When vertebrate pest control materials are evaluated and compared, biological, economic, and social considerations are all important. With regard to the biological and economic inputs, some of the more important points to be considered include the efficacy of materials, their usability and labor requirements, anticipated costs to users and consumers, associated hazards of each material, and the value of combining approaches when developing wildlife damage control programs. Through examples, we have demonstrated that the efficacy of any control material is a dynamic quality which varies according to season, species, locality, formulation, and use patterns, and that the interrelationship of these and other factors should be considered by decision-makers when attempting to compare the consequences of control material use, development, and regulation. We have also proposed a general outline for comparison of alternative vertebrate pest control materials.