When I hear about ADC companies that offer a mere 3-5 days of trapping or have a deadline of any kind, I cringe as they are surely not doing the most they can do for the customer to solve the problem and bring closure. I am currently working on a job with a single positive set that exceeded the longest time I had previously left sets in place before, which was 36 days. In that case I caught 6 chucks, the last on day 36, making the point that patience was very much warranted. We are now at day 52 at another location, which to many might seem like a waste, but not so. Caught chuck number 5 yesterday in the single set. In places where there were litters the previous year that dispersed, they can and will return after many days, many days apart. If there is a garden in place it only takes one day for it to get ravaged, so in some cases leaving a set in place will help to guard the garden and make you some bucks too. Had to wait 30 days on one chuck last year. The neighbor had been harassing it with a bb gun which may have been the reason for the long dry spell. The range of catching is wide. Got 4 chucks yesterday that ranged from a 1 hour set to catch, seven days for a first, seven days for a second and 51 days for a fifth. They are all different, so its a judgement call as for duration that comes from experience, location, surroundings and situation. While the one hour catch set got pulled in one hour, the 52 day set it still working. And, with positive sets non-targets are minimal. With 11 chucks at the the sets that were in place a total of 88 days we only got one skunk and one possum.

We sell a trapping program long enough to clean out the den occupation then sell them a barrier job. Chuck dens will be visited for a long time by past occupants and litter mates that are familiar with the site. So you can potentially have long term activity at any given open den site for weeks and months during their active time periods of the year.

Nothing is more attractive then a pretty gal other then a vacant dig out under a deck or shed.Every short legged mammal is going to check it out sooner or later.

There are many dollars to be made installing barrier wire for sheds and decks. We sell about 80% of our proposals when we do our trapping programs. Some call for the barrier after the second go round, others just want them trapped as needed. Its all good and I will do what ever they ask that suits them the best.

Now that's true customer service. Kudo's.

Hadn't thought about an extra charge for long term care other than the income from the additional catches, which have so far been intermittently steady which justifies leaving a trap. I figure the investment in the cage at a positive set that requires almost no maintenance is making more money than $100 dollars sitting in the bank. Just need to make sure you have a few traps to use for the long term. It doesn't seem like much, but even as little as I charge per animal mounts up over time with 4 to 7 catches at some of the locations. In the end I like to feel like I did something for a customer, solved a problem and earned the money rather than pick up the traps and leave it as "we tried" as I know some do. Its a judgement call at each location, some traps are picked up in minutes, other weeks or months. The last thing I want to hear is a sad story about a returning chuck that destroyed the garden a few days after I left.

Yep. If I haven't caught the critter, my trap stays until the customer says its gone. And in those situations I tell the customer that there is no set up fee if the critter returns and they want me to trap again

If the target animals are removed and later they want another type animal trapped, new set up fee

Ditto on the reset. If I leave without a catch and the critter comes back I do a reset without the set up fee. And then of course I just charge per trip or per animal after that, a very fair deal for the customer that all have utilized when this has happened, all but one. Had one call me back this year on the reset deal. Said I'd be glad to reset no charge, but restated that of course he would be charged for what I caught. He then came back, "oh I thought it was free, forget it." Go figure. Guess I could have offered to top out his tank and take him to breakfast. No help for some. Guess you can't take too seriously. On the lighter side, can't think of how many times I've said to a client, "but why did you do that?"

Gotta ask...what you do when the customer forgets to check or leaves town ....doesn't communicate with you? It happens...law can be pretty specific on these situations.

I make sure to inform people that traps must be checked at least once daily and to contact me immediately if there is a catch. If they are not going to be available to check traps they are told to call me so that traps can either be fired or picked up until they can check.

Thanks Jim, I operate the same way....BUT there have been those occasions.....just wondering AND throwing this out for the new guys just starting off.

We usually tell the customer to call us by 9:00 am. If they don't call, we check the traps and charge a trip fee.

Very important to have the calls come in early for sure, the earlier the better, especially on nocturnal animals like skunks. The customer is told to call as early as they can, no time being too early. The machine will have the message. Think I will incorporate the checking with a fee if they don't call by a given time, especially in out of the way places, good idea. I've been a bit lax in that area by not imposing deadlines and then have to suffer at times with a late call that adds miles and potentially unnecessary additional travel time in backtracking.

