How to become an ADC worker

Next summer I want to do ADC but how do I get my name out there for people to call and what all do I need.I fur trap in the fall and winter but that's all.

Advertise, network...

How much do you charge for each job? Any recommendations on cage traps?

Trapping is labor intensive. If you really want to do it right, be innovative. For example, for a coon in an attic....what about $2500 or more for the removal and repair/reinforce home. You just need a builders license and permit.

Holy cow that seems expensive!

you have to consider all your costs.....how much money will you have to spend to get that first customer?

He other model is to charge $100/capture or $50/capture. Regardless, some people will think that is expensive.

Hmm ok

What type of licenses and courses do I need?

That is so true. It boils down to, what are people willing to pay for nuisance wildlife removal in your area? And, as I am finding out, that figure can differ greatly between small geographical areas. As a new operator, I am eager to get my name out there, and am utilizing several networking and advertising options. But in the end, I cannot work for free, and working cheaper than others (low-balling) is not a good business practice either, so I try to think of it this way. We are not just trappers, we are problem solvers, and it is a craft, just like any other. And I say this with experience, as I am a licensed electrical contractor and master electrician... and this trade of wildlife damage control is much harder than doing electrical work, so people should be charged accordingly. You should be compensated for your skill set.

Dave K... you have a very impressive website. And, I appreciate all of your posts, as well as those of many of the regulars on this sub-forum.

Thanks...much appreciated.

What about like a per day charge and a per catch charge.like 40 dollars a day and 75 dollars a catch?

Or more but the same idea

Then you will get the argument.....you are not getting the animal quick enough because you want to get more money...even if this is certainly not the case.

"You should be compensated for your skill set."

^^^^ That is so true.

My mentor has taught me a lot of things about this field but one of the most important lessons I've had to learn is how to focus on animals and not methods to solve problems. Methods follow a good understanding of the problem and what the animal is doing or not doing at a jobsite.

This is not a critter business.......it's a people business.

Good point

give me a call and I will talk to ya.

Ted, when we started this business a long time ago, our competition was a pest control company and the largest franchise in the

country. This was great because no matter what we charged, we undercut these two competitors. Now we are the competition and all of

our competitors know exactly what we charge and underbid us. Since we are very reasonable to begin with, I don't know how someone who

lives an hour away can drive here, do the job for less money, drive all the way back, and still make enough to buy a new vehicle when

one is needed. This is something to consider when you try to figure out how much to charge.

Maybe I should work with another guy first so I learn the methods for catching them in cages

Exactly

This is a marketing business as much as anything. When you do a good job getting your name out you will have more calls, with more calls you can afford not to work for the cheapskates. For the sake of argument, lets say you have two services and you have the time for only 1 job per day (based on a M-F work week, yeah I know right?). One pays $1 and the other pays $100. 1 out of every ten calls is for the $100 service. You suck at marketing, so you get one call a day, that is $109 for two weeks. With good marketing you get 10 calls a day and now your revenue is $1,000 for two weeks. When you have no calls coming in, you take what you can get, when you get the calls to come in, you can charge what you're worth and not worry about missing the little jobs.

Ted,

I've been trapping for many years now. I've been doing ADC work for the last 6 or 8 years and the one thing I can tell you is, the two ain't the same!

Yes, your trapping skills will help you in ADC work but you'll need to learn so much more about all sorts of critters. In fur trapping I target beaver, coyote, coons and the occasional otter. But in my ADC business, I've had to become an expert on these animals plus snakes, squirrels, bats, groundhogs, muskrats, possums, birds, turtles, nutria, fox, moles, voles and other varmints I didn't even know we had around here. Plus, I need to know about feral animals such as dogs, cats and hogs.

My experience in plumbing and light construction helps in damage control as much or more than my knowledge of wildlife. Once you take the squirrels out of the boxing, someone will have to fix the place where they gnawed through the facial boards. I make more money on the repairs than I do on the animals. At times you may have to cut a hole in a wall to remove a squirrel nest or take out some soffit to get at a raccoon. If you start doing this, you better know how to fix that hole when you're done.

You're gonna need to learn about more trap types. Footholds and body grips are not always gonna be the best answer for you in ADC work. The public eye will be on you constantly and the type of set you make for any particular job could mean success or the end of you business.

