In recent times, our growing human population has demanded more food, fiber, and energy from the land. These demands have resulted in more intensive land use for housing, agriculture, and resource development. This has led to increased conflict between man and wildlife. One form of conflict is wildlife damage. Commensal rodents, field rodents, birds, large mammals, and predators may at times cause serious economic losses. At other times they may affect human health or simply become nuisance pests. The goal of wildlife damage control is to reduce or alleviate damage in an acceptable manner. Employees of county, state, and federal agencies, as well as landowners and homeowners, conduct wildlife damage control. Increased restriction and regulation of damage control methods, combined with a lack of emphasis on education ;n wildlife damage control, have made this area of wildlife management more controversial and less effective today than in past times. To make wildlife damage control effective as well as acceptable, we in the wildlife profession must take the following steps: (1) educate the public about the need for damage control and its benefits; (2) educate ourselves more thoroughly concerning wildlife damage, characteristics of pest species, and methods of control; (3) provide factual information to those who influence and implement public policy so that they will have a basis for intelligent decisions; and (4) keep our own minds open to new ideas, while recognizing that we too hold opinions and beliefs based on emotion as well as on knowledge and experience. A sound program of wildlife damage control will benefit agriculture, people, and the environment. The principles that govern wildlife pests also govern game and nongame animals. By recognizing wildlife damage control to be an integral part of wildlife management, we will enhance our own knowledge and credibility. At the same time, we will find greater acceptance from the individual homeowner, farmer, rancher, and land manager for all wildlife management programs.
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