OUTDOOR CORNER: WILDLIFE CAN BE A NUISANCE, BUT CAN BE CONTROLLED AS WELL

Webster's New World Dictionary defines "nuisance" as an act, thing, or person that causes trouble or bother. Mr. Webster must have had certain wildlife in mind when he came up with that definition.

Late spring and early summer are the times when most wildlife populations are at their peaks. Young animals have matured and become more active. They move over large areas searching for food and seeking to establish home territories for themselves. This increase in animal numbers and movement often results in increased contact between animals and humans.

In most instances, increased lightings of wildlife are enjoyable. Unfortunately, just about every species of wildlife can create a nuisance under certain circumstances. It may be a problem with deer eating flowers in your yard. It may be a snake or a skunk underneath your back porch. The list could go on and on.

Although each situation will vary, there are some basic factors that apply to most cases. Wild animals are attracted to any given area because it provides one or more of the things the animal needs for survival. These things are food, water and shelter. Obviously, individual species will have different requirements, but the basic concept still applies to all of them.

If you are experiencing a problem with nuisance wildlife, stop and evaluate the situation. Are you inadvertently attracting the animal? Are you providing food, water or shelter?

Food is the most common problem. Do you place trash bags outside where leftover food will act as an attractant? Do you feed pets outside? Warm weather tends to reduce our pets' appetite. Leftover pet food is a common attractant to many animals such as raccoon, skunks and coyotes. By removing a source of food, we can often induce problem animals to go elsewhere.

Water by itself is rarely an attractant, but it can be. Semi-aquatic species such as muskrat and beaver require large amounts of water to provide both food and shelter. Do we drain a pond dry to rid ourselves of them? Only in extreme cases. What we can do is make the pond less attractive to them by removing food sources or by making it difficult to dig their dens. Chemical treatment of aquatic vegetation (food) may work. Placing wire mesh along the pond dam often discourages digging.

Shelter is a common reason for animals to take up residence in any given area. If wildlife finds a location where it has ready access, and is not disturbed, there is no reason for it to look further. Whether it is a raccoon in the attic or a skunk underneath the porch, you can cause it to relocate with a couple of different ways.

First, locate the point of entry. Once this is done, cover the opening to prevent re-entry. Of course, make sure the problem animal is out and gone before sealing the hole. You can do this by watching the entrance until the animal exits. If this isn't practical, spread sand, corn meal, flour or a similar fine-textured substance at the opening. Periodically, check for animal tracks leaving the hole. Then seal the opening.

Another thing to do is create a disturbance that harasses the animal into relocating. Artificial lights in conjunction with a radio will often act as a deterrent.

By removing the food, water or shelter that may be attracting wildlife, we increase the likelihood of that wildlife going elsewhere. However, this isn't always a practical solution. We don't want to dig up a flower or vegetable garden or tear down the back porch just to rid ourselves of a nuisance animal. So what do we do?

The Missouri Department of Conservation allows landowners to protect their property. A regulation (3CSR20-4.130) in the 1996 Wildlife Code provides for the shooting or trapping of most nuisance animals. There are certain restrictions, so be sure to check before shooting or trapping. Also, if your property is located within city limits, municipal laws often restrict the setting of traps or the discharging of firearms.

~Gene Myers is an agent with the Missouri Department of Conservation