Hello folks, Im brand new to the forum, though Ive been reading it and soaking up the good info for a long time. I'm considering taking the Wildlife Damage Control certification course in my home state of NC. Im not looking to go into full time business, but since I work 28 days on and 28 days off aboard a ship I am considering it as something to piddle with during my off time. Right now my kids and I run a few traps and it's something we all enjoy. I know I work a unique schedule and that makes a difference in how I could run any kind of side-business, so Im just wondering if it will be worth the hassle and the $200.00 cost of the course to get it done.

I havent been trapping very long, but Ive been hunting since right after Noah's flood and reckon I can read sign as good as anyone, and I spent a lot of years doing fabrication, construction, and maintenance for a large furniture factory before I became a medic. Because of that I have a lot of experience not only with construction but also with finding...ummm...unique...ways to solve problems. Working for the factory I was the one they called to get rid of everything from from the occasional snake in the office to the skunk under the loading dock and everything in between, and of course all this had to be done the day before yesterday and with only what equipment I could make for myself in the maintenance shop.

I reckon I wrote a lot of words to ask if you folk's think it would be worth my time and trouble to take the WDC course. Like I said Im not looking to get rich, but I'd love to have this to do in my offtime, and with one kid heading off to college next summer any little bit of extra cash would be a big help. (especially considering he'd be right there helping me out or he wouldn't be getting any of the aforementioned extra cash)

I took it. Learned some stuff. Nationally certified looks good on my business card.

Robert,

A lot of it depends on the area you are in and intend to work.

You may think it strange, but I've found out that the best areas for a business like this is around larger cities and towns. This business isn't dependent on the numbers of critters in an area as much as it is on the numbers of people who don't know how to live with them. Cities like Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro and even Wilmington to a certain extent, an ADC business can thrive. Rural areas like Onslow, Wayne and Duplin counties, not so much. The difference being folks out in the rural areas already know what to do if a coon gets in the garbage or a chicken snake crawls across the drive way. Working on a ship, I'm assuming you live in Eastern North Carolina. There is that thin line along our coast where live folks from elsewhere and have never had to deal with critters around them. You may possibly get some business off of them.

29 days on and 29 days off could be a problem. I've lost some calls because I couldn't get there in the next 15 minutes. These people will not wait for 15 days. Even those who tell me, No hurry" want to see me there within the week.

I've also learned that this business isn't so much about trapping as it is education and deterrence. Education, because so many problems are corrected just by folks changing their habits. Stop feed the dog on the back porch and the coon will stop tearing out the screen to get to it, for instance. Deterrence can be as simple as plugging the whole in the soffit where the cable line went through and the squirrels won't make a home in your attic. But that's getting off subject.

Now, if you're thinking to get certified so that you can trap year round, then you should know, it don't work like that. Every thing you go after is regulated to the hilt. No trap can be set for anything without proof of damage and they can get picky on what they consider "Damage". If you want to get right down to brass tacks, just a regular trapping license gives you more freedom than the WDCA certification does. Just one example, I am not allowed to sell live fox and coyote. Just a trappers license and you can.

Is it worth the cost of the class?

Only you can answer that one, Dude. Will you have enough work to support it? Or will it just be a hobby for fun? As far as learning about trapping, you'll learn more in a one day class through the North Carolina Trappers Association than you will in the WDCA class. Thee WDCA course will teach you the legalities and regulations. It's all about what we're allowed to do and NOT do.

But, if you decide to take it then "Good Luck!" I'll be there in March to renew mine. If you take the March class, look me up when you get there. I'll be the one with the "Call of the Wild" sign on the side of my truck.

Thanks for the advice Muddawg. I live about an hour north from charlotte, and about an hour from greensboro, high point, and winston salem. I kind of figured it would be more about education than actual trapping, and I like that idea...like the idea of helping folks learn more about how to live with the wildlife and the wildlife to live with the people before jumping right to the elimination part of the deal. (especially since I generally like the critters more than I do the people, but hey, thats what happens when you spend 5 years working an ambulance in the projects of a large city)I work in the gulf of mexico, lol, yep thats a long way from home, but it gives me the time off to pursue my hobbies. Im only hoping to be able to find enough work to cover the expense of taking the class and materials used. Any actual profit I intend to put up for my kids college. (of course since he will be helping me this will be his wage)

I can totally understand about rural areas, Im pretty rural myself and we rural folks tend to take care of things OUR way and just dont tell anyone about it.

I've been doing this now, well, I've had my certification for almost nine years. But I've only had any reasonable business from it over the last four years or so. It's taken me this long to break even on my equipment cost.

But, then again, I live in Wayne County. The largest town here is Goldsboro and I've got city and county animal control catching coons and such, even though they're not supposed to. Then the Department of Agriculture is trapping away my beaver and predator profits. I find I am in direct competition with other trappers and Tractor Supply will sell cage traps to anybody.
Were it not for snakes, bats and squirrels I'd have no business at all.

Add to that 90 percent of the calls I get are from folks who think I'm supposed to do this for free. I tell them that I charge for the service and the response is anything from surprise to anger. Yeah! I've had folks get mad at ME for wanting to be paid for my work. Can you imagine that?

I even had one guy who was having a fox problem, when he found out I charge he said, "Whut?... Well I'll let you keep the fox.". Ain't that a lot like telling the plumber that he can keep the hair ball he get's out of the drain?

I know where you're coming from when you talk about people and critters. I'm the same way. The more I learn about people the more I love critters!

Muddawg, glad to meet a fellow tarheel. I used to have a state unlimited plumbing contractors license, ran a little on the side business that I ended up getting out of because my kids were small and after working a full time job then spending half the night on plumbing calls I had no time at home. I can fully understand what you're saying about how folks want you to work for free, I ran into that all the time. (was even worse working an ambulance in Winston Salem, seemed like EVERYBODY in that city expected free service)

Gotta love how the D of A is busy trapping your beaver, of course Raleigh has enough money to support that from our tax dollars. If they're having fun with the beaver, wait 'til the hogs get better established and the D of A might have its hands full.

Personally, Id be happy to pick up enough work in the first few month to cover the cost of getting certified! Anything else would be a bonus. I reckon I would have to advertise in Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston, and High Point. As many people and as much wildlife as there is there should be some work even if I have to pick up the scraps from more established companies. I aint skeered to do the dirty work, and like I said, I'll have it as a little something for my oldest to make a dollar at while he's helping me. All mine are homeschooled and between that and the church activities he's into there's no way he can find a part time job that will work around his schedule, he's a hard worker for sure and actually likes physical labor, but I hate for him to give up church for a job and I aint letting that happen if I can help it. Especially since he's going off to college hoping to become a youth minister and needs all the experience he can get.