Stephen M. Vantassel 

Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC

Lewistown, Montana

 

Michael W. Fall 

Mammal Research Program Manager 

(retired)

USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services

National Wildlife Research Center

Fort Collins, Colorado

Serge Lariviére 

Research Scientist

Fédération des Trappeurs Gestionnaires 

du Québec 

Quebec, Canada 

Introduction

A bumper sticker reads, “If you think 

education is expensive, you oughta try 

ignorance.” That statement could not be 

truer in regard to wildlife damage 

management. Being willing to learn is a 

critical attitude for everyone involved in 

wildlife damage management. Since 

wildlife damage management intersects so 

many other disciplines, no single person 

can be an expert in all of them. In addition, 

the arrival of an invasive species, changes 

in building practices (e.g., egress windows, 

ridge vents), or the implementation of new 

regulations can confound traditional 

practices and require new control 

methods. Thus, it is important to provide a 

resource that provides detailed, updated 

and accurate information. 

Since the publication of the 1994 

Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage 

handbook, there has been a remarkable 

increase in the volume and quality of 

information related to wildlife damage 

management. The rise of the digital age 

has empowered people to transmit their 

knowledge and ideas in writing, pictures, 

and video. A few decades ago, local, state, 

and federal government wildlife biologists 

were the primary practitioners of animal 

control and damage management. Private 

pest management firms involved in 

vertebrate animal problems were primarily 

limited to the control of urban birds and 

commensal rodents. This situation has 

changed substantially since the 1990s. 

Wildlife Damage Management 

Technical Series

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service

Wildlife Services

October 2019

Information Resources for Animal 

Control and Wildlife Damage 

Management

Figure 1. USDA’s National Wildlife Research Center maintains a 

specialized collection of wildlife damage management books, 

papers, and unpublished reports.

Quick Links

Introduction 1

Books, Booklets and Videos 2

Articles and Chapters 5

Journals 6

Trade Magazines 7

Government Documents 8

Internet Resources 8

U.S Federal Agencies 11 

U.S. State Fish & Wildlife 

Agencies

12 

U.S. State Pesticide Boards 14 

Canadian Agencies 15 

Libraries 17 

Associations and Societies 17 

Conferences and Workshops 18 

Other Resources 19 

Conclusion 19 

Glossary & Keywords 20 
The nuisance wildlife control industry has matured. The 

increased involvement of the private sector in wildlife 

control unleashed the creative forces of entrepreneurs in 

the development of new techniques and products. 

Until the mid-1980’s, most scientific information about 

wildlife damage management was scattered in articles in 

academic jounrals (e.g., Journal of Wildlife Management), 

“grey literature” (i.e., unpublished reports and conference 

proceedings), and government documents (i.e., U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service and Forest Service publications). Since 

then, wildlife damage management research has achieved 

greater prominence as demonstrated by the addition of 

new outlets and changes in publication policies. 

The emergence and rapid growth of the nuisance wildlife 

control industry has supported development of several 

trade magazines, association newsletters, listservs, 

bulletin boards, and numerous websites. A few decades 

ago, relevant research papers only numbered a few 

hundred a year, now computer search engines return 

thousands of hits, putting a premium on effective search 

strategies to obtain information. Digital copies of papers of 

are often available at no or nominal cost. The volume of 

information related to wildlife damage management is now 

enormous. In this publication, we have highlighted 

important works to supplement the sources found in the 

various publications of the Wildlife Damage Management 

Technical Series. In addition, we have focused on 

information resources that are easily obtained, used 

primarily for the North American audience, and published 

since 1994. Materials from journals and other publications 

with restricted access are mentioned only when we believe 

the utility of the information justifies the effort involved to 

obtain them. The numerous websites referenced were 

checked for current access during October 2019. 

Books, Booklets and Videos 

Since the 1994 edition of Prevention and Control of 

Wildlife Damage, several new books have been written to 

review literature, recount personal experiences managing 

wildlife damage, and promote damage management as an 

Page 2 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources

emerging professional discipline. A number of these books 

are peer-reviewed academic textbooks suitable for college 

classes and are available from the publishers or from 

major booksellers. 

In addition, fur harvesters, wildlife control operators, and 

wildlife biologists have published privately or worked 

through vanity publishers to produce an enormous number 

of books, booklets, and videos. These materials generally 

are not available from popular book retailers and rarely 

appear in standard literature searches. Such publications 

are generally available at trade shows, association 

meetings, or from supply companies servicing fur 

harvesters or wildlife control operators. Quality of 

information varies widely, but may contain valuable 

information primarily related to personal experiences with 

legally harvestable species. 

Recommended books, booklets, and videos include the 

following:

Adams, C.E. and K.J. Lindsey. 2010. Urban Wildlife 

Management, 2nd edition. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis 

Group, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. 336 pp. Organized 

primarily as an overview of urban habitat types and 

sociopolitical issues, the book takes a broad approach, 

discussing a host of problem or potentially problematic 

species, ranging well beyond commensal rodents, and 

invasive urban birds. The authors discuss human 

dimensions, management of organizations, and legal 

considerations in some detail. Current and historical 

supporting literature is presented chapter by chapter.

Bennett, G.W., J.M. Owens, and R.M Corrigan. 2010. 

Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations, 

7th edition. Purdue University and Pest Management 

Professional Magazine, Lafayette, Indiana, USA. 718 pp. 

One of the early comprehensive pest control textbooks, 

first published in 1962, this manual focuses on problems 

encountered in structural and stored product pest 

management. Through seven editions, it has stayed 

current in reflecting changes in the pest management 

industry and includes information on rodent and bird 

damage and management.
Buckle, A.P. and R.M. Smith, Eds. 2015. Rodent Pests and 

Their Control, 2nd edition, CABI, Oxfordshire, UK. 422 pp. 

This book provides a comprehensive overview of global 

rodent problems in all types of habitats, along with 

practical methods of control. It references access to 

current range maps for problem species. Also, there are 

chapters that address rodent biology, natural history, 

rodent control research and development, product testing, 

impact assessment, program development, use of media 

in organizing and promoting control programs, 

development of humane and ethical methods.

Conover, M. 2001. Resolving Human-Wildlife Conflicts – 

The Science of Wildlife Damage Management. Lewis 

Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. 418pp. Conover’s 

book is an extensive treatment of all types of wildlife 

problems. Designed primarily as an upper-level or graduate 

textbook, it provides review of scientific literature, casestudies of problem resolution, and the relationship 

between wildlife damage control with other aspects of 

wildlife management. The book also promotes the idea of 

wildlife damage management as a separate academic 

discipline and explores the history, philosophy, economics, 

and human dimensions of problem animal management. 

Corrigan, R.M. 2001. Rodent Control: A Practical Guide for 

Pest Management Professionals. GIE Media, Cleveland, 

Ohio, USA. 355pp. Corrigan presents a comprehensive 

review of commensal rodents and rodent problems 

emphasizing practical information for pest management 

professionals. The book focuses on structural and 

landscape environments, such as homes, warehouses, 

food plants, zoological parks, livestock operations, and 

municipalities. Limited material is included on sylvatic 

species (deer mice, voles, and woodrats) that can become 

structural pests.

