Six questions to consider

4. Is it humane?

Most NWCOs enter the industry because of their love of wildlife. If you want to work in a way that reflects that value, you'll need skills, knowledge, compassion, and a mature way of thinking. Those abilities may be sorely tested at times. The problem is that some people focus on a particular method and believe that it's always the "right" answer.

We'll discuss the details of handling and disposal methods in chapter five, but here's the big picture. If you want to treat wildlife in a humane fashion you have to think about what this means through every stage of the job. How is the animal affected by the strategy and techniques you've chosen? What's likely to happen after you leave?

Questions about the humane treatment of wildlife usually focus on the choice between nonlethal and lethal techniques, but it's more complicated than that. Although it seems odd, a nonlethal technique will not guarantee humane treatment for the animal in all situations. For example, relocating squirrels during the summer may be appropriate. But harsh winter conditions may not give a relocated squirrel enough time to find shelter before it dies of exposure; if it finds shelter, it may starve to death if you've moved it too far away from its food cache. Another example: if you release an injured, sick, or highly traumatized animal in a new place, it may not be strong enough to ward off the attacks of animals that are already well-established in that area.

To make this discussion of animal welfare even trickier, there are nonlethal techniques that are meant to stress the animal a bit. Why? To train the animal to change its behavior. For example, NWCOs may use border collies to chase Canada geese away from a park, or rubber buckshot to scare bears. This is a legitimate approach that may solve the wildlife conflict. It does make the nuisance animal feel some pain or stress—but only as much as is necessary. You'll see this general approach described by such terms as "frightening techniques," "scare devices," "repellents," and "aversive conditioning." These techniques support other wildlife management efforts, too.

Here are a few issues to consider when you're trying to decide how to humanely capture an animal. Many types of traps are selective, effective, and humane when they're used properly. Really. It all depends on your skill and carefulness. A cage trap can be misused and cause a cruel death, while a foothold trap could be used well and aid in a humane capture. Some simple modifications to your traps and trapping habits may provide more comfort to the captured animal and increase its chance of survival. Try to protect the trapped animal from exposure to bad weather. In some cases, you'll also need to protect them from people (especially children), pets, and predators, or their own behavior.

Rain, or extreme heat or cold, can kill some animals. You can prevent many of these accidental deaths by checking your traps as soon as you can (at least once a day); by using a plastic box trap (except in the summer, when it can heat more quickly than other designs); by covering a standard metal cage trap with plywood, cardboard, burlap, towels, blankets, tarps, or aluminum; by setting the trap in a less exposed place; or by waiting for better weather, if possible.

Trap placement is critical if you need to keep children, pets, or predators away. Some people might intentionally harm an animal, or release it. Kids might be too young to understand the effects of their actions. Even if all they do is watch the animal, their presence will increase its stress. If a person is scratched or bitten, that could translate into a death sentence for a mammal, should rabies testing be necessary. Pets and predators may also investigate, causing even more stress for the animal.

When captured in a live trap, some species will settle down while others, like squirrels and raccoons, will paw furiously at the trap or rub their bodies against the metal. Given enough time, they could rub off fur and bloody themselves. The shape and size of some new trap designs helps to minimize this problem. Checking traps frequently helps, too.

Those concerned with the humane treatment of wildlife also take special care so they don't turn young animals into orphans. This means you may need to alter your habits when there are young in the den or nest who aren't mature enough to take care of themselves and leave on their own.

Adult wildlife may need special consideration at certain times of year, as well. If you accidentally trap a hibernating animal inside a building, it will either find another way out (perhaps through the living spaces or by creating a new hole, causing more damage to the building) or it might die inside. Sounds like a lose-lose situation, doesn't it?

So what do you do? Many NWCOs will install a "one-way door" (also called "checkvalves"). This device allows animals to leave but keeps them from re-entering the building. We'll discuss it in more detail in chapter five, but here's a quick example of its use. If a client requests bat exclusion in February, some NWCOs will close up most—but not all—of the exits. They'll install a checkvalve over the main exit. This way, if they've missed a bat, it still has a way out. The NWCO returns in April or early May, after the bats have emerged from hibernation, to finish the job. (One caution about checkvalves: don't use them during the pup-rearing season, beginning in late May, when young, immobile bats may be left behind.)

Finally, when you have to kill an animal, choose one of the best practices described in chapter five whenever you can. These techniques are more likely to provide as painless a death as possible. You may achieve this using one, or perhaps a combination, of techniques. Ideally, you either kill the animal quickly, or first quickly make it unconscious, then kill it quickly.

Handbook Contents

Introduction

• Understanding Nuisance Wildlife
• The Business Side

Needs of People and wildlife

• Six Questions NWCOs must ask

Federal Laws and Regulations

• New York State Wildlife Control Laws
• Local Regulations for Wildlife Control

Safety Risks for Customers

• Job Risks
• Safety Gear
• Carcass Disposal
• Wildlife Diseases

Best Practices for Wildlife Control

• Assess the Situation
• Choose Management Options
• Tools and Techniques
• Preventing Problems
• Evaluating Success

Professionalism Resources for NWCOs

Disclaimer

This manual was written as a guide to train nuisance wildlife control operators in New York State. Laws and regulations may differ in your state. Always consult local and state laws before implementing wildlife damage management activities.

Contact Information

Contact your local Extension Office

Resources

Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management
National Wildlife Control Operator's Association
Wildlife Control

Acknowledgments

We thank the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for contributing this information.

Produced by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the NYS Integrated Pest Management Program.