Correction warrior try like 247 Billion +

Private industry certainly can do it better .
Just look at Rod Pinkston at how JAGERPRO out produces USDA WS in real feral hog kills.

Robb, makes one wonder just what if the guvment was in charge of fast food. A big mac instead of being $5 would set you back $125 and instead of Americans eating so many that we're fat we'd look like a bunch of ethiopians.

USDA Bird Burger Franchises come quickly to my mind as this agency takes over McDonalds and replaces their own brand on every corner.
But I grew up a big fan of science fiction and thoughts of soylent green are now in my head right now. Thanks!.

Just a thought. At some point the guvment is gonna tell us they have a found a food value in billions of birds poisoned in North America in the name of guvment

Forgive my Sarcasm.

But Don't Eat The New Bird !!

David, I know that private enterprise can do anything that it sets its mind to, but I'm not real sure about any of us wanting to protect all those miles of stream for six trout fisherman and four trout.

I think it depends how much are they paying USDA WS to do that Paul ?

And the right to compete and do it better for less.

Paul, the beauty of the market is that I don't have to care if three or four trout as long as the check clears.

Over 700 of our competitors not on the job
Who is more reliable?

When I worked for the gubmint, we came in and played cards when we had a state "furlough" day. Used it like a vacation day, took it off later when it was hunting season, didn't get paid for it, but got a bonus of almost exactly the same amount that we lost. Business as usual, just locked the gates to make it hard on the public. Now that I'm a free by gosh trapper and sell my plews to the highest bidder, I've worked my tail off every day during this shutdown. The biggest difference I can see, is that the private sector can operate with less overhead, we don't need to pay fifteen bureaucrats to manage each field worker. There is the whole issue of them not having to achieve a profit margin to stay in business, but in this industry should that really be an issue?

No need to ask this question It never ever was the USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES .

If your reading this and expected me to say something other then get a real job.

Too bad too sad.

Andy I thought all they really did was play cards. !!!

Well, when we were under normal operation, we kept the wagers small, so that it was easy to clear the table when the public came. My entry into this field came as a result of my disdain for Walker Texas Ranger. Nothing against Chuck Norris, but when quitting time as at 4, and I've got stuff to do at home, watching TV from 2:30 on is not that much fun, even when getting paid. Busy work, sweeping dirt in circles, riding around beating the clock, all activities performed daily by government workers, all over the country. The reason gas prices are high? Go out in the middle of the day and look around at a stop light, and look for the government tags. Millions of people riding around beating the clock 1 person per vehicle, all with a government gas card, and no care of how much it costs. Taking the longest route, burning up time. I guess I'm like an x-smoker, madder about it because I've seen the bad side up close and personal.

WS is cooperatively funded as is known. Those in non co-op positions are furloughed, meaning they are at home, not in trucks with gas cards wondering where to burn time.

Those in co-op positions are working as always.

WS in the news was started I thought to provide news about contracts and competition?

Yes?

No?

I worked too hard for 10 years with this outfit to allow it to said they don't produce and aren't essential to so many in our country. If folks feel they must be derogatory rather than informative about true or perceived issues I'll be compelled to address the erroneous posts.

Why not share news and go to congress and your politicians with your issues and make it happen?

I've said it before, where do you think these folks will go if the are forever defunded? They are going to enter this private market all over the country. With experience, ability and more where with all than most start ups.

1 state director could organize all his employees and make a statewide operation in about a week.

Yes they will have to compete with everyone on "equal ground" but many who argue this topic truly don't appreciate how many people will jump in and become large NWCOs overnight.

I've encouraged many to go private since doing so myself. Way better money and nobody calling you lazy and unnecessary just because you took a govt job.

The folks that believe govt employees don't work as hard as the next guy in any industry frankly don't know a bit about it. Comparing incentive profit driven models with govt or corporation based entities will always show disparity.

Just share news and comment on it with integrity and thought and leave the crap for water cooler talk....

Hey, I wasted 10 years as a Gov. employee as well, but I doubt if many of the people I dealt with could operate in the private sector. Takes too much drive. And in many cases, sobriety. Maybe it's a East Coast/West Coast thing. You did the right thing, if you have a problem being labeled a shovel leaner, government employment is probably not a good choice. If you want to shove your authoriti and credentials down peoples throat, then it is an excellent choice. I will say, that it takes a lot more than most people realize to deal with everything that gets handed to you from the powers that be. I would gladly give up business to anyone leaving government employment to join free enterprise, just so that they wouldn't have to deal with stupid stunts like this government shutdown.

Andy, just to clarify, I worked for WS, did you work for WS or another govt. agency, I'm seriously only asking to clarify which branch of govt. you are referring to based on this being a WS thread.

I left my position with WS after 10 years because of wanting to spend more time with my wife doing the kind of thing that we've always wanted to. We wanted to start a NWCO business the year before I we were both hired by the NWRC branch of WS to work in MI. We actually tried to get a CC franchise in NY but someone held the license though they weren't using it, so we kept looking for our first professional jobs out of college.

I've worked for WS in MI, OR, NM and served projects in PA, WI, TX, WA, AK and a few other deployment type missions. Of course in 10 years you will run across an employee or two that you thought could have pulled more weight, however I saw guys get dropped when they were this type because the cooperators saw it too and knew they weren't getting what they needed from the program.

I've worked on both coasts for this outfit and have folks that I look up to that I'd carry water for as the saying goes. Men, women of all ages and elements.

