Why do I need a control program?
Do you love watching deer, but not in your nursery eating your trees? Is it difficult to walk through the fairway of your golf course without soiling your shoes with waterfowl residue? Have the rabbits established a highway to your garden? Are the raccoons keeping you awake at night as they tear down your sweet corn? Or has the scarecrow become a roosting place for the birds raiding your raspberry patch? If so, you have a wildlife control problem that needs to be corrected!

What are the steps to a good wildlife control program?

1. Identify the problem
2. Research the causes of the problem
3. Research the large variety of control measures and products available
4. Choose the appropriate products/practices for the most effective control
5. Evaluate the results for future reference

What constitutes wildlife?
Wildlife are animals that are not domesticated and generally live in natural, uncultivated habitats. However, many species are adaptable and have moved into and flourished in cultivated areas. They are also opportunistic, and will adjust their diets and travel patterns to take advantage of new crops and vegetation planted in the area.

Identify the problem animal
One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they think they have a deer or rabbit or bird problem. It is imperative that you identify the exact type(s) of wildlife in order to save control costs and improve effectiveness. This is often very difficult because of the nocturnal nature of many wildlife species and the lack of understanding most people have about the feeding, travel and bedding behaviors of wildlife in general. Consult the state department of natural resources in your area or a wildlife biologist for detailed information on the common types of wildlife in your area.

Why do I have a wildlife problem?
As mentioned, many wildlife species will readily adapt to and often prefer the vegetation and fruits of cultivated crops, and will quickly alter their travel routes and eating patterns to take advantage of these.

Urban sprawl, highway construction, human interaction, erected barriers and fences, predators and domesticated animal pressures will also cause changes in wildlife eating patterns.

Seasonal crops and climatic conditions can also have an effect on wildlife movement and pressure.

Location of the cultivated crop with respect to natural habitat, protective cover, and other crops and vegetation in the area can cause certain fields or areas to be hit harder than others.

Effective scare and control practices and products that are being used by surrounding landowners can drive wildlife away or toward your property.

Choose appropriate control measures
The keys to any good wildlife control program are effectiveness and cost-efficiency. With the wide variety of control practices and products on the market today, you need to spend some time researching the possible solution and determine which one(s) provide the most consistent and effective control of wildlife movement and damage, at a cost that is justified based on the value of the crop or land use. Not every product or practice works perfectly all the time or in every situation, so a combination may need to be implemented.

Once you determine the specific type of wildlife problem, the general reasons why it is a problem and have a basic understanding of the possible solutions, it is time to put together a control program that works for you. Talk with other growers and neighbors and find out what does or doesn't work for them. Consult your state department of natural resources, university Extension agent, or GEMPLER'S Technical Services for additional suggestions on available products and practices for an effective and economical wildlife control program.

Evaluate the results
The last key to an effective wildlife control program is a good follow-up evaluation after each control implementation. This will help you determine what worked well and what did not and help you fine-tune next year's program for more effectiveness and profitability.