NUISANCE ANIMAL CONTROL PROCEDURES

							             NUISANCE ANIMAL CONTROL PROCEDURES
                     ODNR, DIVISION OF PARKS AND RECREATION

There are two primary considerations involved in planning and executing a nuisance animal control
program. First, the park manager should consult with the local wildlife officer to determine the
most appropriate means of reducing the wildlife population to target levels. The manager then
submits a copy of the Nuisance Animal Control Application to the Special Programs Group the for
processing of a Nuisance Trapping/ Shooting Permit to be approved by the chief of the Division of
Parks and Recreation.

Following is a list of the usual methods of nuisance animal control for most wild animals.

Nuisance Animal Prevention Measures:

       1) Ensure all refuse containers are kept in good repair, have functional lids, and are
       emptied at adequate intervals. Discourage feeding of wildlife with signs, notices, etc.
       2) Live-trap and dispose of target species -- especially where public safety is a serious
       concern due to proximity to park users and season of year.
       3) Trapping (lethal) of the target species during the normal trapping season.
       4) Shooting of the target species during the normal hunting season.
       5) Shooting or trapping of target animals outside the hunting/trapping season.

Nuisance Animal Control Methods (in general order of preferred first to last resort):

       1) Open additional park areas to public hunting and/or trapping to reduce the area
       population of the target species to the extent feasible.
       2) Utilize park staff to live-trap specific animals (ground hog den under a cabin, etc.)
       3) Conduct controlled trapping or shooting by members of the general public selected by
       public lottery.
       4) Contact the county wildlife officer for a list of persons who hold Nuisance Wild
       Animal Trapping Permits or contract with a private pest removal company.

Controlled hunting or trapping:

       Providing incentives: The shooting/trapping areas of the park should be divided into separate
       zones to increase efficiency and to provide an incentive for the hunter/trapper by assigning
       exclusive territory.

    Shooter/Trapper Selection: There needs to be some type of public advertisement and lottery
       to select the shooters/trappers to preclude charges of favoritism. A lottery process must
       be used each succeeding year – individuals who have held permits in the past cannot be
       “grandfathered in” for automatic selection to receive a permit in the future. Park
       employees and their immediate family members should be excluded from participation.
    All of the following elements must be documented to ensure a lottery was conducted
        properly.

    1.    There must be a public announcement of a Shooting/Trapping Lottery for the state
       park via advertisement in the local or regional newspaper or other electronic or print
       media.
    2.    The advertisement must provide a reasonable deadline to submit a request to be
       considered for the Lottery.
    3.    The advertisement must include a location, date, and time when the lottery drawing
       will take place.
    4.    The advertisement may also include an open invitation to all those interested may
       attend the lottery drawing.

          If selection is to be made from a list of persons provided by the county wildlife officer who
are holders of a nuisance wild animal trapping permit, selection shall be made randomly from the list
of all interested persons who are willing to apply for a permit to trap nuisance animals in the park to
ensure fairness. The random selection process may only be waived if only one such individual on the
list is interested.

Special authorization:
       Unless specifically authorized by the Division of Wildlife, shooting of nuisance animals must
       be done during the lawful hunting season. Except for division employees conducting
       nuisance trapping in the park as part of their official duties, only individuals who hold a
       Nuisance Wild Animal Trapping Permit issued by the Division of Wildlife are entitled trap
       game animals outside of the normal trapping season.

Ethics Laws

         Park employees hunting or trapping on official business are not be permitted to take the hides
         of any nuisance animals nor transfer the animal, dead or alive, to any person or employee,
         unless to the health department for testing for disease.

Animals with special protection:

         Beavers may not be taken on public lands without a special permit issued by the Division o   f
         Wildlife. Unless beavers are causing park operational problems, such as flooding roadways
         or obstructing culverts and drainage, they should not automatically be considered a nuisance.

Qualifications of Nuisance Trappers/Hunters:

         A person who has been cited or warned of previous violations of wildlife laws or park
         rules may be disqualified by the chief of the Division of Parks and Recreation as a
         candidate for a Nuisance Trapping/Shooting Permit for lack of “good character.”
                      NUISANCE TRAPPING/ SHOOTING
                       PERMIT APPLICATION FORM
                             ODNR, Division of Parks and Recreation


NAME OF PARK: _______________________                DATE: _____________________

MEANS OF REMOVAL:                __ live-trap   or   __ lethal trap   or    __ shoot (check one)

WHO WILL REMOVE NUISANCE WILDLIFE:
__ park employee
__ trapper/hunter selected from the general public
__ Nuisance Trapper*

HOW INDIVIDUAL(s) ABOVE IS (are) TO BE SELECTED:
__ public lottery ___ randomly from a list of nuisance trappers provided by the Div. of Wildlife
__ other: (describe)

TARGET NUMBER OF EACH SPECIES TO BE REMOVED:

SPECIES:                              NUMBER:            DATES OF REMOVAL:
______________________                __________     FROM__________ TO _________
______________________                __________         __________    _________
______________________                __________         __________    _________

* if not trapping in season, the individual must have a Nuisance Wild Animal Trapping Permit issued
by the Division of Wildlife. Shooting of nuisance animals must be conducted during the lawful
hunting season unless specifically exempted, in writing, by the Chief of the Division of Wildlife
(please coordinate well in advance.) Park employees shooting or trapping nuisance animals in the
park on official business are exempt from the above, provided the county wildlife officer has
approved the nuisance control activity.

AREAS WHERE CONTROL MEASURES ARE TO OCCUR:
(ATTACH A PARK MAP indicating nuisance animal trapping or shooting areas IN A
SAFETY ZONE and include all pertinent details such as any other wildlife laws that otherwise
would be in conflict with the activity)

Park Manager Approval:_____________________________________                 Date _____________

Wildlife Officer Approval:____________________________________              Date _____________

Mail or fax to (614) 265-7202, the signed application form to the attention of Lynn Boydelatour,
Special Programs Group, for securing approval of a permit by the chief of the Division of Parks
& Recreation.

Upon receiving notification of the approval of this application, the park may conduct the lottery
selection and provide the name or names of persons selected and their address and phone number
to the attention of Lynn Boydelatour for processing of the permit(s.)