With that said, since woodchucks are diurnal, traps can be checked at 8:15 with no action, but make a catch not long after a check. Though the chuck may be out and feeding at 6:00 a.m., he may decide to move to the next yard where you have set your traps later in the morning. Shortly after a check and a call with an "all clear," a customer working in the yard will notice a chuck in a trap at 10:45 that was not there at 8:00, which is not uncommon. No way to beat that one. It does mess up a day sometimes when trying to consolidate trips when the calls are staggered, while trying to group locations in all four directions, but you just can't trust a woodchuck anyway. Sometimes getting to sites later in the day saves some trips as the calls with daytime catches trickle in. Often times while picking up chucks I will get calls in the same areas about chucks just captured. Since chucks will feed morning and evening commonly and even mid day, if they move around its anybody's bet when they will get caught.

Good stuff Mr. Bethell....as we have two Jims here...might have to incorporate that...but as Mr. Comstock mentioned, at times all our efficient time planning goes out the window especially with 'chucks.

Hmmmm, Smart, I like it!

In my area it is not uncommon for the ground hog to go to the next door shed /deck/ foundation 100 feet away as soon as a cage is set. For the past 10 years we first set a cage, the hog most times will get caught fast, but if the hog takes off (The 20 % concept) we remove the cage, and set a Cable restraint. Most times the ground hog will come back in about 5 days from the cage being removed. As long as there is a ground hog there we are there. But like Jim stated there are a few jobs every season that we have to wait them out. Of course with the average yard size here in NJ less than a 1/4 acre and all having sheds and decks there are plenty of places for the ground hog to go and to see ground hogs in every one of the yards with in eye sight. And no, our cable caught hogs are not dead, and we do not catch non targets like cats once in a while we will get a coon or skunks

We don't catch much for non-targets either, but.... Just had one where the neighbor said there are cats in the area, lots of them. "Think you will catch a cat?" they asked. I told them it surely was possible. Actually got 3, all in the same den hole positive set using a 24 inch double door cage trap. This one actually had a double trigger so the cat had to go way into the hole to trip both. Cats like fresh dirt for litter and may have smelled each other. Have caught the odd cat, but 3 was a first, of course no bait or lure at the den.

Hey Jonesy, love to watch you wrangle a snared skunk. Never have done that. Can almost smell it from here.

LOL 95 % of the time I can cut them free and not have a problem, as long as they are calm or older skunks. 5% well lets just say it's not fun LOL The last one got me 5 times be fore I got mad and just jerked it out of the hole by the tail LOL The whole area knew about that one with all the noise and smell LOL If I suspect skunks are also using the den hole along with the hogs, Long white or black hair and small prints in the dirt are good indications LOL I most of the time will not set a cr or if I do I make the bottom of the loop a full 6 off the ground. 4 inches is a def skunk catcher LOL

Love to hear the stories. Figured that you had to have a time or two that you ended up with a noticeable aroma, tell tale yellow dots that do stain. Know what you mean about getting a little frustrated and impatient when getting sprayed. Once you get nailed the first time, it really doesn't make much difference if he gets you again. I just want it over with, so let her rip.

Got a call on a chuck a minute ago. After setting they had construction going on in the back yard so the chuck was absent. The woman asked to leave the trap, so we did. The construction guys left and the chuck returned, 14 days later. I don't like to leave a lot of traps at these long term locations, most often just one like today. Don't want to tie up a bunch of gear for extended periods.

The only good thing about being sprayed is with in a min I don't smell it any more LOL

Groundhogs can move from den site to den site based on food , pressure and other factors only known to them. last week I was standing on a porch talking to a customer about her groundhogs and a mole job. I had just set the mole traps and she was wondering if she should do anything about the grounds hogs. As we was talking here comes mom ground hog and 6 young from her back yard, they go across the street and kept going out of sight the small woodlot LOL I looked at the customer and with a smile I said I suggest that maybe you hold off on the ground hogs LOL

I can't smell skunk spray after a minute either, but it seems everyone else can. LOL. Judy sure can. What do you bet the lady sees those chucks again? That's why I have a job this year at one spot, the chucks left last year and came back this year one at a time.

I've found that den sites will be visited by many animals for years after being trapped out and even excluded. The same thing goes for travel routes. Once a route is established, succeeding generations of many species will keep using it until it is completely altered and made unusable.

I deal with far more skunks than chucks but I give my customers "the talk" no matter what animal is the issue. I can clean out the present occupants but more will come. Make the place as inhospitable to them as you can but learn to live with them to whatever degree you can. Once your house, deck, garage, shed and yard are bulletproof you'll just be left with the ones passing through on the travel route.

If I leave a trap set, will I (sooner or later) catch another animal? Of course. Nature is, if nothing else, persistent. lol