National Wildlife Control Training Program, Core Principals and information
I got the book and it rained today, so I gave it a shot at reading with no expectations at all. To my surprise I found the book easy to read, with understandable terms. Its a basic book giving basic information for a novice to get his head wrapped around different species and how to do some typical types of wildlife control. Heck, I even picked up a few tips myself! I am even thinking about giving copy's to some of my customers. I will say the pictures in the book are not all so new, but you can understand what some of the older ones are depicting. I think it covers a wide range of issues in the field that I didn't consider 5 years ago before we started doing pod casts. As far as this being the training manual for any state certification, I wouldn't go that far. I believe a 2-3 day hands on training sorta like our trapper training program would be much better, and guest speakers would convey information more effectively than a book and test alone. I do however think Steve did a great job on the book. I am saying this at the risk of being accused of trying to sell the book for him. Nobody asked me to coment on the book here or anywhere else, just giving credit where its due.

Knowing Steve for as long as I have, I would expect it to be pretty good.

you can bet that some research went into it..........

I got the book several months ago and you're right. It's a very basic book, more for the homeowner than tradesman.

I met Steve at trappers College. Great guy and he was doing his research then. I would say he put some time into it

Mike,

Is this Stephen's latest book or is this the training book produced by UNL and Cornell that NWCOA licensed you're referring to?

Its got the 5 letter N word logo on it. I also believe it is his latest.

i thought it was pretty basic to. most of that you could have got off the internet. I did pay a lot for it though.. trying to stay in touch for when I HAVE to do their program to keep my permit.

Wiggler, How do ya feel about paying an out of state fee to take a test, to work in your own state? This is going to open a whole new can of worms, but it's just discussion, nothing more.

I have a way better question than that, wiggler. If you're taking the test and the only person sitting next to you is Pesky, how do you plan on cheating?

Mike... what choice do I have??? WE have??? sounds like it already in stone. Yes its stinks.. but i guess i will send my money to whoever lobbied the best... im one lone voice... among the few who want to rule. Paul.... why do i have to cheat? are michigan guys stupid?

Almost like the Government protecting us from ourselves. You are not just one voice Wiggler, we just need to bring all the voices together so they can be loud enough to hear.

Mike,

Stephen's latest book is "The Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook" 3rd edition. The one I believe you're referring to is from University Nebraska-Lincoln and Cornell that Stephen helped put together as part of his job with UNL.

My understanding is that I'm the only CWCP that reviewed the book/online course when they wanted an opinion for NWCOA last year. I haven't read the new manual yet, but Stephen told me at the NY meeting that I was responsible for having 3 chapters added to it based on my comments. I'm sure that Kevin Cornwell could give everyone a better update on this than I can as he is the one that asked if I could do the review along with some others that declined.

At the time of my review, I recommended that NWCOA not accept the program for multiple reasons but was never asked to review the program after the changes were made and it was accepted so I can't even discuss what changes were made.

Anyone that wants to know more about my review can email me for details.

Thanks for clearing that up BBM Pres. Someone got me the book as a gift. I have no idea how many he has written on the subject. I'm not a big fan of the Assn. but thought I would throw my 2 cents out there as to what this dumb old hick thought of the book. I feel what I said was accurate in my post on the book, but apparently it upset some people. That wasn't my intention, I felt that it was a great beginners book. This industry is so vast, that to write a single book about it would be crazy, it would be 6 inches thick.

Mike,

Not sure who you upset as it sure the heck wasn't me. I took your comments for what I believe you intended them as and they kind of echoed my review that this was a good start for someone with zero knowledge. One of my issues with it was that I felt it had a lot of opinions (AR beliefs and proceedures) in it and not necessary what I would call Industry Standards (yes, that is the pot calling the kettle black for those that know me) especially when it is trying to be introduced as our Industry Training Standard for States to follow.

Again, I've not reviewed the updated version but I don't agree with the older version stating that you must have three ladders and they must be this size or three flashlights and here is what they must be type of thinking. Let me know if any of this was removed in the most recent copy if you don't mind.

Basically, since this is a combination of a previously published book from Cornel and input from UNL educators, I would have preferred a book that had interviewed at least several hundred different operators throughout the nation and then compilied it together showing the most common methods used if an association was going to back it.

That isn't to say the book is bad or unqualified, just that I expect an association to back methods used by their membership and others versus methods qualified as best by educators with little to no professional knowledge on the subject before certifing a product.

That was a well written response Prez. I guess I never thought of it that way. I have to wonder if advocates of the ASSN. really do believe we as operators in the field are a bunch of dumb hicks. Its true that most of us are not brain surgeons, doing ADC stuff as a sideline, but believing in something, and standing by our beliefs does not make us stupid. Most of us come from a fur trapping background which helps allot in reading sign, species, and population. Even though ADC work is different than fur trapping in many ways, my years as a fur trapper have given me the knowledge required to evaluate a job upon initial inspection. How to use several types of capture devices, and tools to make the job easier on me.
The ADC world takes that to a whole different plane. We don't want to leave any seed for next year, we don't want to offend the customer with our methods, and safety is a key word when working in close with people and pets. But I have to say that the industry wouldn't have progressed as quickly as it has without input from us dumb hick fur trappers.

That too was well said Mike.

X's 2

Sorry wiggler, that was supposed to be funny, not insulting.

However, in an attempt to save face, I do notice that you agreed with someone from Wisconsin. ( Mike Flick )

I have also found that Eric Arnold's posts have been a ray of sunshine; right gang?

Okay, I write for WCT, which Eric owns, so he is my boss. Well, it's an election year and I'm just revealing all my income.

If it were me I would have a psyhcic connection with spell check.