Curtis, P.D., and J. Shultz. 2008. Best Practices for Wildlife 

Control Operators. Thomson Delmar Learning, Clifton Park, 

NY. 350pp. A practical guide for wildlife control operators 

based on the 2002 manual used by the New York State 

Department of Conservation. The book is suitable for 

private or classroom use with listed learning objectives and 

review questions. 

Davidson, W.R. 2006. Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases in 

the Southeastern United States, 3nd edition. University of 

Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. 417pp. Davidson has 

provided a guide to help users identify diseases in field 

settings. The text is very easy to read and readers can 

rapidly learn how diseases threaten wildlife and people. 

Although written for the southeast section of the U.S., 

readers throughout North America will find it useful. 

Fournier, G. 2014. Coexisting with Local Furbearers: Good 

Practices in Management and Intervention. Fédération des 

Trappeurs Gestionnaires du Québec, Quebec, Canada. 248 

pp. This lengthy manual reviews best practices in the 

prevention, management, and control of animal damage 

and nuisance issues caused by furbearing animals. It 

emphasizes avoidance of depredations and provides an 

array of permanent solutions, and efficient and humane 

control measures. 

Friend, M., J.C. Franson, and E.A. Ciganovich. 1999. Field 

Manual of Wildlife Diseases: General Field Procedures and 

Diseases of Birds. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological 

Resources Division, Information and Technology Report 

1999-001. 426pp. The manual covers general field 

procedures for collecting and preserving specimens for 

testing and identification of birds suffering injuries caused 

by bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, and chemicals. The 

book is fully illustrated with color prints, line drawings, and 

tables. 

Friend, M., J.W. Hurley, P. Nol, and K. Wesenberg. 2006. 

Disease Emergence and Resurgence: The Wildlife-Human 

Connection. Reston, VA: U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 

1285. 400pp. Using the concept of “one-health”, Friend 

reviews how diseases pass between humans and wildlife. 

The text surveys zoonotic outbreaks, their impacts, and 

causes for their emergence. The text is supplemented with 

line drawings, maps, color photos, and tables. 

Gehrt, S.D., S.P.D. Riley, and B.L. Cypher, editors. 2010. 

Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation. 

Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD. USA. 

285pp. The text reviews in detail the life history, behavior, 

and human dimensions of various carnivores encountered 

in urban environments. Authors of each chapter 

summarize peer-reviewed literature. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 3
Hadidian, J., M. Baird, M. Brasted, L. Nolfo-Clements, D. 

Pauli, and L. Simon. 2007. Wild Neighbors: The Humane 

Approach to Living with Wildlife. 2nd. Ed. Humane Society of 

the United States, Washington, D.C., USA. 283pp. This 

book provides less-lethal control methods for 35 common 

nuisance species in the U.S. 

Hedges, S., Ed. 2011. Mallis Handbook of Pest Control, 

10th edition. The Mallis Handbook and Technical Training 

Co., Cleveland, Ohio, USA. 1454pp. The Mallis Handbook is 

updated periodically and primarily addresses the 

management of insects and rodents. The chapters on 

vertebrate pests provide key biological information along 

with a review of control methods. The chapter on 

commensal rodents is exceptionally informative. 

Hone, J. 2007. Wildlife Damage Control. CSIRO Publishing, 

Collingwood, VIC, Australia. 179pp. Hone reviews the 

technical research related to wildlife damage control 

theory and its efficacy in achieving desired goals from a 

quantitative and statistical perspective. Topics include 

patterns in wildlife damage, biodiversity conservation, 

production, human and animal health, and recreation. 

Though written from an Australian viewpoint, the principles 

are applicable around the globe. The author assumes 

readers have at least three years of college-level training in 

biological sciences. 

Hygnstrom, S., R. Timm, and G. Larson, Eds. 1994. 

Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage, 4th edition, 

Volumes 1 and 2. Cooperative Extension Service, 

University of Nebraska, and USDA/APHIS/ADC, Lincoln, 

Nebraska, USA. This 2-volume manual in loose-leaf format 

is one of the most valuable references for wildlife damage 

management practitioners. It is organized by species 

covering virtually all the animals that become economic or 

nuisance problems in North America. In addition, there is 

considerable supporting information on registered 

products (including sample labels, sources of supplies and 

materials, and an index). A particularly valuable feature is 

its full availability online from the Internet Center for 

Wildlife Damage Management.

Krause, T. 2007. The NTA Trapping Handbook – A Guide 

for Better Trapping. The National Trappers Association, 

Bedford, Indiana, USA. 240pp. The 2nd edition of the NTA 

Manual provides a discussion on the biology and behavior 

of 16 furbearer species, with updated range maps and 

detailed instructions for trapping. Extensive materials on 

fur handling, fur sales, wildlife management, trapper 

ethics, and Best Management Practices for Trapping are 

also presented.

Kreeger, T.J. and J.M. Arnemo, 2012. Handbook of Wildlife 

Chemical Immobilization, 4th edition. Terry Kreeger, 

Wheatland, Wyoming, USA. 448pp. This text summarizes 

legal, medical, use, and safety concerns related to the 

chemical immobilization of vertebrates. 

Link, R. 2004. Living with Wildlife: In the Pacific Northwest. 

University of Washington Press and Washington 

Department of Fish and Wildlife, USA. 392pp. Link provides 

life history and comprehensive control information for 

dozens of species that conflict with human interests. The 

book is particularly informative in the area of animal 

exclusion. 

Reidinger, R.F and J.E. Miller. 2013. Wildlife Damage 

Management: Prevention, Problem Solving, and Conflict 

Resolution. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 

Maryland, USA. 243pp. In this up-to-date college textbook, 

the authors briefly survey the broad spectrum of interrelated topics that provide context and concept for the 

emerging sub-discipline of wildlife damage management. 

Eighteen chapters cover the entire range of damage 

control methodologies, but also summarize the historical, 

social, economic, and ecological underpinnings that inform 

and constrain management options. An extensive glossary 

collects the technical terms and concepts defined 

throughout the text. There are nearly 900 references 

ranging from the 1600’s to 2012 that are particularly 

valuable for readers needing to obtain additional technical 

information. It is an essential current reference for 

students, academics, and working professionals dealing 

with wildlife damage problems. 

Salmon, T.P., D.A. Whisson, and R.E. Marsh. 2006. Wildlife 

Pest Control Around Gardens and Homes, 2nd edition. 

University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural 

Resources Publications, Oakland, California, USA. 122pp. 

The book reviews the damage and control methods for the 

most common nuisance species in California. Full color 

Page 4 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources
photos and superb line drawings illustrate how to identify 

and control damage. The authors provide essential 

information to understand animal behavior for the 

purposes of control. 

Silvy, N.J., Ed. 2012. The Wildlife Techniques Manual, 7th 

edition, Volumes 1-2. Johns Hopkins University Press, 

Baltimore, Maryland. USA. 1100pp. The manual is updated 

substantially from the 2005 edition, reviewing techniques 

and literature across all aspects of wildlife management. 

Chapters on capture and handling, chemical 

immobilization, contaminants, wildlife health and 

surveillance, use of remote cameras, and identification 

and management of wildlife damage may be of particular 

interest.

Trout, J., Jr. 1997. Nuisance Animals. Midwest Publishing, 

Tennyson, Indiana. 192pp. Trout provides an overview of 

about 40 species of wildlife that become nuisance animals 

in some situations. Discussions focus primarily on animal 

biology and problem situations. Control methods are 

discussed briefly for each species, often using anecdotes 

to support opinions on effectiveness.

