We are all familiar with the difference between theory and practice. Watch ANY DIY video and it looks easy. Anyone can do it. Then YOU actually try to do it. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.
Last week, field crews received training on the proper handling and placement of Vaginal Implant Transmitters (VITs). None of the crew members had ever used a VIT prior to this. The training, of course, was in a controlled environment with experienced instructors.
Everybody got a chance to use the equipment and insert a VIT into a doe – learning the necessary landmarks and anatomy needed to successfully deploy these transmitters.
But practicing in the “classroom” with the teacher an arm’s length away is one thing. Being in the field with a doe in a Clover trap is another.
I am happy to report that the first week of trapping has resulted in the successful fitting of 2 does with VITs! No one is probably happier about this than the crew.
Our crews are off to a great start. Let’s hope it continues for the rest of the trapping season.
-Duane Diefenbach and Jeannine Fleegle
P.S. the link to our previous post was broken for a while. It’s fixed, but if you forwarded it to anyone or posted to Facebook it may not have been viewable.