Most of the people I worked with 99% of them provide direct services at request of cooperator thus pushing credentials wasn't a needed commodity, folks called when they have wildlife damage management issues and folks I worked with responded.

Most folks that work as field personnel for this outfit need a second line of income and I can scarcely remember any that didn't do something else to provide income, or had a spouse who added to the pot in order to make ends meat.

I knew young folks right out of college starting with this agency much like I did and I knew old timers that were nearing retirement that had been all around the block with the field.

My point that I've stressed is that it is way to common to say the govt. doesn't work hard, but why not just keep the thread to the aspect of why I as a NWCO feel WS should be limited in their mission to not compete with me as a NWCO.

That doesn't require the more personal statements that are hard for me to not involve myself in.

Anyone including the folks in this outfit can understand people wanting the govt. to not be a hinderance or blockage to their livelihood, but there are many iterations of this debate that result in a bunch of different thoughts.

I'm not worried that if they were permanently disbanded they won't land on their feet, sure some will fail like anyone trying to get into this business or other forms of wildlife management, but the bulk will not only succeed they will thrive.

Just my .02, every human in our country pursues a life that suits them or that fits their constraints and abilities. If they end up working for the govt. in any capacity, I just feel its a crappy thing to just say that they are inherently lazy or deficient because of it.

If folks can stick to the fight they have with WS this would be a thread that could be used to show your political allies that want to take part in the fight, otherwise they get a staffer to start reading and realize it gets way way off topic and personal beyond the need to do so.

Justin

Sorry, I worked for a game department. You are right, I probably shouldn't clutter up this particular thread with tired old rhetoric. I've only worked directly with two WS personnel in my life. One was high caliber. The other, if you could have bought him for what he was worth and sold him for what he thought he was worth,he would have been a valuable asset. On a state level I saw every abuse of power that you could think of, and then some. We did have an agency director who thought it would be a good idea to use the state credit card to take a bunch of his buddies on safari. Maybe I just live in a crappy state. Many government employees do work very hard. Sadly, they need outside income to survive. In every agency I've seen the real shovel leaners seem to have the highest salaries and generally contribute the least. Except when it came to micro-managing all of their underlings. Please don't think I have directed anything at you personally, Justin, because I find your input very valuable. I have a fairly large chip on my shoulder, obviously this is not a good place to put it on display.

Andy, no worries, appreciate your feedback and understand your rant as well. I do think there are many of the same issues in govt. agencies as a whole as there are in any segment of the business world, but of course we all expect more from the folks that are paid the serve the public, versus private interest companies. Totally understandable, mostly I just wanted to verify as I didn't know for sure if you worked for this outfit or another. No feeling on my end that you were personally insulting myself in any way, just time for my own rant as its been awhile too!

Have a good weekend!

Justin

Justin-

I don't see the whole mission of the USDA WS going away just smaller, more efficient more managerial and research oriented but never in a regulatory role or position.

Much of the manpower power oriented from the State Payroll or in the private industry. I have never had a problem with the mission it needs to be done. Its more of a matter of who is doing it and why. Its not just USDA WS , but all of USDA, US Forest Service, National Park Service, Department of Interior and a real look at the 51 agencies that were created by the Teddy Roosevelt Administration related to Conservation. Its not the mission but who is doing the mission and why. Land and natural resources should ultimately remain states rights that has been trampled on more and more over the last 100 years. Just look at the federal water rights problems in your own Arizona.

Its hard to argue that every facet of the USDA WS mission has to be done only by the Federal Government. I don't think one state constitution exists that states gave up their own rights to a States own land & natural resources. The mission from State Director on down could be done by State employees and vendor relationships with the private industry. It obviously could be done by all state employees the issue remains why does this need to be done by the federal government at all. I don't buy the federal lands need federal officials arguments. The intention of the Teddy Roosevelt administrations has taken on new roles over the years and many things related to conservation has put the government against the consumer and business in general. I don't buy the efficiency argument when tax payer dollars paid for the research of various government only avicides, starlicides etc.

Why can't state officials just comply with USFWS and issue bird depredation permits? The biggest complaint from my clients today is USDA WS is using their present role to be a predator of the private industry. The customers of a WCO Company don't need to have USDA WS try to undersell a job using legally approved methods . USDA WS doesn't need to even be in the bird depredation process at all. The inclusion of USDA WS only invites unfair competition.

A good example of unfair competition is how USDA WS involvement with large rodents in Massachusetts and the PEST ACT. The list is quite long but again what makes most of the nuisance work a federal only requirement in the first place.

A lucid argument Robb, more on track with the overall thread.



I definitely see clearly why certain species of wildlife and our industry cause the most concern and USFWS permit process is one that boggles my mind and has even when I was an employee of the feds. Though state to state it does seem to vary.

Sorry I haven't post many new articles, they seem to be drying up.

USDA Back ad Work doing pigeon control......

http://trib.com/news/local/casper/answer...2a7c8f998b.html

wildlifeus - The burning question on this one would be who is in Casper doing wildlife control work that would like to trap these pigeons?

Anyone on this forum? In absence of a wildlife control company should WS not provide the service requested by the city? Just questions not statements.

I googled wildlife control and casper wyoming and no pay results, and the yellowbook didn't list either on the first page of results...

Doesn't mean someones not there, but curious if there is someone sitting at home wishing the 1,000 pigeons are enough to make extra lunch money.