Vantassel, S.M. 2012. Wildlife Damage Inspection 

Handbook, 3rd edition. Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC, 

Lewistown, MT. 180pp. The handbook covers identification 

theory and practice for investigating damage in structures, 

gardens, and landscapes. It also summarizes how to 

investigate evidence, such as hair, scat, and bone and how 

to evaluate predator damage. The second half of the book 

provides detailed information identifying more than 26 

common species associated with wildlife damage.

Vantassel, S.M. 2015. Wildlife Removal Handbook, 3rd 

edition. Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC, Lewistown, MT. 

208 pp. The handbook explains how to get started in the 

wildlife control industry with chapters covering topics, such 

as inspecting structures, business issues, safety, effective 

use of cage and box traps, animal dispatch, and carcass 

disposal. The text covers control of the most common 

nuisance vertebrate species, including skunks, raccoons, 

gray squirrels, chipmunks, and feral cats. Particular 

emphasis is placed on control methods for commensal 

rodents. 

Articles and Chapters on Wildlife 

Damage Management Literature

The following articles were published as part of larger 

works, such as magazines, journals, conference 

proceedings, or books. They were selected for their value in 

the succinct, but thorough, way the authors handled their 

particular topics. 

Bajwa, W. and Kogan, M. 2003. Online resources for 

integrated pest management information delivery and 

exchange. Pages 9-18 in K.M. Maredia, D. Dakouo, and D. 

Mota-Sanchez. Integrated Pest Management in the Global 

Arena. CABI Publishing, Oxen, U.K. Discusses the various 

uses of the Internet in conducting Integrated Pest 

Management (IPM) programs, including literature search 

and retrieval, information resource access, and decision 

support systems. Provides extensive tables of relevant IPM 

related websites and information on various search 

engines. Reviews search strategies and ways to maximize 

the effectiveness of database searches.

Fall, M.W. and Jackson, W.B. 1999. Technical publication 

of wildlife damage research. Pages 173-178 in C.D. Lee 

and S.E. Hygnstrom, Eds. Proc. Thirteenth Great Plains 

Wildlife Damage Workshop, Kansas State University. Using 

1995 as the snapshot year, the authors found eleven 

journals accounted for about 50% of peer-reviewed 

publications related to wildlife damage management. 

Overall, 524 research papers published in 1995 appeared 

in 135 journals. Staying abreast of current literature 

requires use of computer literature databases, 

subscription literature services, or use of a research library.

Love, C. and Kramer, J. 2007. Resources for wildlife 

professionals. Wildlife Professional, Fall: 36-39. 

Summarizes use of National Institutes of Health’s National 

Library of Medicine online resources: PubMed for 

biomedical research, TOXNET for information on 

environmental health and toxicology, and Medicine Plus for 

personal health information.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 5
Mason, M.K. undated. Grey literature: its history, definition, 

acquisition, and cataloguing. http://www.moyak.com/ 

papers/grey-technical-literature.html. Mason discusses 

various definitions of grey literature to include quasiprinted reports, unpublished but circulated papers, 

unpublished conference proceedings, printed programs 

from conferences, and other non-unique material. The 

paper also discusses problems surrounding identification, 

acquisition, and cataloging of such literature and provides 

citations from several other authors who have discussed 

the subject.

Moore, J.L. 1980. Wildlife management literature. Pages 7-

38 in S. D. Schemnitz, Ed., Wildlife Management 

Techniques Manual, 4th edition, revised. The Wildlife 

Society, Washington, D.C. Moore provides a 

comprehensive review of standard library source material 

including online and foreign sources. The article reviews a 

number of new computer-based search engines and 

portals that have emerged. 

Virchow, D.R. and Hygnstrom, S.E. 2002. The Internet 

Center for Wildlife Damage Management in the 21st 

century. Pages 345-347 in Proc. 20th Vertebr. Pest Conf., 

R.M. Timm and R.H. Schmidt, Eds. Describes ICWDM as a 

clearinghouse for businesses, academics, agencies, and 

other organizations involved in wildlife damage 

management. Originally funded by the USDA Integrated 

Pest Management Program and the University of Nebraska, 

the Center links to wildlife damage control publications at 

over 40 universities and agencies.

Vantassel, S. 2012. A Jungle of Information. Pest Control 

Technology. September. 106, 108-109. Summarizes 

resources on wildlife damage management readily 

available via the Internet as well as provides tips for using 

search engines more effectively. In addition, Vantassel 

suggests several print resources useful for wildlife control 

operators. 

White, G. 2006. President’s message. The Wildlife Society, 

Central Mountains and Plains Newsletter, November 2006: 

1-6. This note describes literature searches and article 

retrieval using Web of Science, a commercially available 

literature search program, and Google Scholar, a publically 

available search engine for scientific literature. 

Page 6 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources

Journals

Scientific journals primarily publish experimental and 

descriptive studies across virtually all academic disciplines. 

Manuscripts submitted to such periodicals are generally 

reviewed by several experts, with recommendations to 

accept for publication, accept with changes, or reject; 

rejection rates are high for many journals. Published 

papers are indexed by key words or scanned for retrieval 

by literature search engines. Although papers related to 

wildlife damage management occur widely in such 

journals, a few journals are sufficiently specialized that a 

high proportion of relevant papers are published there. Online publication is increasingly common. We list a few 

examples of journals that frequently publish wildlife 

damage management studies. 

Canadian Journal of Zoology 

http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/journal/cjz 

Crop Protection 

https://www.journals.elsevier.com/crop-protection/

Human-Wildlife Interactions 

https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/ 

Emerging Infectious Diseases https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/ 

International Journal of Pest Management 

https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ttpm20 

Journal of Applied Ecology https://

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652664 

Journal of Chemical Ecology 

https://link.springer.com/journal/10886

Journal of Wildlife Diseases https://www.jwildlifedis.org/ 

Journal of Wildlife Management 

https://wildlifeonlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19372817 

New Zealand Journal of Ecology 

https://newzealandecology.org/nzje 

Oikos http://www.oikosjournal.org 
Pest Management Science 

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15264998 

The American Midland Naturalist 

http://www3.nd.edu/~ammidnat/ 

Wildlife Society Bulletin https://

wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19385463a 

Trade Magazines

Trade magazines are periodical publications containing 

articles written by practitioners, industry representatives, 

or technical writers. Articles are not peer-reviewed and 

often have a commercial angle or express views in 

concordance with the publishing organization. 

Nevertheless, the authors often provide insights based on 

extensive experience with techniques to manage wildlife 

damage. The magazines are useful for reviews of new 

products or equipment and updates on pending 

regulations or legislation. Although some trade magazines 

are independent commercial enterprises, many are 

published by associations for the benefit of members. 

American Trapper http://www.nationaltrappers.com/

americantrapper.html The official magazine of the National 

Trappers Association, an association formed to promote fur 

harvest recreation, industry, and traditions in the U.S. 

Articles focus on the association news, political 

commentary, history of trapping, tools, baits, lures, 

techniques, traps, and youth programs.

Fur Taker Magazine http://www.furtakersofamerica.com/

magazine.html The official magazine of Fur Takers of 

America, an association dedicated to the harvest of wild 

furbearers in the U.S. Articles focus on the association 

news, history of trapping, tools, baits, lures, techniques, 

and traps. 

