AgTALKS - Control of Columbian Ground Squirrels
Join MSU Extension and Montana Department of Agriculture for a very informative, comprehensive discussion about your ground squirrel control options! We'll be meeting at the Frenchtown School District Auditorium for a slide presentation and opportunity to ask a real life vertebrate pest specialist about the do's and don'ts of managing their populations.
This presentation discusses the management of Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus) that occur on large acreages, such as pastures, crop fields, and range. Topics include biology, their damage, and population dynamics and surveys. The remainder of the presentation details the strategies to manage the damage they cause. Control methods focus on rodenticide use with some attention on techniques suitable for cleanup such as trapping, fumigants and non-regulated methods.
Stephen M. Vantassel is the Vertebrate Pest Specialist for the Montana Department of Agriculture (https://agr.mt.gov/Vertebrate-Pests). Stephen began working in the wildlife control industry in the early 1980s when he obtained is license as a Problem Animal Control agent. In 1994, Stephen founded Wildlife Removal Service, Inc. (sold in 1998) servicing clients in western Massachusetts. Later, he spent 10 years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln managing the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM.org). He is an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE™). Stephen has published scores of articles and several books on wildlife control including, The Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook 3rd ed, and an update to Austin Frishman’s Vertebrate Pest Handbook. His podcast “The Wildlife Control Consultant” is available on YouTube and Rumble. Stephen is based in beautiful, Lewistown, MT, where he loves helping his fellow Montanans resolve vertebrate pest complaints.
