WILDLIFE DAMAGE CONTROL IN KANSAS: PRIVATE OPERATORS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES

The private industry in wildlife damage control is expanding into territory predominantly occupied by public agencies in the past. There is a potential for overlap and competition in services provided by the public and private sectors in Kansas. We examined wildlife damage control activity reports from the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (IDWP), and private nuisance wildlife control operators (NWCO) to determine the most common species controlled by each and their overlap in services across Kansas. The CES predominantly controlled coyotes (Canis latrans). KDWP primarily controlled beavers (Castor canadensis), deer (Odocoileus spp.), and raccoons. NWCO predominantly controlled squirrels (Sciurus spp.), followed by beavers and raccoons. CES operated predominantly in rural and urban/rural mixed counties, while KDWP operated in urban and urban/rural mixed counties, and NWCO operated primarily in urban counties. KDWP and NWCO overlapped extensively within Kansas when managing beaver and raccoon damage complaints. We recommend more intensive research to determine the extent of competition between KDWP and NWCO in wildlife damage control management in Kansas