United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

 WS Directive 2.101 07/20/09

SELECTING WILDLIFE DAMAGE MANAGEMENT METHODS

1. PURPOSE

 

To provide guidelines used for basic decision-making, selection of management methods 

and techniques, and program direction.

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

This directive replaces WS Directive 2.101 dated 10/29/03.

3. BACKGROUND

Wildlife damage management (WDM) is practiced as a field of specialization within the 

wildlife management profession. WS personnel may provide services via technical 

assistance, direct-control assistance, or both. Technical assistance and direct-control 

assistance encompass the use of nonlethal and lethal management methods. In some 

situations such as livestock protection, the number of nonlethal methods available to the 

professional wildlife damage specialist for use in direct-control assistance is currently 

limited. Most of these nonlethal methods focus on management of the affected resource 

and not on control of the offending animal. In these instances, WS involvement in using 

nonlethal methods may be limited to technical assistance recommendations which are 

more appropriately applied by the resource owner. These methods may include the use 

of livestock guarding animals, the electronic guard or other noise making device, 

predator-proof fencing, fladry, shed lambing, herding, and night penning. In other 

situations such as the protection of aquaculture, seed crops, and airport safety, control

methods may include bird dispersal techniques and repellents, cattail management for 

blackbird control, or grass management at airports. To continue providing Federal 

leadership in managing problems caused by wildlife, WS supports and promotes

scientific research to develop and improve WDM methods and to provide science-based 

information for WDM.

WS activities are developed, conducted, and/or supervised by professionals who are 

knowledgeable in the biological, ecological, economic, and social principles that govern 

wildlife management decisions. Periodic field inspections, program audits, report 

monitoring, and customer feedback help to ensure program compliance with applicable 

laws, regulations, and policies.
4. POLICY

When responding to requests for assistance, WS may provide technical assistance, direct 

control assistance, and/or research assistance. Technical and direct control assistance, as 

defined below, may involve the use of either lethal or nonlethal methods, or a 

combination of the two. Preference is given to nonlethal methods when practical and 

effective. 

a. Technical Assistance. Technical assistance is defined as advice, recommendations, 

information, equipment, literature, instructions, and materials provided to others for use 

in managing wildlife damage problems and understanding wildlife damage management 

principles and techniques.

b. Direct Control Assistance. Direct control assistance is defined as field activities 

conducted or supervised by WS personnel.

1. Direct control assistance may be implemented when it has been determined that a

problem cannot reasonably be resolved by technical assistance or that the professional 

skills of WS employees are required for effective problem resolution. Direct control 

assistance is often initiated when the wildlife damage involves several ownerships, 

sensitive species, application of WS restricted-use pesticides, or complex 

management problems requiring the direct supervision of a professional wildlife 

manager or biologist.

2. Direct control operations will be conducted upon request only with the written 

authorization of the landowner, cooperator, other authorized officials, or in 

accordance with another appropriate instrument such as a memorandum of 

understanding.

Wildlife damage management strategies can be either preventive (applied before damage 

begins) or corrective (applied when damage is in progress). The decision process used to 

formulate WS program responses to requests for assistance is shown in WS Directive 

2.201, WS Decision Model. 

5. SELECTION OF MANAGEMENT METHODS

The WS program applies an integrated WDM approach to reduce or prevent wildlife 

damage. In selecting damage management techniques for specific wildlife damage 

situations, consideration must be given to the species responsible and the frequency, 

extent, and magnitude of damage. In addition to damage confirmation and assessment, 

consideration must be given to the status of target and potential nontarget species, local 

environmental conditions, relative costs of applying management techniques, 

environmental impacts, and social and legal concerns. These factors must be evaluated in 

formulating management strategies and may include the application of one or more 

techniques.
6. REFERENCE

ADC Final Environmental Impact Statement, Chapter 1.C.2 - Wildlife Damage 

Management, pp 3-7 (October 1997).

ADC Final Environmental Impact Statement, Appendix J, Methods of Control, pp 1-14 

(October 1997).

WS Directive 2.105, The WS Integrated Wildlife Damage Management Program 

(03/01/04).

WS Directive 2.201, WS Decision Model (07/20/09).

Deputy Administrator, Acting