Animal Damage Control

[PCP_ECOM]

Hello all

Really interested in getting into this line work,love being outdoors,and love anything to do with wildlife,already established my own business name as well as business cards,truck magnets etc, looking for any info any of my fellow forum members may have to share in regards to this line of work,thks PETER

[HunterDave]

Peter, I'm thinking about doing the same as a sideline in the off season. Business cards are easy to get made and pretty darned cheap for a box of them. They are great for handing out to landowners when you're out shaking hands.

In this area there are hundreds of miles of drainage ditches and this Spring when I was out asking for permission to trap them, I discovered an opportunity. There is a "Drainage Ditch Society" that landowners pay a significant tax to. I haven't met one landowner that is happy with the assistance that the society gives in the way of upkeep of the system (ie beaver dams and erosion of the banks due to muskrats). As far as I can tell, the society doesn't have anyone to trap the animals and they merely destroy the dams.

In other places in the county, the County Works department will put out live traps for beaver but then they'll take the trap in after catching only one.

If you can find out if there's a riparian committee, or something similar, you might have somewhere that is already in place to gather complaints and pass them along to you. When I'm ready (next year?), I intend to talk to the society and landowners to let them know that I'm available for rodent control. It probably wouldn't hurt for landowners to be contacting the society and asking them why they haven't sent out "Trapper Dave" to take care of the problem.

It'll take me a year to prepare for this venture, maybe two, but I think that there's a niche for it around here. For now, I've been meeting with landowners and handing out business cards. Next year I plan on attending the society's bi-annual meeting and introducing myself to those in attendance and providing the committee with a proposal.

If you don't have anything like what I described in your area, I would suggest contacting places like golf courses, etc that could potentially need your services. I'd definitely be contacting the county so they have the opportunity to contract out for your services.

Good luck with your venture.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by PCP_ECOM

,already established my own business name as well as business cards,truck magnets etc,

LOL A bit of the old "cart before the horse" when you haven't figured out how you would make a living at it yet. Still, I salute your enthusiasm and enterpreneurial spirit! Could be an interesting career for the right person. Good luck!

[PCP_ECOM]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

LOL A bit of the old "cart before the horse" when you haven't figured out how you would make a living at it yet. Still, I salute your enthusiasm and enterpreneurial spirit! Could be an interesting career for the right person. Good luck!

Thxs Okotokian,i had bought a business number and name so I could claim some expenses during trapping season,magnet and cards were mainly for advertisement when im out doing trapping activities,just looking into maybe developing it into something more,P.S. work full time as Public Servant,great things come from just one idea

[PCP_ECOM]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Peter, I'm thinking about doing the same as a sideline in the off season. Business cards are easy to get made and pretty darned cheap for a box of them. They are great for handing out to landowners when you're out shaking hands.

In this area there are hundreds of miles of drainage ditches and this Spring when I was out asking for permission to trap them, I discovered an opportunity. There is a "Drainage Ditch Society" that landowners pay a significant tax to. I haven't met one landowner that is happy with the assistance that the society gives in the way of upkeep of the system (ie beaver dams and erosion of the banks due to muskrats). As far as I can tell, the society doesn't have anyone to trap the animals and they merely destroy the dams.

In other places in the county, the County Works department will put out live traps for beaver but then they'll take the trap in after catching only one.

If you can find out if there's a riparian committee, or something similar, you might have somewhere that is already in place to gather complaints and pass them along to you. When I'm ready (next year?), I intend to talk to the society and landowners to let them know that I'm available for rodent control. It probably wouldn't hurt for landowners to be contacting the society and asking them why they haven't sent out "Trapper Dave" to take care of the problem.

It'll take me a year to prepare for this venture, maybe two, but I think that there's a niche for it around here. For now, I've been meeting with landowners and handing out business cards. Next year I plan on attending the society's bi-annual meeting and introducing myself to those in attendance and providing the committee with a proposal.

If you don't have anything like what I described in your area, I would suggest contacting places like golf courses, etc that could potentially need your services. I'd definitely be contacting the county so they have the opportunity to contract out for your services.

Good luck with your venture.

Thxs Hunterdave,you as well,already have my broucher at Town Office and have been handing out cards,i got a few other avenues to check into as well,was looking for input,as this is my go to site for awesome information,Peter