I'm located in west Tennessee. Several hunting clubs have ask me to come in and trap the preditors to help out the turkey and small game population . Could someone let me know what decent rate to charge for this.
Thanks
Ken

Ken,

This is asked more often than you might think. Check the archives for more info, but on a basic level several things are always mentioned.

1) Are you a pro or a beginning trapper - one would require or command more money than the other

2) How much is your time worth?

3) Expenses you will incur - gas, equipment, time (labor), other

4) Insurance

5) License or permits if needed

These are just the categories that always come up time and time again. Ultimately though folks do ocassionaly let rip with
"I charge $X.00 for X species," it is rare that anyone can tell you what you would need to or should charge, that is just the nature
of the beast.

Plenty of folks may suggest a price that wouldn't cover your time and gas depending on your skill level and cost factors, but
for someone else that cost may be extremely high. Area, willingness of client to pay etc...

If you are doing it to make a business of it, you have to treat it like one which means you have to build your own cost structure
that takes into account your own needs and demands financially. A guy with a few traps and an old beater truck and no insurance
doesn't need to charge what the next guy does who is running a full tilt operation in most cases and vice versa.

You will see things in the archive like $125-150.00 per animal caught, others do just for fur trapping rights, and other situations...

More than I meant to say, but in any case check the archives this is something that is covered many times if you use the search function
you'll find those.

I'm sure some folks will chime in, but in over a decade on this forum, I can say the best answers are to figure out your own cost....

Best,

Justin

If the clubs aren,t too far apart, line up two, three, or four at one time. Charge a flat rate of at least $500 per week on the smaller properties and up to $1000 week for the larger properties. Work at least two properties every day and have a two week minimum. Charge more if there is no or little fur value. Work agreements should be only be done if multiple locations can be done at the same time.

Thanks Justin and Kirk De I appreciate the advice and your time.
Ken

Check and see what you are up against before you bid. Has anyone been working the ground already? This can mean you are up against critters that know traps. What species are there and in what numbers ? This can give you an idea of equipment and numbers you face. What kind of access do you have ? Are there roads and trails you can drive or is there alot of foot work.
Next be honest just how good are you with these species ? ADC doesn't mean skim the cream and move on it means getting that old experienced 3 toed fellow as well.
Last of all do not count on fur to pay the bills. This is work and you are the pro called in to do the job. Bid accordingly.

V3N, Great post, I couldn't have said it any better myself, so I won't.

Pred a tor...

Sorry, but you know I'm going to jump all over that....

Here's a problem I see all to often.
A guy knows how to trap.
Has some experience.
And wants to 'get into the business' where it pays a good deal more than just catching and skinning an animal.
Yet they are clueless on how to a bid a job much less run a predator control business.
People tend to forget on this side of the fence it is a business unlike most hobby trappers.
I have nothing against hobby trappers...unless of course they're in my way with mediocre methods and do a sloppy job.

Yes, I'm aware that we are on here to help one another, especially inexperienced trappers.
No one can take away I haven't helped a good many trappers on a daily basis and still continue to do so.
I feel there's more to helping someone that telling a novice how to bid a job or what to charge or bid.
Most of these guys aren't trappers with a lot of experience, proper license, insurance legit businessmen with the numbers and years behind them to even know where to start.
Many would wonder why I even said that....(Can't I just go set some traps ?)

Ok, not to discredit anyone and I do feel some good advice has been given out by the above posters.
It's just amazing how many people want to actually run a business without any real experience.
Never be afraid to look a man in the eye and tell him what you're worth.
If he laughs, so be it. Stand your ground!
If he can't afford you, walk away.
Never drop your price but,(and this is paramount) know what YOU'RE WORTH!

Sincerely though, best of luck to the original poster.

Good post LT. Just to find out what I AM WORTH, I asked a number of people that know me quite well. The answered varied.

My 2 year old grandson thought I was priceless and then my value seemed to drop through the next five, until I got to the one that

will be entering college next year. His appraisal was based on how much he could make working for us during the summer months, plus

how much gramma and I were going to contribute to his college education. Apparently I have one of those sliding WORTHS! Up and down.

"It's just amazing how many people want to actually run a business without any real experience."

