I talked today with our big guy at TWRA. They are wanting to re-do the ADCO program. And they are wanting our input. He would like to see a state WCO organization or something in that nature. If we want a say in any changes that will be made we need to be unified.
So I'm just throwing this out there. I talked to a couple guys in my area and they would be interested in getting something started.
I have a small list of things I would like changed all of it to benefit business and the customer. Also in actuality help the TWRA.
Chime in whether you think it would be good or not.

Very good!!! All politics is local and one unified voice is much clearer than everyone talking at once.

keep me posted Paul ! We have a meeting over here coming up in october and i hope to find more out then

Paul, what changes are you speaking of?

Paul A an d other TN WCO's I would be glad to help get the TN WCO's united. The state agency needs to communicate with a group that represents the interest and expression of the group of
operators not just a loud voice of a few. Anything I can do let me know.

Some changes I would like to see.
1. Allow WCO's to sell the fur they catch on jobs. IMO It is a waste to throw away perfectly good fur because you trapped them at Miss Bettys house for pay. 100 coon can ad to your income.
2. Right now we can do ferral hog work but not under our business name. So you can be paid to control hog but have them write the check to you personally.
3. I would like to see us be able to use harassment for bears. TWRA is spending a ton of money to chase bears. I personally don't want to trap bears, I just want to offer harassment. My phone is already ringing for bear problems and I can't do a thing to give people relief.
4. I think a simple standard test to receive a ADC license. Right now any yahoo with a caulk gun and a cage trap is in business.
5. Here in east Tn we have to euthanize coon, skunk, fox and yotes. The Twra does not communicate this to local police and sheriff dept. Therefore I get customers that tell me "The police station said we can release them else where.
These are my thoughts. And I know some may not pertain to west Tn. We have had a rash of new businesses start up here, Mostly pest control that are now wildlife experts. And they are doing some un ethical things and miss informing the public. Which is a violation (miss informing). The recent one I heard was The company told the client,"we quarantee skunks for 2 weeks after we test for rabies and them release. It's CRAP like that that will hurt this industry in Tennessee!

Thanks Tim for the offer on your help. We will be talking

Sound like reasonable suggestions to me. I have heard plenty of BS lines myself. I am a newer guy to the industry but try to be educated enough to not misinform people. I'm not a fan of having a ton of burdensome rules that we are subject to and appreciate that we have the wiggle room within the regs to operate by. I do wish that the regulations that are in place were better written and easier to find. Seems that every operator I meet tells me a new rule (or exemption from a rule, i.e. snare wire diam.) that I had no prior knowledge of. I would be concerned that by bringing any of this up would be the opening of a huge can of worms though. Once they start writing new regs. who's to say that they wouldn't add something that's crippling to all of us. Most operators who provide poor service or are dishonest shouldn't last too long anyway. In my area word tends to spread fast, good or bad.

Hey Paul,

Those are good suggestions, though we're not dealing with bears yet and hogs are still for the most part under the radar for us in the Nashville area.
Throwing away winter caught ADC fur is a darn shame and some agents with TWRA (Division 2) have said in the past that we can sell it.
Also a standardized test would weed out a lot of the shysters.
My 2 cents, I'd like to see TWRA in conjunction with the Feds. open up beaver control bids on some of the Corp. of Engineers properties. I've tried but no success so far.

By the way , are you a member of TFTA (Tennessee Free Trappers Association)?

Sounds like something Pesky thought up. How about the Tennessee Paid Trapper's Association?

Now Paul....I remember that. Wasn't it "Michigan free trapper" or some such?

mchitwood the can of worms have been opened. The TWRA have been getting complaints about shyster companies. I been stopped twice so far by CO's just to check me out. They want our input. Right now there are a few of us that give it to them. But they would rather have us unified and just a couple representatives voice what we are thinking.
Yes John I'm a TFHA member.

Sorry John miss read that. No I'm not a member of the free trappers. I'm a member of the Tennessee Fur Harvesters

Maybe a good place for all of us to sit down and chat would be at Robb Russel's rondi in Georgia. (just a thought)

I am planning to attend if possible and would love to talk to everyone about it. Sorry if I sound a little touchy about the subject but I'm most likely one of the pest guys that you seem to be upset with. I'm just a part-timer and my wildlife business is my personal company, it has nothing to do with the pest control company that I work for. I hope you are speaking of the companies that have 5 guys doing pick ups with only one permit that I've heard about and not me. I'm sure that I have made a mistake or two but I'm not one of the clowns out there telling folks that I relocate ANY rabies vector. I started my company due to the demand for services from my customers and the fact that they were being ripped off by some of the local companies. I'm the new guy in town and have a lot to learn, but I am on here and LT's site daily trying to soak up all the info that I can. I also have a good relationship with my local TWRA contacts and can assure you that I'm not doing anything questionable and have heard the same complaints that you have. I'm sure that you know which companies I'm talking about.

The company's that do shoty work will do nothing but hurt them selves. That subject is not my main concern. We could be part of there decision making or at least have a influence on it.
This is the way we pay our bills, Feed our family's and so on. We have a interest of whats gona take place within this next year or so.
I thought if this is formed maybe meet twice a year. Once in west Tn and once in East Tn. I don't see us needing to be divided into districts, have directors and such. We don't need fur actions or some of the other things that TFHA or the two other fur trapping org have. Our interests are different than a fur trapper. I'm still a fur trapper and will support TFHA,FTA,NTA. I'm looking forward to see what Tim Julian has to say.
Yes John it's issues like that that can be addressed.
Some times it's just opening your mouth in a way that they won't take offence. I will be meeting monday with our county hiway dept. to discuss beaver removal. All because I came up with an idea to save the county $$$$. I made a call, I ran the numbers with them now I may be looking at a contract with the county. So what I'm sayin is I could of sat around and complained about the waste of tax payers money. But I did something, not in anger but I had a solution to the issue.

I really look forward to what Tim Julien has to say too.

The intent of the SE Rondi and Kirk's Camporee was to get many in the SE states (AL, MS, FL, GA, TN,KY, NC, SC, WV, VA) to get together have fun, learn new wildlife control techniques and not just organize ourselves against the Top Twelve Threats To the Wildlife Control Operators.

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3290408#Post3290408

We are gonna learn a lot from Kirk Dekalb, Mike Flick, Ron Jones, Tim Julien & Eric Arnold & every single attendee who comes. It is very important we learn, work, and unite and help make this industry better then the federal alternative many of us are dealing with all over the Eastern United States today.

So please join us listen, learn, and share your knowledge at the South Eastern USA Rondi and Kirk's Camporee Oct 26,27 in Moultrie GA.

Paul.
Good luck with your sit-down with your county. I have contracts with some of our nearby counties, so I'm no stranger to being proactive and attempting to find work when it appears to be locked up by local government.
It's when the feds lock up a certain impound and will not even discuss an alternative. That's what frustrates me.

Thanks John. The numbers are good. It would be tuff to refuse compared to their cost of continuous dam removal