Black bear foraging in trash.

Before we go any further, let's define the word "humane." When we use this term, we mean that you cause no unnecessary pain or stress to the animal. Through each stage of your work, whether capturing, handling, excluding, transporting, or disposing of wildlife, you act respectfully.

Humane does not mean that you only use nonlethal techniques to solve a wildlife conflict. There are circumstances in which a nonlethal technique may be considered less humane than killing the animal (we'll discuss that later in this chapter). And there are some nonlethal techniques that are meant to frighten the animal or teach it to stop a certain behavior. This approach does purposefully cause some stress or pain, but for a good reason.

The decision-making process

Unfortunately, circumstances may make it difficult to achieve an ideal solution, and what works great in one case may be inappropriate in another. Say a customer wants you to remove a fox from her property. She doesn't want the fox hurt. When you arrive you notice her hand is bandaged and she admits the animal nipped her. She says she didn't do anything to provoke the fox, it just attacked.

Foxes can infect people with rabies, a deadly disease. Although you can't be sure just from behavior, the animal did attack without reason, which is one of the warning signs of rabies. And your customer was bitten, which is the most common way that people catch rabies.

Skunk family roaming around a house.

As required by New York State law, you call the local health department to report the possible exposure. They tell you to kill the fox so it can be tested for rabies. Your customer's not happy but she understands. She asks that you use the most humane method to kill the fox.

Evaluating your options

Of the methods available to NWCOs, two of the humane choices for killing foxes are shooting the animal or capturing it and killing it with carbon dioxide in a chamber. Is either a best practice in this situation?

You rule out shooting for two reasons: first, you know it's illegal in this town, because of local ordinances. Also, you prefer to target the brain, and that could interfere with the collection of the sample needed for the rabies test. (Without the local ordinance, you could have opted for a heart/lung shot. This doesn't interfere with the rabies test and is also a humane target.)

There's a problem with the use of the carbon dioxide chamber, too. How will you safely transfer the fox to the chamber? The more you handle the fox, the greater your personal risk of being exposed to the disease. You also want to minimize any possible exposure of the family and their pets.

Choosing a solution

A cage trap would offer you the most protection while handling the fox, but it's hard to catch adult foxes in cage traps. You don't want to risk a "miss" that might make this animal trap-shy because you really need to capture it—and fast. So you decide to set a foothold trap. Once the animal's caught, you quickly stun it to make it unconscious, then use a catchpole to place the animal in the carbon dioxide chamber.

This example illustrates a few of the factors that you must weigh in your decisions. In this case, your customer asked you to provide the most humane death possible, but legal restrictions and concerns about human safety also influenced the choice of killing method. This situation could easily have been more complicated.

How can you determine the best course of action to solve the problem for your customer? There are six questions that will help you evaluate your options.

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.