It has become over whelming. Busy-ness that is. My wife hired a gal to run her groom shop and is doin my books and gona start answering calls. That will free me up some but not enuff. I'm at the point of bringing in a new guy and adding a truck. (LOTS OF FEAR!) For you big guys with multiple trucks and bodies, How did you make that transition? How do you pay your help? Is it commision or hourly? Do you have guys just doing exclusion and you run traps? Or do they do both? What about the slow times? Any advise is welcome. I have turned down way to much work and gave it away! About 30k since 1st of the year.

If you don't want to hire an employee, raise your prices, start cherry picking jobs, work less, make the same

I'm in the same delema. Trying to train a guy.

To me the hardest part of training is to try to put more than 50 years of animal experience into a sentence that everyone can understand. When I go into a room with an animal in it, I usually know what the animal is going to do before it does. So how do you explain that to your trainee?

Do any of you guys that have employees have the same problem? Heck, most times I can't even explain it to myself.

Paul, try this one. I got a call early this AM from Georgia Power. It was a line crew supervisor looking at a tree down on the lines and a bunch of [Please excuse my language... I'm an idiot] honeybees. The tree had snapped at the hollow and was hanging on the wire. I waltzed in unsuited and within five minutes had the situation accessed set up a box salvaged some comb to put in the box and had them marching in.
Fifteen minutes later I convinced the tree cutters to get to work and it was back to situation normal.

I can wade into any bee colony and within minutes know their mood and what their doing and how to get what I need accomplished. Just how does one teach what I have gained from thirty years of observation.

There is quite a bit to think about, but it is worth the effort. The biggest obstacle is hiring that first guy....the next few after that are easy. The next obstacle is when you need two people on phones. I keep hoping that some people get bigger operations, as they could make great acquisitions for someone...someday. As a industry, we need to get beyond the one man and a truck.

And here I am looking forward to going back to myself and one truck.

David, your example of the bee story was perfect. I am not sure that the "feeling" we get from mammals and insects can be taught. I think it is something that has to be learned and I don't think everyone is capable of learning that peculiar part of nature.

Paul, most folks just don't "see" what we do. I can thank my Dad who had the most confusing line he kept repeating, "Don't just look at the woods, SEE the woods". Kind of a wax on, wax off thing but he always told us kids the everything out there has a story to tell if only you know how to read it.
It amazes me working around city folk just how blind they are to the world around them.

If you get 60 percent of your bids,,,,you are to cheap or Good,,like me........

Yup! People are amazed and impressed with my [i]vast in-depth[/i] knowledge of nature. I'm thinking "PLEASE: get a book, walk in the woods, stop getting your info. from Bravo network."
I'm kinda in the same boat: losing some work but so afraid of the big leap to hiring a tech.

Thanks for all the help.
I have a guy that works partime for me. His full time gig is with the smoky mtn park. He is 23 wildlife and fishery grad from UT. With a minor in forestry. I taught him how to fur trap 3 years ago and does VERY well. He is very respectful, hard working, trust worthy, I can go on about him. He also repells for me on tuff set ups. Not affraid of hights or tight places. He see animals like a trapper does not like a book smart guy. It's tuff for me to call them techs, Sounds like a refridgerator repair man lol. I guess I'm still old school trapper. Any ways he will come on full time in November when his contract is up with the park. Till then I can train him my way of doing things. Thanks again. You guys always come thru with good advise.

I just had a lovely call. My guy ran the diesel truck out of fuel today on the freeway. Truck is in tow back to the house. Happy happy joy joy.