International Trapper https://portal.nafa.ca/webcenter/

portal/Auction/ or https://nawfsc.com/ or North American 

Fur Auctions -- International Trapper, 65 Skyway Avenue, 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 6C7. International Trapper 

is the official publication of the North American Wild Fur 

Shippers Council. Since 2006, International Trapper 

Magazine has been the main communication source for 

information about the NAWFSC and about current 

marketing activities of both the Shipper’s Council and of 

North American Fur Auctions. The magazine is available, at 

a nominal charge, to trappers of North America who ship to 

NAFA.

Le Coureur des Bois http://www.ftgq.qc.ca/fr/

lecoureurdesbois/coureurdesbois7.html The official 

magazine of the Quebec Trappers Federation and the only 

trapping magazine published in French in North America.

Pest Control Technology (PCT) https://

www.pctonline.com/magazine This magazine centers on 

the needs of pest control industry technicians. The majority 

of articles focus on the control of insect species and 

operational issues including: legal, marketing, and human 

resources concerns for pest control companies. Articles 

dealing with vertebrates center on control of commensal 

rodents and urban birds. There are occasional articles 

discussing management of other vertebrate species. 

Pest Management Professional (PMP) https://

www.mypmp.net/ The magazine reports news regarding 

the industry as well as technical articles related to pest 

management techniques, product reviews, and company 

operations. Articles on vertebrate pests focus on 

commensal rodents and urban birds. Other vertebrate 

species are discussed occasionally.

Trapper and Predator Caller https://

www.trapperpredatorcaller.com/ The oldest monthly 

tabloid magazine on fur harvesting in the U.S. contains 

news stories, articles on trapping techniques and tools, as 

well as state association reports. Unlike other publications, 

it has a column dedicated to calling coyotes and other 

furbearing predators. 

Trapper’s Post http://www.trapperspost.com/ Started in 

2011, this tabloid-style magazine discusses techniques, 

tools, news, and state association reports related to the 

trapping of fur. Articles on nuisance wildlife focus on 

mammals that can be managed by trapping. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 7
Trapper’s World https://www.trappersworld.com

Published bi-monthly, Trapper’s World contains how-to 

articles by professional trappers, descriptions of trapline 

situations, fur market analyses, historical reprints, and 

extensive advertising by suppliers.

Wildlife Control Technology (WCT) https://

www.wctmagazine.com/ Since starting in 1994, Wildlife 

Control Technology is the only magazine dedicated 

exclusively to the control of nuisance wildlife. Content 

tends to focus on techniques to remove problem animals, 

such as trapping, shooting, and direct capture. The 

magazine is available in print and digital editions on a bimonthly basis. 

Wildlife Professional https://wildlife.org/publications/ The 

Wildlife Professional is published quarterly by The Wildlife 

Society, but is widely available in academic libraries. It 

covers the entire field of wildlife management, reporting 

research, news, and analysis of issues and trends in the 

wildlife profession. It frequently includes wildlife damage 

management related material. 

Government Documents

Governments at all levels (federal, state/provincial, and 

local) fund and publish a large amount of research and 

technical information each year. Many government reports, 

manuals, and brochures published by individual agencies 

or the U.S. Government Printing office are sold at cost by 

the agency or are available for loan from libraries. Some 

libraries (more than 1,250 nationwide) are designated as 

U.S. federal depositories for government documents and 

hold published materials in their collections. Locations of 

these libraries may be found at http://catalog.gpo.gov/

fdlpdir/FDLPdir.jsp. Many of the early U.S. Biological Survey 

publications and publications of the U.S. National Museum 

of Natural History relate to wildlife damage management. 

Recent publications by federal or state agencies or their 

research branches may be of particular interest to wildlife 

damage managers and are generally available on the 

Internet.

Page 8 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources

The Congressional Record and the Federal Register are 

important government publications that are easily 

accessible online and often contain information needed by 

managers. The Congressional Record publishes 

proceedings of both U.S. legislative branches, as well as 

speeches, materials inserted by members, and reports or 

transcripts of hearings. Often the reports of committee 

hearings that may be a basis of future legislation are of 

particular interest. The Congressional Record and other 

legislative reports may be found at https://

www.congress.gov/congressional-record.

The Federal Register is the official journal of the U. S. 

government. It provides notices of federal rules or rule 

changes by regulatory agencies and the dates for comment 

periods. Information related to federal programs for 

migratory birds, invasive species, endangered species, and 

environmental or public health policy implementation is 

published here. Pesticide and drug registrations related to 

vertebrate damage control change frequently and the 

Federal Register provides a means for wildlife damage 

management practitioners to stay current. The Federal 

Register is available online at https://

www.federalregister.gov/. Consult the sections for Canada 

and Mexico for information related to those countries.

Internet Resources

The development of the Internet has made a vast amount 

of information available. While the ease of access to 

information is welcomed, the volume of information can 

overwhelm even the most stalwart researcher. Enter a few 

keywords into a search engine and you likely will receive 

thousands or tens of thousands of results. In addition, the 

quality of information is not consistent and some of it 

promotes illegal or potentially dangerous techniques. 

Fortunately, a few simple changes in how you use a search 

engine can improve the quality of the results dramatically. 

We offer the following tips for using the Internet for 

research. First, select the search engine appropriate for 

the content you seek to find. Use standard search engines 

for products, services, and other commercial services. Use 
academic search engines when looking for technical 

research material. Write out your inquiry in phrase or 

sentence form. Long search strings can reduce the number 

of hits substantially. Use specific and descriptive search 

terms. For example, searching on the phrase “raccoon 

biology” will be less effective than searching with “raccoon 

biology and life history in Massachusetts”. 

Use technical and scientific terms whenever possible. 

Technical and scientific terms are unfamiliar to most web 

developers so using them will increase the likelihood of 

receiving links to scientifically-based sites. For example, 

use the scientific name of the species for which you are 

searching (for example, “Sciurus carolinensis” is better 

than “gray squirrel”). Scientific names help reduce 

receiving hobby sites, such as “I love squirrels.” 

Take advantage of techniques for using “and,” “or,” “not,” 

and “near” to include or exclude terms in your search. For 

example, a search using raccoon biology will return pages 

containing both words. But if you put the phrase raccoon 

biology in quotes then the search engine only will return 

pages containing the exact phrase (i.e, Boolean searching). 

If you do not receive results from your initial search, 

broaden the search by reducing the number of search 

terms or by removing quotation marks.

Search Engines

Search engines are specialized websites that use 

programs to identify website resources of interest 

throughout the Internet. Use of a search engine typically 

returns a list of numerous websites of potential interest. 

Since the Internet is so vast, careful consideration of your 

search strategy is essential for producing relevant results. 

For example, searches may be restricted to search text, 

scientific journals, images, videos, finance sites, books, or 

news. Some search engines offer automatic translation of 

websites from other languages to English.

Although there are numerous search engines currently 

available, a few account for most of the Internet use. 

Some that are helpful in finding information related to 

wildlife damage management and that are available at no 

cost include:

Google https://www.google.com

Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/

Google Books https://books.google.com 

Bing https://www.bing.com

Microsoft Academic Research 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/

academic

YouTube https://www.youtube.com

Specialized commercial search engines useful in finding 

scientific literature related to wildlife damage 

management, as well as in-house search engines managed 

by organizations or institutions, may be available at no cost 

to organization members, students, library patrons, or 

others; otherwise, they are available for a nominal charge. 

