Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conferences
Date of this Version
October 1987
Abstract
The perception of a wildlife damage problem may vary greatly among groups with a stake in the problem. To the deer hunter, there is no such problem as too many deer. To the farmer, in the midst of a personal economic disaster, one deer may seem too many. To the conservation officer (CO) who has spent a career building deer populations, the farmer's problem may be a sign of success. To the USDA-APHISADC staff member, solving the farmer's problem may be the most important issue. The key to resolving these conflicting views of the same event is to make each of the parties aware of their interdependence. Therefore, one of the most important roles of any state wildlife agency involved with wildlife damage control is to enhance communication and facilitate the negotiations among the groups. When the depredating species can be legally harvested, communication efforts should be made to ensure that wildlife damage control is not separated from hunting and trapping. In Mississippi, there are three programs where attempts are being made to integrate wildlife damage control, hunting, and trapping: (1) deer-crop depredation, (2) coyote and beaver damage, and (3) cormorant catfish depredation.