Educating your clients will be a LARGE part of your job. They do not understand that seeing a fox in the backyard at 2 PM is normal and doesn't necessarily mean the fox is rabid. The biggest thing you'll have to educate them on is that this IS a business and you must charge for the service. You would not believe how many calls I get from folks who think I'm a free service of the state or county.

As far as what to charge, that will be determined by the area you are operating in. Make you fees comparable to other professional services persons in your area. For instance, I have a certain service charge for my plumbing repair calls. My service call for wildlife is the same. If someone wants me to do a bat inspection, I charge the same as if it were a plumbing call. Most of my animal removal jobs start with a set up fee, which will have the initial service call added in plus an hourly rate after the first hour, and either a per critter fee after that OR a fee for each trip I have to make. this I negotiate with the client. It helps them to feel in control so they don't think you're ripping them off.

I'll give you an example. Around here, a plumber will cost you between 75 and 100 dollars for the first hour. My service call is 85 bucks. So, my set up fee will be 85 dollars for the first hour and 50 for each additional hour after the first. Most of my jobs take about two hours to set up which means I get a 135 dollar set up fee. Then, per trip or per critter afterwards is negotiated with the customer. It's easier to sell a per critter charge as that puts the pressure on you. If I sell a per critter charge and catch nothing, then the set up fee is all I get out of the job. BUT... The customer is still satisfied with that because you tried your best and maybe the critter just moved on. When I do a per trip charge, I know my gas and labor are covered but I try even harder to make catches. Come up empty handed and it starts to look bad on you.

Guarantees: A lot of guys will make all sorts of guarantees for this or that. I don't. The only guarantee that I offer is any animal that I haul away will not come back. I can not guarantee that other animals will not move in or other critters will not chew out the facial boards in another spot. These are wild animals that we are dealing with and they have minds of their own.

Let's see.... Did I leave anything out? Oh yeah! Equipment. You're gonna need more than just a good supply of different types of traps. Ladders, short, long and step ladders are a must. You'll be working way off the ground at times and in ceilings and such. A good chain saw for trimming limbs back from roof tops, skill saws, drills, hand tools of all descriptions for home repairs, nut drivers, wire cutting pliers for forming cages, excluder valves and a good caulking gun and a foam gun are good to have. And a good dependable flashlight is a must.

Not telling you all this to discourage you from it. Actually, I enjoy working in this business. It can be quite rewarding at times. Just be sure you know what you're getting into. Get yourself certified and learn all you can about every type of critter that you have in your area because you will get calls on all of them.

So what is your favorite set for people? Would they be under wildlife control or pest control? I did see this one set where you bury

a handhold trap in a cookie jar.

I charge extra for those jobs! I hate those jobs! You can't eat 'em, the pelts are worthless and if you hang 'em on the wall, they just gripe about the TV channel you're watching!

Thanks muddawg!I do know how to catch a wide variety of animals but would need to learn damage repair still.

Pretty funny! A couple weeks ago he was moving north to build a cabin and homestead.

The Alaska guys were kind to him.

Perhaps he should spend more time in the kids corner.

Interesting read
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5130336/Alaska_trapper_gear#Post5130336

Burke, I have to get money before I go somehow don't I? Maybe you should help out with my question instead?

Didn't know I had to move right away

Ted, the most profitable place to make a living doing ADC work is smackdab in the middle of a city. That's one of the many reasons

why it is easier to teach a businessman to do ADC work than it is to teach a trapper to be a good businessman.

What part of michigan are you located, Ted?

10 minutes from flint dave

Oh, we are neighbors.

Really? What dirextion

Im in grand blanc

I bought some chicken wings at Colony meats on Sunday............

Oh ya that's right by the police station how were they lol

The first thing you should do is take a business course and then put together a management plan. JMO
ADC work is a lot more than just catching animals, way more.

There are thousands of people thinking about doing it. Only a couple will succeed.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249569

We need to give Teddupuis23 some slack. He said he is only 16 years old. I think we all had dreams of greatness when we were that age. I remember that I and three friends were making lists of supplies we would need to move and settle in Alaska. I doubt if we would have been able to scrape up twenty dollars between the four of us.

Thanks LA I'm just exploring options.if I do go the ADC route I first want to work for a company.thanks for the help dave

Heck. I'm 52 and I'm STILL having "dreams of greatness". Trouble is, I always wake up and find I'm still stuck in the same ole, same ole.

Dare to dream, dare to do........

Then, I quit my day job.

I got fired from my day job for excessive daydreaming.

Your supposed to keep your eyes open.