Two that are useful for finding scientific information on 

wildlife damage management:

Web of Science 

https://clarivate.com/webofsciencegroup/

Wildlife and Ecological Studies Worldwide https://

www.ebscohost.com/products/research-databases/

wildlife-ecology-studies-worldwide

Portals

Portals are sites that specialize in a specific field and 

provide links, or summarize information from a variety of 

sources. Unlike most search engines that use machines 

and complex models to identify and categorize sites, 

portals rely on manual indexing of reference materials. 

What portals lack in breadth, they more than make up for 

in quality because sites and information are carefully 

examined before being listed. Some useful portals include:

Agriculture Network Information Collaborative (AgNIC) 

https://agnic.org The Agriculture Network Information 

Collaborative (AgNIC) is a voluntary alliance of members 

based on the concept of “centers of excellence.” The 

member institutions are dedicated to enhancing collective 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 9
information and services among the members and their 

partners for all those seeking agricultural information over 

the Internet. Search “Wildlife Damage Management” to 

access information on the various aspects of problems, 

including control, economics, animal welfare, and human 

dimensions. 

Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) 

https://bison.usgs.gov/#home BISON is an acronym for 

Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation. Created by the 

U.S. Geological Survey, BISON is an information system 

that allows users to access, explore, and download U.S. 

species occurrence data from participating data providers. 

In addition to location data, BISON allows users to apply 

various overlays to help put the data into environmental 

and political contexts. 

Center for Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution https://

www.humanwildlife.cmi.vt.edu/ Though its primary 

audience consists of residents of Virginia, the site contains 

a list of useful links to various aspects of wildlife damage 

management issues in a simple format. 

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) https://

www.gbif.org The Global Biodiversity Information Facility is 

a multi-national organization headquartered in 

Copenhagen, Denmark that compiles scientific information 

on biodiversity available through the Internet, using 

georeferencing and geographic information systems. 

Distribution data for plants and animals, including range 

maps based on specimen holdings in major international 

museums, is particularly useful.

Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM) 

http://www.icwdm.com Created in 1996, the Internet 

Center for Wildlife Damage Management provides 

information on the identification, prevention, and 

mitigation of damage by vertebrates in the U.S. It provides 

links to a variety of informational resources and provides a 

webmaster that will answer technical questions. 

PESTWEB http://www.pestweb.com PestWeb, operated by 

Univar, specializes in providing Internet links to pest 

control associations, education resources, government 

resources, manufacturers, distributors, industry news, and 

products.

Page 10 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Digital Commons http://

digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm/ The Digital Commons is a 

searchable repository of hard-to-find publications related to 

wildlife damage management compiled by the Internet 

Center for Wildlife Damage Management. It contains over 

5,500 documents and continues to grow as more material 

is added. Publications include proceedings from the 

Vertebrate Pest Conference, the Wildlife Damage 

Management Conference, newsletters, and more.

Bulletin Boards and Listservs

Bulletin boards are Internet sites where participants can 

post questions and receive responses from others 

interested in the same topic. Typically, the sites are not 

monitored for the accuracy of the information, instead 

relying on crowd sourcing and peer-pressure. Listservs are 

electronic mailing list programs that allow a writer to send 

an e-mail to everyone on the list. Some listservs require 

submissions to be approved prior to being sent to the 

group, while others allow postings to be made without 

restriction. The popularity of listservs has fallen as 

information became easier to locate through search 

engines; however, we provide addresses for several still in 

use. Interest groups have generally migrated to social 

media sites such as Facebook. Facebook has many wildlife 

control related groups that are free to join. Search 

Facebook using keywords, such as wildlife control, 

trapping, pest control, wildlife control operator, bird control, 

etc.

Trapperman http://trapperman.com/ This is one of the 

longest running bulletin boards specializing in traps and 

trapping. Along with sections related to trapping and fur 

harvesting questions, the site has a section dedicated to 

animal damage control. Visitors are warned that 

sometimes comments can appear unseemly and 

suggestions occasionally are illegal and dangerous. 

Nevertheless, some of the visitors are very competent 

trappers, bait makers, and trap manufacturers. 

Sullivan’s Trap Line http://sullivansline.com/forums/

ubbthreads.php/ubb/cfrm This bulletin board, hosted by 

fur trapping expert Hal Sullivan, is somewhat similar to 

Trapperman.com in attracting broad discussion topics by 

trappers. It also provides access to a catalog of Sullivan’s 

numerous articles and products. 
Image Resources

Images provide important visual support for understanding 

the impact of wildlife damage as well as the tools used to 

manage those impacts. The following sites contain image 

databases that may be useful for obtaining images related 

to wildlife damage management. We have selected sites 

with minimal copyright restrictions. 

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Public Health Image 

Library https://phil.cdc.gov/default.aspx This is the site to 

visit for images related to zoonotic diseases. 

Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health https://

www.bugwood.org/ Although this site primarily focuses on 

plant and invertebrate species, it does contain a rather 

large database of photos on vertebrates and their damage. 

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National 

Digital Library https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/ This 

government site provides a rather large collection of 

images of animals in the U.S. 

Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/

wiki/Main_Page This site is a growing, open-use image 

database with a wide variety of photos freely available. 

The Library of Congress’ Science Reference Services 

https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/selected-internet/

imagesources.html#agriculture provides an extensive list 

of links to image resources of a scientific nature that may 

be useful as well. 

U.S. Federal Agencies

Many federal agencies have either regulatory or land 

management functions and deal with problems caused by 

overabundant wildlife, regulatory actions, or options 

affecting their management. Federal agencies can be 

accessed through the U. S. government portal (https://

www.usa.gov/agencies). A few agencies or units have 

activities or resources closely related to wildlife damage 

management that may be very useful to practitioners. 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife 

Services https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/

wildlifedamage The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 

Wildlife Services program is a unique federal wildlife 

management program. It provides federal leadership and 

expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and 

wildlife to co-exist. Wildlife Services has no regulatory or 

land management responsibilities, but has broad 

legislative authority for hands-on wildlife management in 

cooperative programs with landowners, private entities, 

states, other federal agencies, or other countries. The 

program is involved in a wide variety of activities ranging 

from the management of invasive species, wildlife 

diseases, crop pests, and livestock predators, to reducing 

wildlife hazards to aircraft.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://

www.cdc.gov The Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention or CDC develops expertise, information, and 

tools needed to protect public health and safety through 

health research, promotion, and preparedness to prevent 

or treat disease, injury, and disability, and to address 

emerging public health threats. Valuable information for 

wildlife vector control managers is available online or 

through publications from the various centers.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) https://

www.epa.gov The EPA is responsible for registering and 

regulating pesticide use under the Federal Insecticide, 

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and for 

investigating and enforcing violations. The agency website 

contains a significant number of publications, reports, and 

regulatory documents related to pesticides and their use.

