SALEM –
Part of the perks of living in Southwest Virginia is the fact that we are surrounded by nature, but sometimes nature gets a little too close.
When homeowners find they have a four-legged intruder, it's not always clear who to call.
A Salem man has turned his hobby of hunting and trapping into a small business.
You may also know him from his business license plate around town as the "critter getter." He may not show up in shining armor but when you do need his help from unwanted four-legged intruders, Chris Dillman’s arrival in a white Dodge Ram pickup truck will do.
"I've been trapping wildlife ever since I was about 10 years old,” Dillman said.
Cage in hand, Dillman is the area's "critter getter,” a pun his wife lovingly gave the business officially known as Backwoods Wildlife Management LLC.
If you've got critters, then Dillman is the man to call.
"My mom and dad always said that I spent more time out in the woods and doing stuff like that than at home with my school work so now I'm actually able to flip that around and say 'hey, I'm going to make a living at it,'” Dillman said.
Chris works a full-time job in Salem, but he's turned his love for the outdoors into a side business as way to help neighbors remove the outdoors from inside their homes, when nature gets a little too close.
"There's a very big need for it. Everybody has wildlife problems,” Dillman said.
One problem is solved with his partner Aimee Newman, a local wildlife biologist. Newman has a bachelor's degree in environmental science, F&W Biology and is permitted by VDGIF to commercially trap nuisance wildlife.
Raccoons, squirrels, opossums, groundhogs, bats and skunks, they’ve seen it all.
"The most common complaint that we get is groundhogs or skunks,” Dillman said, noting that skunks are his least favorite. But at least it’s a problem that takes only a nose to figure out.
He walked WSLS 10 through his most recent backyard save where a determined groundhog made its home.
Not only did he catch it, he put up special fencing to keep it from coming back.
"We'll come in, trap them, remove them, and the other thing that we provide is exclusion. We want to be able to keep it happening again for you,” Dillman said.
He even replaces the landscaping. Not only is it beautiful, its critter-proof.
Like it never happened.
So when you're home gets a little too wild, Dillman, a.k.a. the critter getter, is the man to call. To contact Backwoods Wildlife Management LLC call 540-309-0533.