WCO operator Flashcards
a lactating mother or nursing infant can be away from their young/mother for how long?
72 hours
Captured animals must be given clean drinking water within how many hours?
4 hours
all animals need to be able to sit, turn and lie down naturally in the cage EXCEPT
skunks. This is to help the WCO from being sprayed
within how many hours does a live trapped animal need to be removed?
24 hours
Which animal is the predominant carrier of Rabbies in Oregon
bats
How many species of Rabbits are their in Oregon?
4
Do Raccoons hibernate?
no, they take a winter sleep though as do skunks
Which animal has vertical ellipse eyes?
Red fox. Only the red fox has this feature
What do you do with a sick animal?
euthanize it. Do not handle it
do all sick animals appear sick?
NO. sometimes sick animals can appear normal.
What info needs to be on the label of your traps?
“traps must be tagged (legally marked or branded) with either the business owners business name and phone number or the owners further license or WCO (brand) number assigned by the ODFW.
Which type of trap does the Rope Trick work for?
body grapping traps
Types of Rabbies include
“furious” and “dumb”
What are the steps (in order) to Euthanasia?
- animal loses consciousness 2. animals loses cardiac or respiratory function and 3. ultimate loss of brain function
How long do Beavers stay with their parent(s)
2 years!
conibear trap is which kind of trap?
body grapping
If an animals has rabbies what should you NOT do with the animal?
destroy the head in any way shape or form. Even if the animal is sick you want to avoid destroying the head as the head is the only way for scientists to determine if it infact has rabies
when putting multiple animals in transport it is important to?
- no more than one animal per cage unless they are the same species, accepting of a cage mate, and were captured together in the same trap or capture device. 2. animals should be kept far apart or with a divider device. 3. a visual barrier should be placed between frightened, stressed or aggressive animals. 4. if you have to stack cages, each cage must be fitted with a floor or barrier which prevents excretion or body parts from entering lower cages
Euthanasia refers to?
“a good death” and is the act of inducing humane death in an animal.
what should you wear when dealing with animals?
“take common sense precautions to protect yourself, your clients, their pets and other wildlife. you should always practice good personal hygiene with handling wildlife and disinfecting the work area is essential to reduce infection and spread of disease.”
If someone comes to you in July about doing exclusion for bats what should you tell them?
wait till September 1st and we can do it. Bats should not be trapped from April 1-August 31st
What does the Migratory Bird Treaty Act say about how we handle birds?
it is unlawful for any person to pursue, hunt, take, capture or kill migratory birds or to destroy any migratory bird nest or egg
what is Baylisascaris procyonis?
Roundworm
Which animal is associated with Baylisascaris procyonis (Roundworm)?
Raccoons (though it can spread to humans/animals if you eat their fecal matter)
What do warbles do?
warbles are generally noticed by a large swelling (1/2 to 1 inch in diameter) below the skin and a small hairless opening in the center through which the larvae breathes.
how should a complaint against a WCO be handled
“complaints from the public regarding violations of the WCO regulations should be forwarded to the Department or to Oregon State Police. Complaints against a WCO will be thoroughly and fairly investigated. THEY ARE A BIG DEAL.
What happens if you don’t submit your records by the 15th of the following month?
You could lose your license. Even if you didn’t catch anything the previous month you still need to report that you didn’t catch anything.
For which animals damage do you need to submit an “Affidavit of Damages?”
All/any animals
Which type of traps has “stops” and what are they for?
snare traps. They restrict the minimum or maximum size of the loop.
Which type of trap has “Locks” and what are they for?
snare traps. Locks are added to most snares to prevent the snare from opening after an animal is captured.
Egg Trap, Little Griz, Coon Cuff, Dog Proof Coon Trap and Lamb Saver are all forms of which trap
enclosed foot trap
What is a blind-set trap?
a trap set in such a way that it relies on the travel instincts and behavior of the intended animals instead of attractants such as baits or lures. (you put it in their normal paths to catch)
Lures can be both organic and artificial
YES
What should you tell a customer that wants you to get rid of an animal that walks on their property?
politely tell them that it is normal and the animal has to be causing damage in order to be removed.