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) https://www.fws.gov/

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for 

protecting and conserving wildlife species native to the 

U.S. and manages over 300 million acres of lands and 

waters. The Service oversees and enforces the Endangered 

Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and other 

legislative mandates related to wildlife management. In 

addition, the Service maintains a digital library containing 

images, videos, audio files, and documents related to 

wildlife species and their management in the U. S. and 

publishes scientific journals that sometimes include 

papers related to wildlife damage management. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 11
Forest Service (USFS) https://www.fs.fed.us/ The Forest 

Service manages 193 million acres of forest and 

grasslands in the U.S. The service is mandated to protect 

and manage land to serve natural resource and 

recreational needs. In some parts of the country, grazing 

and timber production are important Forest Service 

activities. Wildlife and wildlife damage management 

actions conducted by the agency or cooperators and 

efforts to provide public information result in considerable 

materials available through the agency’s website. 

Geologic Survey (USGS) https://www.usgs.gov/ In 1996, 

the Department of Interior consolidated its science and 

research activities, including those related to migratory 

birds, endangered and threatened species, and invasive 

species under the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS 

website contains high quality maps of the U. S., and data 

on wildlife diseases, climate, natural resources and both 

invasive and native species. Sections of the site with 

wildlife damage management materials are somewhat 

difficult to find in name searches because the agency 

tends to reorganize frequently.

National Park Service (NPS) http://www.nps.gov Since 

1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with 

the care of our national parks. With the help of volunteers 

and partners, it safeguards these special places and 

shares their stories with more than 330 million visitors 

every year. The NPS often regulates access to areas to 

protect wildlife, prohibits the feeding of wildlife, sets 

garbage regulations, removes problem animals, and 

controls overabundant wildlife deemed harmful to the 

natural environment.

National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) https://

www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/

programs/nwrc The National Wildlife Research Center is 

the research arm of USDA’s Wildlife Services program. The 

NWRC researches materials, methods, and programs to 

protect agricultural and forest crops, livestock, aircraft, 

endangered species, natural resources, and people from 

wildlife damage or zoonotic diseases. In addition to 

providing free, online access to printable copies of 

research publications, the Center maintains a specialized 

collection of wildlife damage management books, papers, 

and unpublished reports that can be accessed through a 

searchable library catalog.

Page 12 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) https://

www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/

With its origin in the 1930’s as the Soil Conservation 

Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service 

(NRCS) draws on a long history of helping people help the 

land. NRCS works in close partnerships with farmers and 

ranchers, local and state governments, and other federal 

agencies to maintain healthy and productive working 

landscapes. NRCS uses science-based technology, tools, 

and applications to support landowners, land operators, 

and others through conservation planning and assistance 

to benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animals for 

productive lands and healthy ecosystems. Extensive 

information, resource materials, tools and applications can 

be accessed through links provided on the website.

U.S. State Fish and Wildlife Agencies

States have the primary responsibility for enacting and 

enforcing rules related to the management of resident 

wildlife. Each state, therefore, has an agency, commission, 

or division responsible for the oversight of native species. 

The regulations governing wildlife for each state can be 

found at the respective sites listed below. Some states 

have additional information on management of humanwildlife conflicts. State wildlife officials also are available to 

answers questions about the application of regulations as 

well as wildlife biology and behavior.

Alaska: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/

Alabama: https://www.outdooralabama.com/

Arkansas: https://www.agfc.com/en/

Arizona: https://www.azgfd.com/ 

California: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/ 

Colorado: https://cpw.state.co.us/

Connecticut: https://www.ct.gov/deep/site/default.asp 
Delaware: https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/

Florida: https://myfwc.com/

Georgia: https://georgiawildlife.com/ 

Hawaii: http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/

Idaho: https://idfg.idaho.gov/

Illinois: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/

Indiana: https://www.in.gov/dnr/

Iowa: https://www.iowadnr.gov/

Kansas: https://ksoutdoors.com/

Kentucky: https://fw.ky.gov/

Louisiana: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/

Maine: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/

Maryland: http://dnr.maryland.gov/

Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/division-offisheries-and-wildlife

Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/

Minnesota: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/

Mississippi: https://www.mdwfp.com/

Missouri: https://mdc.mo.gov/

Montana: http://fwp.mt.gov/

Nebraska: http://outdoornebraska.gov/

Nevada: http://www.ndow.org/

New Hampshire: https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/

New Jersey: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw

New Mexico: http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/

New York: https://www.dec.ny.gov/

North Carolina: https://www.ncwildlife.org/

North Dakota: https://gf.nd.gov/

Ohio: http://www2.ohiodnr.gov/

Oklahoma: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/

Oregon: https://dfw.state.or.us/

Pennsylvania: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Pages/

default.aspx

Rhode Island: http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/

naturalresources/

South Carolina: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/ 

South Dakota: https://gfp.sd.gov/

Tennessee: https://www.tn.gov/twra/ 

Texas: https://tpwd.texas.gov/

Utah: https://wildlife.utah.gov/

Vermont: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/

Virginia: https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/

Washington: https://wdfw.wa.gov/

West Virginia: http://www.wvdnr.gov/

Wisconsin: https://dnr.wi.gov/

Wyoming: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 13
U.S. State Pesticide Boards

Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

registers and regulates the use of pesticides, states may 

enact licensing requirements or additional restrictions for 

the use of particular pesticides or develop individual 

registrations to address special local needs. Furthermore, 

states are responsible for licensing and training guidelines 

for certifying applicators’ use of restricted pesticides. 

Alabama: http://www.agi.alabama.gov/divisions/

pesticide-management

Alaska: http://dec.alaska.gov/

Arkansas: https://www.agriculture.arkansas.gov/

pesticide

Arizona: https://opm.azda.gov/

California: https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/

Colorado: https://www.colorado.gov/agmain

Connecticut: https://www.ct.gov/deep/site/default.asp

Delaware: https://agriculture.delaware.gov/

District of Columbia: https://doee.dc.gov/

Florida: https://www.freshfromflorida.com/#ConsumerResources

Georgia: http://agr.georgia.gov/

Hawaii: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/

Idaho https://agri.idaho.gov/main/

Illinois: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/Pesticides/

Pages/default.aspx

Indiana: https://www.oisc.purdue.edu/pesticide/

index.html

Iowa: https://iowaagriculture.gov/forms-and-licensing

Page 14 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources

Kansas: https://agriculture.ks.gov/

Kentucky: http://www.kyagr.com/licensing/

Louisiana: http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/ldaf-programs/

Maine: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/

index.shtml

Maryland: https://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/pesticideexamination-and-licensing

Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/mdard

Minnesota: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/

Mississippi: https://www.mdac.ms.gov/bureausdepartments/plant-industry/pesticide-program/

Missouri: https://agriculture.mo.gov/

Montana: https://agr.mt.gov/

Nebraska: http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/

Nevada: http://agri.nv.gov/

New Hampshire: https://www.agriculture.nh.gov/

New Jersey: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/

New Mexico: http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/

New York: http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/209.html

North Carolina: https://www.nc.gov/agencies/agriculture

North Dakota: https://www.nd.gov/ndda/

Oklahoma: http://www.ag.ok.gov/cps/pest.htm

Ohio: https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/

plant-health/pesticides/

Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/

Pesticides/Pages/AboutPesticides.aspx
Pennsylvania: https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Pages/

default.aspx

Rhode Island: http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/

agriculture/

South Carolina: https://www.clemson.edu/public/

regulatory/pesticide-regulation/index.html

South Dakota: http://sdda.sd.gov/

Tennessee: https://www.tn.gov/agriculture.html

Texas: https://texasagriculture.gov/

Utah: http://ag.utah.gov/farmers/plants-industry/

pesticides/

Vermont: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/

Virginia: http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/

Washington: https://agr.wa.gov/departments/pesticidesand-fertilizers

West Virginia: https://agriculture.wv.gov/divisions/

regulatoryandenvironmental/pesticides/Pages/

default.aspx

Wisconsin: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Homepage.aspx

Wyoming: http://wyagric.state.wy.us/online-training/236

Canada—Federal, Provincial and Private 

Organizations

Animal depredation control in Canada is governed by 

provincial or territorial jurisdictions and rules; regulations 

vary from province to province. Typically, pertinent 

regulations occur under official hunting and trapping laws. 

