Thanks Vinke,

Your thoughts on the why and such are in line with my thinking, along with some other thoughts I have.

Regarding the idea that the clients want them gone, dead or removed, I'm going to sound like a nut here
but I'm going to say it anyway.

It is my job to educate my clients about wildlife and about the FACT (in caps because it is a fact) that they
will always have more around them whether I remove 1 or 10 or 20 from their home or yard.

Too many clients believe when you arrive that when you eliminate that skunk or raccoon or squirrel that
they are done, no more problems, issues are over for life.

They often take a few minutes to realize that that one skunk under the shed will be replaced by another if
the hole isn't plugged and that even if I remove / relocate / euthanize that skunk, they live in skunk habitat
and they will have another eventually.

So I guess I'm just on another side of the coin when it comes to which way I'm swimming in this current. I
don't mind spending extra time with clients to try to bring them around to what I feel should be done.

Could I set a trap and remove the animal when they ask for it? Yes I could, but do I have to? Nope.

Do I want my business to grow? Yes I do!

Do I feel I have to do what the client tells me they think is right to do that?

Nope, and I see examples of my "style" moving forward every day for me.

I'm not saying it is for everyone, but when I hear someone say, "I do it because they tell me to," I can understand
it because it is a service business, but if it can be done another way with the same result but a more educated
public, then I'm going that way.

I don't mind killing wildlife when necessary, have done it for more than 14 years as a private guy, as a g-man and
in many states. However, I now live my own way, drive my own wheels and run my own ethics and what I feel I
want to do each day, as any other guy or gal does on this forum I suppose.

Every week I have people wait for our style rather than go to company "X" so I believe that I'm going the right direction
and really enjoy my day because of it.

I like this thread because it tells all of us more about this type of service. Raccoon exclusion has been discussed on other
threads, but I think we see many aspects more discussed in this post.

Hope it keeps going, wherever it leads!



Justin

Excellent thoughts....lets call it modern adc.

In some states it is mandatory to either release the raccoon on site or destroy it. I'll bet you the guys in those states where killing is the law, don't have as many customers coming up to them and saying "Your raccoon came back!"

When you have 4 raccoons per square inch like we do, I don't think what you do to them really matters.

If you have 4 raccoons per square inch...and you euthanize...you probably get many customers saying the coon is back....right?

Matters how? Matters ethically or maters to the client or to the resource as a whole?

I think it is far more a business model for most and that's fine but no one calls a spade a spade.

I'm pretty sure Boulder, CO has more coons (big ones) per square mile than the average U.S. City and I don't have the same problems you have Paul. It could be because there are a lot of bleeding hearts in Boulder that will give the exclusion a chance with little persuading. I agree with HD in the fact that there are more positives in exclusion for me than trapping. Outside of baby season, exclusion is always our first preference if it fits the criteria.

Here in CO we can relocate a Coon up to two miles away, with the permission of Parks and Wildlife, the land owner where the coon is to be released and the permission from the owner of the property where the coon was trapped. Or euthanized/released on site.

First of all, everyone know this: Not only are Justin and I good friends, but Jake and I are really good friends. But until I have walked in their shoes and they have walked in mine, it is absolutely ridiculous to criticize one another for they way we do business!

I happen to know that both Jake and Justin have a business going that some of you readers may covet. Take all the things that are printed on Trapperman and use what is suitable and save the rest in the back of your mind for those problem jobs. I have said before that you young guys are so lucky to have all this information at your fingertips but you know what? even us old dogs benefit from new tricks!

I second what Paul said in regards to always learning. I don't know it all, far from it, I'm taught that every day now in this new business.
I do like tradition, but I also look at things that challenge tradition and see what I want from it and what I don't, or what I need and what
I don't.

I do consider Paul a buddy and a colleague along with the rest of this crew on here, though most of you I've not met like I have Paul and others
in the industry.

I hope no one sees any disrespect in anything I write, unless I say it is meant to be taken that way. I respect anyone with passion and a point
of view, sometimes I lean too hard on my passion and don't ever want to be polarizing, though it may happen sometimes.

I like this discussion, because it has lead to me getting a few more folks who are doing things in a manner I'd like to and they are succeeding
which shows me it can be done. As my wife says, she can always tell me it works, but until I see it work, I have a hard time selling it to someone.

So as Paul said, take what you like, and leave the rest, or join the debate, this forum and .info and others are invaluable for education and information
exchange in our industry, likewise WCT and other publications as well!



Justin

I work a neighborhood 4 years ago and removed too many raccoon,,,,.... I just started having calls again in that area,,,

Speaking of which, are your coons fattening up a little early this year? Caught a coupla hog boars yesterday. It's getting to the point that I can tell they're males from 50 feet away.

You bet Dave! And not only the boars; even the young of this year are hitting the cages. When you have an adult male in one hand and a young female in the other, you walk with an obvious tilt!

I'm still pulling babies out of peoples attics/crawl spaces. There have been some lunkers though.
One question. How do you exclude a toyota tundra and a honda crv? These coons over here are reaking havoc on a car lot.

Aaron, I don't think exclusion will work there. I had a Ford dealership with the same problem. Caught and removed about ten raccoons ( right on the lot ) and their problem was solved. I think I was more surprised than they were!

What are they doing in the cars - are they destroying stuff?

This is a weird year on the west coast,,,, I saw the smallest set of fawn today,,,,,



roll up the windows?????????????

On a side note,,,,,,,, Ford use to use peanut oil on there wire harnessed.........