Hi guys I have been reading on here for a long time and finally decided to join up. I have been doing some WCO work for the last few years but doing it for free or to get hunting privilages. But the time has come to step up and start making a few dollars for my time.

I have a question for you guys, how do you figure out how much to charge? I don't want to be the one that starts out way below what others charge. That makes it ruff for everyone. Do yall charge a show up fee and then per animal? Or charge for so many days or work? I am at a loss on which way would be the best. I sure could use some opinions on this type decisions.

I look forward to talking with you and learning from you.

The archives are your friend.

How can I get to the archives, 3 pages is as far as I see?

On the main forum page, scroll down and look at each forum title. You'll see the "Animal Damage Control Archives".

Also, when you are in the regular ADC forum, there are some display options at the bottom of the page. You can expand the date range to show more post. Right now, yours is set to "show topics active in the last month". That drop down menu will give you the option to "show topics from all dates". That'll give you 40 something pages!

or just click here http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/17/1/Animal_Damage_Control_Archive h

Clemson is close and a good source of information for our profession. Columbia is another but farther away.

Yes, clemson is only a few miles away. Don't really know what they could do to help me figure out prices but I am sure they would have plentiful wildlife information. I will certainly get to know the people down there as time allows.

Prices vary widely. The only way to find out the prices in your area is to call and ask.

The standard approach is to have your wife, girlfriend, brother-in-law, etc. call the WCO companies in your area with requests for service. You will get a general idea of the going rates.

That's what I was thinking I would have to do. Thanks for the reminder.

That is the old tried and true but why not be a man about it and just make the call yourself and introduce yourself and ask. Now don't think old hands like myself will all of a sudden give away the store but having had numerous others start up right under me I got a whole lot more respect for the guy who is stand up enough to call me up and ask my advice or offer to meet for lunch than to sneak around behind my back thinking he's picking off work from me. Don't think for a minute I don't know who they are and what they are doing as I am quite sure they have heard of me.
I don't give out prices up front but to those who have made the grade and gained my respect I am more than glad to offer advice. I'm long past the cut throat days and now want to try and cultivate good operators within the ranks so be the very best you can be and do good work and you will be surprised by the reception you get. It won't happen overnight, nothing ever does, but I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Good call, David. I think you spoke for a lot of us on that one.

I happen to agree with Warrior. As a matter of fact I am in the same shoes as you with wanting to start up a little animal removal company of my own. I have been an electrician myself for a number of years and do own my own electrical contracting business. A long time ago I had the idea that I was going to take some shares,work, from other people by lowering prices. That didn't work out very well for me financialy because others before me had already figured out the prices through experience. My advice to you even though I am just starting out like you is get in touch with someone in your area and get some round about prices. Don't do it in any underhanded manner by having someone else call for you, do it correctly and you might be surprised. I have been talking to Warrior about this very thing. People in this business along with any other business or trade are more receptive to people being honest with them rather than trying to fool them. Customers can and will be that way if given a chance. You might also get more help if you make a gentlemans agreement to stay out of "their core area" of business and if you do get a call in their area give it to them. Just my thoughts

If your strategy is to compete on price, you are not giving this enough thought. Are you selling a commodity?

I would do what most on here are recommending call your competitors buy their lunch tell them what you are getting ready to do. I think you will be surprised at how receptive they are if you are going to conduct your operation like a business wanting to pay your bills and support your family. Get a business license, and insurance. Make a decision do you want to be the cheapest or the best. You can do either and do alright finding enough customers to keep you going. If you try to do both you will run out of time in the day and not have enough money for your work. If you don't bankrupt will go back to doing what you were doing so you can spend some time with your kids and pay your taxes.
This work takes time the most valuable thing you own and you never know how much you have left. Don't sell it cheap it's valuable to someones who love you. Good service can't be made up in quantity it has to be quality. Do not compete in price you and your customer won't be happy with yourself.
I would hate to go shopping, to a little league game, a rotary meeting and have everyone saying I didn't do a very good job but I was cheaper than everybody else.
In short call your competitors, go to the wct seminar or nwcoa's charge as much or more thn them and do better work.

Wait a minute, I think I may have worded that to get yall thinking I would do this as a cut throat. That is definately not the case.

First, I would never have someone call for me. I am man enough to make my own phone calls. I am just one of those kind of people that will walk right up and introduce myself to anyone.

Second, I have been doing this for free for the last few years, it's time now to make some money. Either I am going to make money or I will stay at home, bottom line. This is just going to be a part time business for me, I have a job that pays well, so I am not having to catch critters to eat.

I am not out to low ball other people prices. If anything I may even be a little higher than others, I live on the lake and the clientel around here have MONEY and most of them don't or won't get out to do it themselves. I'm just not working for nothing, been doing that to long.

I have done a web search and haven't found anyone that is local, doing this in any organized way. I know there are some fur trappers that hire out to catch a few critter but that is about as far as it goes. They don't make a it a business, seems more for enjoyment than anything. Unless there are some that I havn't found yet.

I appreciate the feed back yall are giving, but you can rest assured, I will be on the up and up or I won't do it.

You didn't come across as a cut throat. Just the opposite in fact.


You are going to have to find out what the going rates are in your area though. A quick search shows A+ and Breda Pest Control in the Greenville area. It's good to have an idea of what the trades in general are charging in your area.

Some guys charge buy the job. Others charge a setup fee with a per animal charge. You need to find out what works best for you and your customers.

Up here in NH a $75-$100 set up fee and a $50-$100 per animal charge is common. A lot depends on the animals you chose to work on.

It's also common for fur trappers to do jobs for noticeably less.

Mileage will be a big factor in your pricing. Some guys will routinely travel and hour or two to do a job, others don't. Figure out what's best for you.

Get in touch with your F&G Department and find out if you need to be licensed. Get some insurance. Register your business name, etc. It's a lot like any other business in a lot of ways.

I have already been in touch with the DNR and here in SC, they don't require any special liscense for WCO work. Insurance is next on my list, and I wouldn't think about taking on a job without it. I have owned my own remoldeling business off and on for years. But my love is wildlife, and I would like to add it into my line of work. I don't mind remodeling and building but I don't want it to be just building anymore.

I will be in touch with the other businesses that are close by. I want to meet some of the people because I am only doing this part time and I want someone to hand off work to if I can't get to it because of my full time job.

Your construction experience could come in handy for repairs and exclusions.

What kind of business are you thinking of? Predator control? Suburban squirrels and skunks? Everything and anything that comes along?

For the last few years I have been just doing predators and not even getting serious about it. I have never even charged anyone for it, it's just been something fun for me to do.

I contemplated starting this business several years ago but never got serious enough to follow through. But now the more I think about it, the more I want to try my hand at it. I love the outdoors and being around wildlife, so what could be better. It would be nice to have a job that I really enjoy. Right now I work full time but only as a contractor, and you know how it is being a contractor. Here today gone tomorrow, so I would like to have this to fall back on in case I have too, somewhere down the road. Never know it may turn into a full time job and that would be ok too.

The exclusions and repair won't be any problem at all and I don't think I will have any problems with the critter catching either. I do my research and study every thing I can find to read. I am planning on handling about anything that comes along. I know how to handle myself professionally with the public and giving bids and recommendations.

I look forward to learning from yall on here and I hope you don't mind questions, because I don't want to make myself or WCO's in general look bad. It's either done right and first class or I don't do it.

I do it part time too. I have a second shift, full time job so I have all morning to trap. It's really a great part time business. I'd be willing to bet that most of the WCO's in the country are part time.

btw, nice logo.

It sounds like you have what it takes. Good luck.