Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I determine which animal is causing the problem?
A. The best way is to visit the Animal Damage Identification Decision Tree. This area will ask you a series of questions to help you discover what animal is causing the problem.
Q. How can I get rid of skunk odor?
A. We have a variety of skunk resources, including some to help you properly remove skunk odor.
Q. I would like to speak with the professors who founded the site. How can I get in touch with them?
A. As you can understand, the professors are extremely busy. They enjoy helping the public but their commitments require that they carefully regulate that aspect of their work. They prefer that you carefully and thoroughly state your question and/or topic and send it to this email. Chances are he can help you. If he can’t, he can forward the question/issue along. Please include the following information:
1. State/region where the problem is occurring.
2. Describe what resources you have used to find the answer.
3. Explain the nature of the damage,
- Is it inside/outside a building?
- Does the damage occur at night or during the day?
- What specifically is the problem? Gnawing, predation, crop damage, etc.
4. What have you tried in an attempt to mitigate the damage?
5. Do you have high quality photos? If yes, provide submit photos along with answers to the above questions. By submitting photos you grant ICWDM.org unrestricted use of those images.
6. Do you understand our disclaimers and terms of use? See the following:
We do not honor privacy and confidentiality disclaimers in e-mails unless ICWDM is under contract!
Disclaimer: As with any activity, remember that animal damage control comes with its own risks and problems which can include but are not limited to legalities, health threats, and personal liabilities. Be sure to follow all state laws governing wildlife and make sure you have a thorough understanding on how to resolve the animal damage complaint. Our advice is only as good as your understanding of our recommendations and our understanding of your situation. If you have any questions be sure to email again.
Every attempt is made to respond to e-mails that satisfy our information needs as noted above. However, we will not take the time to fill out spam filter exceptions. So we strongly suggest you turn them off if you have have them.
Q. How can I donate a photo to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management?
A. Thank you for your generous offer. ICWDM appreciates the public’s willingness to provide images to educate others about the field of wildlife damage management.
Images should be accompanied with the following information
- A note providing the ICWDM full permission to use of the photo. ICWDM only wishes to have non-exclusive serial rights to the photo. You can still use the photo as you see fit.
- Contact information and how you would like to be credited for the photo (personal name or business name, web address etc.)
- Any information on the city/county and state where the photo was taken
- Date or year when the photo was taken (if possible)
- A brief description describing the photo if there is any doubt about what it shows. For example, feces and prints should be identified.
- Digital photos can be sent via e-mail by contacting the webmaster We can handle any sized image or video.
Q. Where can I learn how to control a particular nuisance species?
A. The ICWDM has two areas where you can find information on controlling the damage caused by specific species:
- The Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage handbook is considered the Bible of wildlife damage control in North America. Although the 4th edition is dated (toxicants), it is an excellent place to get an overview of available control methods.
- We also have individual pages on various species that seeks to provide information that goes beyond what is available in the Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage Handbook. Please be aware that the 4th edition of PCWD contains information that may be out of date, particularly in respect to toxicants. The links below provide access to the 4th edition, as well as updated chapters as they become available. The chapters are organized as follows, with links provided:
Q. Can I use material from this site?
A. Yes, please see the Terms of Use.