For wildlife control outside of official seasons, or for nonhunted species, special “depredation” permits are required 

in some cases. Currently, many provinces, such as British 

Columbia and Quebec, are trying to formalize some rules, 

or guidelines, for dealing with animal damage control. At 

present, only a few provinces have specific guidelines or 

codes of ethics, and the hub for information usually is 

either the provincial or territorial trappers association, or 

the local government (under the appropriate department: 

Natural Resources, Environment, or Fish and Wildlife). 

Agricultural issues, especially the use of pesticides, are 

governed provincially via Departments of Agriculture. 

Canada has a highly developed regulatory system, 

particularly in the area of pesticide use. Their organization 

of executive agencies is similar to that of the U.S. Here, 

ministries are listed starting with those governing 

management of wildlife followed by those that handle 

pesticide regulation. 

Federal

Environment and Climate Change Canada https://

www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change.html 

This agency deals with migratory birds, biodiversity, species 

at risk, and CITES issues.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/

index-eng.htm Fisheries and Oceans Canada oversees all 

issues related to saltwater fish and wildlife (including polar 

bears).

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada http://www5.agr.gc.ca/

eng/home/?id=1395690825741 Agriculture and AgriFood Canada is responsible for all matters pertaining to 

agriculture and agricultural land use.

Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency 

(PMRA) https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/

services/consumer-product-safety/pesticides-pestmanagement.html The Health Canada Pest Management 

Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is responsible for pesticide 

regulation in Canada. Created in 1995, this branch of 

Health Canada consolidates the resources and 

responsibilities for pest management regulation.

Other National Wildlife-Related Organizations

Canadian National Trappers Alliance 

http://www.trapper.ca

Fur Institute of Canada https://fur.ca/

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 15
Canadian Wildlife Federation 

http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/

Canadian Pest Management Association 

http://pestworldcanada.net/

Provinces, Territories and Associations

Alberta

Alberta Trappers Association 

http://www.albertatrappers.com/

Alberta Conservation Association 

https://www.ab-conservation.com/

Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Regulations 

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/

Environment https://www.alberta.ca/environment-naturalresources.aspx

British Columbia

Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource 

Operations and Rural Development 

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/

organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/

ministries/forests-lands-natural-resource-operations-andrural-development

Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy 

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/

organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/

ministries/environment-climate-change 

BC Trappers Association http://bctrappers.bc.ca/

Manitoba

Sustainable Development 

https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/index.html

Agriculture https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/index.html

Manitoba Trappers Association 

http://www.manitobatrappers.com/

Page 16 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources

New Brunswick

Natural Resources https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/

departments/erd/natural_resources.html

Environment and Local Government https://

www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/elg.html

New Brunswick Trappers and Fur Harvesters Association 

http://www.nbtrappers.ca/

Newfoundland/Labrador

Department of Fisheries and Land Resources 

https://www.flr.gov.nl.ca/

Dept. of Municipal Affairs and Environment (pesticides) 

https://www.mae.gov.nl.ca/env_protection/pesticides/

index.html

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Trappers Association 

https://www.nltrappers.com/

Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Natural 

Resources https://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/nr/

Northwest Territories

Department of Environment and Natural Resources 

https://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/en

Nova Scotia

Trappers Association of Nova Scotia 

http://trappersassociationofnovascotia.ca/

Department of Lands and Forestry 

https://novascotia.ca/natr/

Department of Agriculture https://novascotia.ca/agri/

Nunavut

Nunavut Hunters and Trappers Association Baker Lake, NU 

X0C 0A0, Canada 

Nunavut Department of Environment 

https://gov.nu.ca/environment
Ontario

Ontario Fur Managers Federation 

https://furmanagers.com/

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 

https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-natural-resourcesand-forestry

Ontario Federation of Agriculture https://ofa.on.ca/

Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters 

https://www.ofah.org/

Structural Pest Management Association of Ontario 

https://spmao.ca/

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island Trappers Association (no website)

PEI Department of Environment, Water and Climate 

Change https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/topic/

communities-land-and-environment

Quebec

Quebec Trappers Federation (Fédération des Trappeurs 

Gestionnaires du Québec) 

http://www.ftgq.qc.ca/fr/qui/index_ang.htm

Ministère du Développement Durable, de la Lutte contre 

les changements climatiques 

http://www.environnement.gouv.qc.ca/

Ministère de l’Agriculture, des pêcheries et de 

l’Alimentation 

https://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Pages/Accueil.aspx

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Trappers Association 

http://saskatchewantrappers.com/

Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment 

http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/

Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture https://

www.saskatchewan.ca/business/agriculture-naturalresources-and-industry/agribusiness-farmers-and-ranchers

Yukon

Yukon Fish and Game Association 

http://www.yukonfga.ca/

Yukon Trappers Association http://www.yukonfga.ca/

support/yukon-trappers-association/

Yukon Department of Environment http://

www.env.gov.yk.ca/

Libraries

Libraries continue to be an excellent source of primary 

information. Research libraries at universities subscribe to 

scientific journals and proprietary search engines, 

generally allowing their use by local community members 

at no cost. Current periodical sections provide means to 

keep abreast of current developments in wildlife damage 

management. Some larger libraries are designated as 

repositories for government documents and have 

professional librarians available to assist with their access. 

The development of e-mail and Internet services has 

enabled even small local libraries to quickly obtain obscure 

books and other documents by interlibrary loans. Larger 

public libraries and college libraries generally subscribe to 

numerous periodicals, including trade magazines. 

Associations and Societies

Professional associations and societies are organizations 

established to further the interests of their members. 

Societies have a more academic focus, often publishing 

peer-reviewed journals and establishing standards of 

practice for their respective fields. Associations are often 

trade or industry oriented and may publish trade 

magazines. There are a number of such organizations with 

interests closely tied to wildlife damage management. A 

number of other organizations publish popular journals or 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 17
magazines aimed at the general public. The professional 

organizations generally provide training opportunities 

through annual meetings or conventions, workshops, and 

networking. Some of the organizations also engage in 

political activities aimed at supporting or opposing 

legislation or regulations aligned to the interests of their 

memberships. Some of the organizations related to wildlife 

damage management include:

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) 

https://www.fishwildlife.org/ The Association of Fish and 

Wildlife Agencies represents the interests of North 

America’s fish and wildlife agencies to advance sound, 

science-based management of fish and wildlife resources 

and their habitats. Using a series of committees that meet 

twice annually, the association develops and advances 

policies for wildlife management and provides extensive 

resources and information for member agencies and the 

public. The furbearer management section of the website 

includes resource materials and reports related to Best 

Management Practices for Trapping 

(https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-inspires/furbearermanagement).