If a raccoon is constantly on someones porch what could you tell them instead of trapping the animals
Keep the cat and dog food in for the evening till morning so that the Raccoon doesn’t have any reason to come on your property
Damage refers to?
“means loss of or harm inflicted by wildlife on land, livestock or agricultural or forest crops.
Are Raccoons nocturnal
mostly, but not 100%. They will forage during the day.
What is an omnivore?
they will eat both animal and vegetable tissue (pretty much anything. Humans are omnivores)
What is an Herbivore?
something that eats only plants
Which species is prohibited?
cottontails (a type of rabbit)
describe the Eastern Gray squirrel?
gray with reddish brown coloration along the back, tail face and ears with a white belly
When do Raccoons wean?
8-10 weeks
when do Beavers wean
6 weeks
Body grip traps are designed to do what?
be lethal (kill)
If you don’t know the answer about an animal who should you call?
a Department Biologist
Beavers are differently classified on different land
They are “furbearers” on public land and “Predatory animals” on private land
Describe the Eastern cottontail.
largest species of cottontail in Oregon. They are generally a brownish color and become darker toward the rump with light brown along the flank area and a LARGE WHITE TAIL
What is Exclusion?
basically using physical objects to keep things out of a given area. “fencing, screening, repairing vents, woodwork, chimneys or foundations.” you can also use screens and other forms of wires (like chicken wire) to exclude things and it’s a great start.
Is trapping the best long term solution?
no. Another animal of the same species can easily inhabit the same location. trapping is a start but its not the end all solution
Which squirrel is also a game mammal?
Western Gray Squirrel
Describe the Mountain Beaver?
medium sized (2 lbs). stout and compact with a small fur covered tail about one inch long. Generally dark brown. They also like to eat trees and a sign of them is PEELED BACK BARK.
Do skunks Hibernate
no, but they will go into a winter sleep (not hibernating) for many weeks or months if cold weather persists.
Do you need to have your permit with you at all times while conducting WCO work?
yes.
635-435-0020
Wildlife Control Operator Permit Required to be in Possession
(1) Individuals or employees of businesses holding a WCO Permit must have the permit or a copy, in possession while conducting wildlife control activities and make the permit available for inspection upon request by any Department employee or any person authorized to enforce wildlife laws.
(2) Individuals or businesses holding a permit must obtain and have in possession any other federal, state, or local permits that may be required.
Eastern Grey squirrel repoduction habits
2 litters/year, breed Jan-Mar and July-Oct. gestation is 44 days. 2-4 young per litter, weaned in 10-12 weeks.
Western Grey Squirrel reproduction habits
1 litter/year. Breed March-June. gestation is 43 days. 2-3 young per litter. weaned at 10 weeks.
Raccoon reproductive habits
1 litter/year. Breed in February, gestation is 63 days, 3-4 young per litter, weaned 8-10 weeks
Skunk reproductive habits
Breed Feb-March, gestation is 63 days. 6 kits per litter, weaned at 2 months
What are “locks” for on a snare trap?
To prevent the snare from opening after an animal is captured. 3 types
- Has the ability to hold without increasing or decreasing pressure.
- Relaxes slightly when the animal stops pulling
- Continues to increase pressure.
“Stops” on a snare trap do what?
Restrict the minimum and maximum size of the loop
When handling bats should you follow decontamination processes?
Yes. This reduces the risk of transmission of the fungus to other bats and/or locations. ANYTHING that comes in contact with a bat should be disposed of in the trash or decontaminated according to the most recent national protocols
If you have skunks, opossums and raccoons in the area what can you do to prevent them?
Pick up fruit around trees, make sure the crawl space and other home entry points are sealed and move cat and dog food inside. These animals are omnivores and will eat almost anything and then want to be in your crawl space
