DARLINGTON - Lafayette County is participating in the Wisconsin Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program for 2008. The County has again contracted with USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services to provide program assistance. Call (800) 433-0663 for assistance.
The program covers damage to crops by deer, geese, turkey, and bear. Emphasis is on damage abatement first. Compensation for damages exceeding $250 up to a maximum damage claim of $15,000 may be paid.
To be eligible for abatement you must:
• Own the crop
• Control hunting access on all contiguous land under the same ownership
• Allow public hunting
• Follow normal agricultural practices
• Be cooperative
• NOT charge any fees for hunting or access for the species enrolled
• Enroll in one of the three access plans: OPH (Open Public Hunting) MHA (Managed Hunting Access) or Act 82 (Shooting permit eligibility only, no access requirement, no additional program services, and no claims)
To be eligible for compensation you must:
• Notify our office within 14 days of the first damage each year
• Follow the recommended abatement and all abatement points listed above
• Call each time you want an appraisal, 10 days prior to anticipated harvest date
• Comply with the permit requirements, if a shooting permit has been recommended (If Act 82 Permit - not eligible for compensation)
• Not plant crops to attract deer, geese, bear, or turkeys
• Maintain a hunting log, unless enrolled in OPH or Act 82
• Land must have been in cultivation or approved program for at least 5 years
For more information, or to enroll in the WDACP for 2008, contact USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, (800) 433-0663.
The program covers damage to crops by deer, geese, turkey, and bear. Emphasis is on damage abatement first. Compensation for damages exceeding $250 up to a maximum damage claim of $15,000 may be paid.
To be eligible for abatement you must:
• Own the crop
• Control hunting access on all contiguous land under the same ownership
• Allow public hunting
• Follow normal agricultural practices
• Be cooperative
• NOT charge any fees for hunting or access for the species enrolled
• Enroll in one of the three access plans: OPH (Open Public Hunting) MHA (Managed Hunting Access) or Act 82 (Shooting permit eligibility only, no access requirement, no additional program services, and no claims)
To be eligible for compensation you must:
• Notify our office within 14 days of the first damage each year
• Follow the recommended abatement and all abatement points listed above
• Call each time you want an appraisal, 10 days prior to anticipated harvest date
• Comply with the permit requirements, if a shooting permit has been recommended (If Act 82 Permit - not eligible for compensation)
• Not plant crops to attract deer, geese, bear, or turkeys
• Maintain a hunting log, unless enrolled in OPH or Act 82
• Land must have been in cultivation or approved program for at least 5 years
For more information, or to enroll in the WDACP for 2008, contact USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, (800) 433-0663.