Fur Takers of America (FTA) http://

www.furtakersofamerica.com/ The association works to 

enhance the opportunities and skill levels of fur trappers. 

In addition to an annual convention, the FTA operates the 

weeklong, Fur Takers College, originally established in 

association with Purdue University.

National Pest Management Association (NPMA) https://

npmapestworld.org/ and https://www.pestworld.org/ The 

organization serves the interests of pest management 

companies in the U.S. and around the world. Although 

much of the commercial activity of association members 

relates to management of insects pests, many companies 

also work with problems caused by commensal rodents, 

urban birds, and other nuisance wildlife species. 

National Trappers Association (NTA) http://

www.nationaltrappers.com/ The association represents the 

interests of trappers and fur harvesters in state, national, 

and international forums to foster healthy furbearer 

populations and to protect the public’s right to harvest fur 

as a renewable natural resource through education and 

Page 18 WDM Technical Series—Information Resources

lobbying efforts. The association also supports extensive 

training and scholarship programs closely tied to 

cooperating state trapper associations.

National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) 

https://www.nwcoa.com This is the only organization in 

North America dedicated exclusively to the interests of 

commercial wildlife control operators. Its goals include 

improving the professionalism of the industry and 

encouraging enactment of reasonable regulations. 

The Wildlife Society (TWS)-Wildlife Damage Management 

Working Group https://wildlife.org/wdmwg/ The group 

assists in exchanging information on wildlife damage 

management among academics, professionals, and 

interested individuals. The group sponsors the Wildlife 

Damage Management Conference on odd numbered years. 

Many groups have state or regional associations and taskoriented working groups for fur trappers, pest control and 

wildlife control operators, and wildlife damage 

professionals that can be accessed through the national 

associations. These local groups can be very helpful for 

networking and keeping abreast of local issues important 

to those involved in wildlife damage management in that 

state. 

Conferences and Workshops

There are relatively few meetings dedicated exclusively to 

wildlife damage management. Conferences provide 

attendees with the opportunity to learn about new research 

and exchange ideas, typically in a lecture setting. 

Workshops, on the other hand, moderate lecture-style 

learning with opportunities for hands-on experiences. 

Workshops offered by the National Wildlife Control 

Operators Association (https://nwcoa.com) include:

 The Bat Standards II, a 2-day workshop available for 

those who have passed level 1. Attendees learn how to 
estimate costs of bat exclusion jobs and perform 

exclusion at a designated site.

 The Goose Academy, a 2-day workshop where 

individuals become certified in the management of 

damage caused by Canada geese. 

 The Shooting Academy, a 2-day workshop where 

attendees learn how to use firearms to remove wildlife 

in sensitive or populated areas. Those who meet 

accuracy standards become certified.

National Wildlife Control Training Program http://

training.nwctp.com/ The program offers wildlife control 

training online and via published manuals. Several states 

accept the training as fulfilling prerequisites for licensing.

Vertebrate Pest Conference http://www.vpconference.org/ 

The conference is held during even years in California or a 

nearby state. Managed by the Vertebrate Pest Council 

since 1962, it is the longest running wildlife damage 

management conference in the U.S. Although this 

conference is designed to serve the continuing education 

requirements of California’s state, local, and private 

vertebrate pest management professionals, the programs 

include topics that apply worldwide. The conference 

attracts many international speakers and attendees, 

particularly from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. 

Wildlife Damage Management Conference https://

wildlife.org/wdmwg/ This conference, produced by The 

Wildlife Society’s Wildlife Damage Management Working 

Group, is held in odd years in states other than California. 

Presentations range from highly technical research to 

human perspectives on animals. Attendees generally 

consist of academics and government research and 

operations personnel. Recently, efforts have been made to 

encourage attendance by private pest control operators. 

Wildlife Expo http://www.nwcoa.com The Wildlife Expo is 

operated by the National Wildlife Control Operators 

Association (NWCOA) in cooperation with the National Pest 

Management Association (NPMA). The conference focuses 

on commercial wildlife control operators’ interests in 

learning new business tactics and wildlife control 

techniques. 

Other Resources

Management of wildlife damage does not wait until the 

ideal control method has been confirmed in a peerreviewed journal. Trappers and wildlife control operators 

frequently develop effective methods based on ingenuity 

and immediate needs. Typically, they don’t publish these 

techniques through established publishers, but may 

describe them in booklets, brochures, or videos. To locate 

such materials, consult trapping supply house catalogs 

that are usually available online. Some such materials are 

reviewed in a regular column of Fur Taker Magazine and at 

Stephen Vantassel’s website, https://

wildlifecontrolconsultant.com. Personal training is an 

important continuing activity for all individuals engaged in 

any aspect of wildlife damage management. A good 

approach for many has been to work with experienced 

biologists, supervisors, or private trappers. 

Conclusion

In the past few decades, there has been a remarkable 

increase in the volume and quality of information related to 

wildlife damage management. The instantaneousness and 

accessibility of the Internet and the development of online 

digital publishing have enhanced the distribution of 

information to broad audiences while often making the 

quality and the sources sometimes difficult to determine. 

In addition, the availability of wildlife damage management 

information continues to be hampered by its broad 

involvement of many disciplines. Until wildlife damage 

management matures as a unique and separate 

professional field and is no longer perceived simply as pest 

control, trapping, or wildlife control, researchers, 

managers, and practitioners must search multiple 

decentralized sources to find essential information. This 

publication synthesizes sources of information on wildlife 

damage management in North America and provides a 

guide for practitioners across a variety of wildlife, 

agriculture, public health, and structural pest control 

disciplines to access common sources of technical and 

practical information.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Page 19
Page 20

Acknowledgements

Figure 1. Photo by USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services

We thank Tim Veenendaal, Jennifer Edwards and Ben West for providing critical reviews of this manuscript. We thank Jennifer Edwards for 

the content related to the Library of Congress and providing other database resources. 

Glossary

Grey literature: Materials and research produced by 

organizations outside of the traditional commercial or 

academic publishing and distribution channels. Common 

grey literature publication types include reports, working 

papers, government documents, white papers and 

evaluations.

Listserv: An application that distributes messages to 

subscribers on an electronic mailing list.

Peer-reviewed: Articles that are written by experts and 

reviewed by several other experts in the field before the 

article is published to ensure the article’s quality. 

Portal: A website or web page providing access or links to 

other sites.

 

Key Words

Animal control, Nuisance wildlife, Wildlife damage 

management

Disclaimer

Wildlife can threaten the health and safety of you and 

others in the area. Use of damage prevention and control 

methods also may pose risks to humans, pets, livestock, 

other non-target animals, and the environment. Be aware 

of the risks and take steps to reduce or eliminate those 

risks. 

Some methods mentioned in this document may not be 

legal, permitted, or appropriate in your area. Read and 

follow all pesticide label recommendations and local 

requirements. Check with personnel from your state 

wildlife agency and local officials to determine if methods 

are acceptable and allowed. 

Mention of any products, trademarks, or brand names 

does not constitute endorsement, nor does omission 

constitute criticism. 

Citation

Vantassel, S.M., M.W. Fall and S. Lariviére. 2019. 

Information Resources for Animal Control and Wildlife 

Damage Management. Wildlife Damage Management 

Technical Series. USDA, APHIS, WS National Wildlife 

Research Center. Fort Collins, Colorado. 20p.

WDM Technical Series—Information Resources