Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO)
800:25-37-1. Purpose
(a) The purpose of this Subchapter is to establish guidelines
for the permitting and certification of Nuisance Wildlife
Control Operators (NWCO), and the procedures to be used by the
NWCOs in controlling nuisance wildlife.
(b) NWCO will be defined as all individuals (see exemptions
section) who offer their services to control nuisance wildlife.
800:25-37-2. Permit requirements
(a) The Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator's (NWCO) Permit will
be issued to any person who has successfully completed the NWCO
certification course to operate as a NWCO. The NWCO permit, NWCO
Complaint Report Form and a Professional Trapping License*(see
exemptions section), must be carried at all times while
conducting NWCO activities.
(b) The Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator's (NWCO) Permit
authorizes an individual to capture, euthanize or relocate
designated species of wildlife by safe and effective means at
any time of the year and without limits which may be in force on
certain species of wildlife provided the operator is acting on a
documented nuisance wildlife complaint detailing the nature of
the complaint, target species, method of control, effective
dates of control, location, and customer information including
landowner's signature.
(c) Any person whose hunting or trapping license privileges are
revoked and is not legally able to purchase a hunting or
trapping license, shall not possess or operate under the
authority of a NWCO permit.
(d) NWCO Permitee must renew the NWCO permit annually. NWCOs
must submit proof of:
(1) Prior year's Year End Report Summary;
(2) Current Professional Trapping License, Hunting License,
Hunting and Fishing Legacy Permit or proof of exemption.
800:25-37-3. Exemptions
(a) Employees of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation and the Oklahoma Cooperative Wildlife Services
Program are exempt from all NWCO permit requirements while they
are on duty.
(b) Employees of any city, town, or county government shall be
exempt from the requirement of purchasing or possessing the
Annual Professional Trapping License while they are on duty but
are not exempt from the certification requirements.
800:25-37-4. Reporting procedures
(a) Nuisance Wildlife Complaint Report Forms (available from the
Department) must be kept by NWCO for a period of three (3)
years. Year End Report Summary forms will detail:
(1) number of each species of wildlife taken during the year.
(2) application for annual renewal.
(b) Such records shall be available for inspection at all
reasonable times by authorized representatives of the
Department.
(c) A summary of all Nuisance Wildlife Complaint Reports are to
be submitted annually for each calendar year on or before
January 30 of the following year and must include NWCO name or,
Company name, address, and telephone number.
800:25-37-5. Procedures and guidelines
The following regulations for a NWCO permit shall be in effect
to establish what species of wildlife may be taken under such a
permit, the legal methods that may be used to control nuisance
wildlife under such a permit, and the legal methods of disposal
of nuisance wildlife under such permit.
(1) NWCO Permittees are only authorized to trap and relocate or
euthanize the following wildlife species when such action is
warranted by a valid nuisance wildlife complaint including, but
not limited to: armadillo, badger, beaver, bobcat, coyote,
jackrabbit, cottontail rabbit, fox squirrel, gray squirrel, red
fox, gray fox, mink, mountain lion, muskrat, nutria, opossum,
raccoon, river otter, striped skunk, and weasel.
(2) Problems and complaints concerning deer, elk, turkey, bear,
alligator, antelope, big horn sheep, endangered or threatened
species and game birds will only be handled when specifically
authorized in writing by the Director of the ODWC.
(3) The sale, trade, barter, gifting, or retention of any
wildlife, or parts thereof, except coyotes and beavers, taken
under authority of a NWCO permit is prohibited, except wildlife
legally taken during established trapping seasons and in
accordance with all other pertinent rules and laws not
associated with NWCO rules may be sold or otherwise disposed of
as provided by law.
(4) The sale, trade, barter, gifting or retention of beavers,
coyotes, or parts thereof, taken under authority of a NWCO
permitted is allowed with the proper documentation containing
the taker's name and permit number.
(5) NWCO permittees must follow all state and federal laws that
apply to the taking of wildlife with the exception of season
dates and bag limits except as otherwise provided in this
section.
(6) Only damage or nuisance complaints affecting humans and/or
their property may be controlled. Complaints involving conflicts
between two or more wildlife species are not valid nuisance
wildlife complaints.
(7) All wildlife taken under a NWCO permit shall be taken and
disposed of in a manner to ensure safe and effective handling
and/or euthanasia. Euthanasia of a captured animal is to be
performed under the guidelines adopted by the American
Veterinary Medicine Association.
(8) Traps and other similar devices set by, or under the
direction of, a NWCO shall be checked at least once every 24
hours and all animals removed. Traps must have the Operators
name and NWCO permit number attached.
(9) The following are legal methods of control under a NWCO
permit:
(A) box or live trap;
(B) smooth-jawed single spring or double spring offset steel
leg-hold traps with a jaw spread of no more than eight inches;
(C) conibear style traps less than size 330, except size 330 may
be used for water sets for beavers only;
(D) shooting where permitted by law or by city ordinance; and
(E) snares which shall have a locking device that prevents the
loop from closing to a circumference less than ten (10) inches
if the snare is set on or just above ground level. If the snare
is set in an attic or similar situation there is no loop
restriction.
(10) All trapping devices must be placed in a manner that will:
(A) minimize the risk of non-target animals;
(B) minimize the risk to public and pets; and
(C) be out of the view of the general public.
(D) signs must be posted in conspicuous places in order to
inform the public that traps are in use.
(E) signs must have minimum dimensions of 5@ by 8" and the
wording ATRAPS@ must be included and be conspicuous on the signs
and printed in letters at least 2" tall.
(11) Shooting with firearms shall be subject to all state,
county and municipal restrictions and ordinances. Night shooting
is allowed for nuisance beavers only under the following
conditions:
(A) NWCO must notify the game warden(s) in the county where
activity will occur twenty-four (24) hours prior to such
activity;
(B) must be conducted in a safe manner to prevent injury to
people, livestock and damage to personal property.
(12) When relocation is authorized, the NWCO may have the
wildlife in possession for no more than 24 hours unless
specifically authorized by the Department.
(13) Wildlife that is relocated shall be released at least
five(5) miles outside any city limit but not more than one
county distant from the capture site and must be within the
state of Oklahoma.
(14) Wildlife shall not be released on private land without
written permission of the landowner or landowner designee.
(15) Wildlife shall not be released on public land without first
obtaining written permission from the governmental entity owning
or administering the release property.
(16) Captured wildlife that appears to be sick or diseased shall
be euthanized rather than relocated. Burial or incineration of
these carcasses is required.