LT, you just described a massive portion on parr with I would bet 75-80% of beginning operators wouldn't folks say? How many guys ran their own
business before they opened up one in this industry? We have a ton of stories including my own where folks worked full time at another job before they
did this and though some do own another business, most I've talked to don't.

Not that I suggest this is a good practice, but in reality small businesses across the board are founded by folks who have desire, passion and drive, but often
do not have a clue about the actual business side of things in terms of cost and so forth.

Then there are those who know everything about business and know squat about wildlife, biology, behavior or problem solving wildlife damage situations or resolving human wildlife conflict.

There are people we all know charging well beyond their own worth in every walk of life and industry and others charging well below what they are worth and deserve, it is definitely something folks should focus on understanding without a doubt.

Going to have to ding you though on correcting predator and then dropping this one.... Just for fun!

"parimount" - par a mount

lol! Good post!

We never hear about the guy that lost a lot of money in this business....but those guys exist.

I know of a couple of guys in my area that seemed to be doing well, but then suddenly up and quit and moved out of the state. Perhaps

they weren't doing as well as I had imagined or maybe they moved to a state where they could make money in the winter months too.

The difference between this and farming.1 business is a price taker. 1 business is a price maker. You make your price for what you can deliver. People will pay for a professional. Perception can blend into reality.

To respond to some of the comments. I have ran my own flooring sales and installation
business for over 20 years. I have been trapping for longer than that. Only as a fur trapper. I really enjoy the sport of trapping. I have no problem catching preditors but I also believe you never stop learning new tricks and tips of the sport.
I'm not looking at this time to start up a full time preditor control business. Just trying to help out a few people and hunt clubs with thinning down there preditors to help out with there turkey and small game population. As you all know once the word gets out that you can catch them coyotes people start getting in touch with you. So since I never have done any preditor control work I just wanted to hear what some of your thoughts were on it.
Again I appreciate all your responses and time.
Thanks
Ken.

Most of us started out not knowing anything, Some thought or still think they know every thing, Me I feel stupid every day !! But most have realize at some point to learn how to do the business or the control. As fur trappers we are in the mind set of catching. The business is not what we got into the field for, but we had to learn our worth as LT stated. Some who know business, have to learn the catchin or control end. It is a balance between the work and the business. Many companies have the employees to do the work and the owner does the business, but let's face it, most of us do both. And for most part it is the catchin that we love, not the running the business. The ones that love the business end will get employees that love the catchin.

The original post asked what is a good rate? I will assume that the poster is a good trapper and can do the catchin or he would not have been asked to do the work. If so, forget about fur trappin, you are in a different world when charging.

I will also assume that the poster is a trapper with a full time job. What do you get for overtime per hour? That is the beginning number. figure out how many hours you will need to put into the job. is it a weekly rate. if you are going to spend a hour a day times 7 days then you need to figure out what it is you want to make per hour x 7 if 2 hours a day then 2 hour rate x 7. Don't forget to add travel time in there. you are working. If you have 2 places to work close to each other, then you can divide travel up between them. plus gas, milage, insurance, tools and equipment for those jobs. If you are on a club and no insurance you have a bigger set than I do LOL add those cost to your hourly rate plus profit and divide into the amount of hours you expect to work on that job also don't forget about the time spent like reading these posts, it is part of the job. you will most likely come up with something in the range of 75 to 150 and hour. 50 an hour to get your foot in the door but that will most likely be low and not worth your effort when all the Bull crap starts coming in because they think they have 100 coyotes and they only have 10 and you have only caught 6. So then again as others have stated you better produce LOL

Glhatch,
It may not be as simple as it seems.

Reference: https://www.tn.gov/sos/rules/1660/1660-01/1660-01.htm

CHAPTER 1660-1-21- RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR NUISANCE ANIMAL DAMAGE CONTROL
https://www.tn.gov/sos/rules/1660/1660-01/1660-01-21.pdf

Contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to determine any updated regulations, exceptions and details.

jonsie it sounds like you have thought this through a time or two. i like the way you broke it down. very well thought out.
Lt knowing what one is worth sounds like the voice of experience. we all have to start somewhere. good post all.

mousie

Just let the feds do it its cheaper.... Check out the welfare newsletter below.

http://agri.nv.gov/Protection/Resource_Protection/The_Trapline_Newsletter/

by the way it cost's us, the taxpayers, about $120,000 a year to pay for a federal trapper.