory, disease, control methods, human dimensions, and strategies and the future. Each section in turn contains chapters related to different aspects of the section. Thus the book is analogous to a diamond. Each chapter is a different facet that when combined with other chapters and sections becomes a complete stone.

The authors clearly designed the book for use in the college classroom. Every chapter begins with a brief summary followed by a review of the major points that will be covered. Technical terms are identified with bold print and are defined in the extensive glossary in the back of the book. Each chapter ends with a bulleted summary of the major concepts covered in the chapter followed by a series of questions to encourage readers to think more deeply about the subject matter.

Readers familiar with the field of wildlife damage management should consider the following points. 1. The authors did not adopt the traditional scope of wildlife damage management as consisting of non-domesticated vertebrate animals. Instead, they defined wildlife damage management as encompassing any non-domestic plant or animal, including invertebrate animals such as insects and protozoans. 2. Readers should understand that the authors are academics and have relied heavily on peer-reviewed and peer-edited literature. Techniques and equipment developed in the professional (non-academic) wildlife control community are often missing in the book. 3. The authors tend to consider ecological and policy issues more frequently than is typical of wildlife damage management books. Readers will quickly realize that wildlife damage management decisions, when considered from a large-scale habitat perspective, are decidedly complex. In regard to this latter point, the authors are to be commended for the extent in which they have integrated scientific/environmental issues with policy decisions. And 4. The synthetic and technical approach of the authors does, in several places, make for some challenging reading, especially for those lacking academic training. However, non-academically trained readers should know that these difficult sections are brief and can be quickly skipped without much loss.

If you want a bird’s eye view of a complex subject from an academically rigorous point of view, then this book is for you. Teachers of wildlife damage management especially should consider using this text for their classes.

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 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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Keystone Skills for Wildlife Control Operators

Keystone Skills for Wildlife Control

Operators

Fiberglass extension ladder.
WCOs must be willing to climb ladders like this fiberglass extension ladder.

Finding good employees with keystone skills is an important but difficult task for business owners. Wildlife control operators (WCO) and Pest Control Operators (PCO) are no different. In order to grow in profitability, you have to have employees. But how do you find the right candidate(s) to hire?

Of course, you have to create a job description. A job description is absolutely necessary to help you determine what you need but also to help potential employees decide whether they have the keystone skills necessary to fulfill the job. But if your job description is made properly it will be ineffective in helping you screen job applicants. Your job description must identify the absolute critical skills necessary for the job.  Critical skills are keystone skills because they are essential to effective accomplishment of the task. After all some skills can be taught, but other skills are too difficult or require too much time to teach. I contend that some skills are so fundamental to a person’s character that you can’t teach it.

So What are the Critical or Keystone Skills?

I believe that the good WCOs must have the following skills:

  1. Feel comfortable on ladders. No one is born with this trait but your candidate must not be afraid of heights. Workers afraid of heights will not be profitable for you unless you run a wildlife control business that handles turf animals only. For safe ladder use, visit OSHA.gov.

  2. Able to be in confined spaces. Claustrophobia has no place in wildlife control. If your candidate can’t crawl into a tight attic or crawl space, then don’t hire him.

  3. Ability to lift. Ladders are heavy. Candidates must have the strength to haul around a ladder that is long enough to gain access to second floor roofs (unless you live in an area where most houses are single floor). No worker should be required to lift a 40 foot ladder no matter how strong he is. It is just too dangerous and the lack of leverage can wrench even a strong back.

  4. Emotionally able to kill animals. Wildlife control is not pretty. No matter what kind of service you provide, sooner or later your employees will kill animal. You have to know they can do this before you hire them.

  5. Carpenter skills. Your technicians don’t have to be master carpenters (though it wouldn’t hurt), they do need to be able to use a ruler and basic tools (tin snips, portable drill, saw and other cutting tools, and hammer).

  6. Ability to communicate effectively. Your candidate doesn’t need to have a silver tongue. But he must have clear communication skills. Reading and writing are a given.

Those are the essential skills. Everything else can be taught. So in your next help wanted ad, make sure you highlight these skills, or you may be interviewing candidates that will disappoint. For help on developing wildlife control skills, get a copy of the Wildlife Removal Handbook, 3rd edition.

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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Click the links for past {shows} and {interviews}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} 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 [email protected] 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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