Wildlife Damage Identification Guide
A wildlife damage identification guide for matching signs on crops, trees, and structures to likely animals so farmers choose the right control before spending time or money.
Download free PDF1 page, US Letter, prints clean in black and white
GuideWildlife & ConservationFree PDF
The steps on this page
- Photograph the damage up close
- Note the height of the damage
- Look at the bite or cut pattern
- Check for tracks or scat
- Note the time of year
- Check for hair or feathers
- Review nearby cover
- Compare with extension guides
- Record the likely cause and follow up
How to use this guide
Read the steps once through before you start, then keep the page nearby while you work. Use the notes lines to add what your own setup needs.
Where to check the details
This sheet is a general template, so confirm specifics with your own manuals, labels and local rules. For current official guidance, start with eXtension and USDA APHIS.
For more in this area, see the rural farm life guides. Between chores, farm.FM has farm humor, including Ranch Equipment for Sale Advertised as Like New Except for the Fire Damage and Missing Engine, and farming farm stories.