Keeping The Wild In Wildlife Is Key To Successful Coexistence

Heidi Youmans, FWP Small Game Bureau Chief

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     As Montana’s population grows, conflicts between people and wildlife are increasing, especially around homes on the fringes of traditional wildlife habitat. While the state’s wildlife draws newcomers, people’s enthusiasm turns into frustration after repeated visits by creatures oblivious to property boundaries and our human expectations of them.   The first step is often a phone call asking Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to capture and remove the offender...a band-aid at best. Why? Those animals will soon return.  Today, homeowners are being advised to identify and remove the attractants drawing wildlife to the area.    Find the Root Cause    Sleuth work is necessary to reveal the root cause of a conflict. "If I were a deer/skunk/bear, why would I come here?" The answer may be found in your own yard, or the yards of one or more of your neighbors.   Think Food/Water/Shelter The vast majority of unwanted wildlife visits are directly linked to food, water and shelter. We cultivate irresistible habitat around our homes, purposely or inadvertently offering it to wildlife.  Landscape plantings, flowers, vegetable gardens, fruit trees and accumulations of spilled birdseed are a smorgasbord to deer. Backyard goldfish ponds are watering holes. A duck or an unwary deer in a secluded back yard is an easy meal for a mountain lion.   Suet, birdseed, compost heaps and garbage containers are irresistible to hungry bears. Shelter under decks, porches and outbuildings attracts a variety of creatures, including skunks, raccoons and snakes. Use of such "hangouts" means it is likely pet foods, compost heaps, spilled bird seed, unsecured garbage, and other sources of food are nearby.   Fixes for common problems   Once these attractants are identified, a homeowner can remove them or make them more secure. It is always better to head off potential problems BEFORE a conflict with wildlife occurs, protecting this and future generations from learning problem behaviors. Unsecured garbage and other sources of human or pet food are a particular problem.   Recent change to Montana Law   Prompted by growing reports of people providing foods to deer, black bears and grizzly bears, the Montana Legislature earlier this year passed Senate Bill 104 to clarify feeding wildlife is illegal. The bill states that providing food attractants to "game animals" - knowingly attracting bears with food, or allowing bears access to food, is illegal.    Artificial concentrations of game animals may lead to automobile collisions, physical dangers to people and pets, and transmission of wildlife diseases. It also may lead to the removal or euthanasia of the animal itself-definitely a lose/lose situation.       Given the alternatives, it is in our best interests to keep the "wild" in wildlife. The challenge is for us to become as adaptable to their habits and ways as they have been to ours. More tips for reducing wildlife conflicts are featured in several "Living With Wildlife" brochures that focus on mountain lions, grizzlies, bats, raccoons, skunks, and deer are available at FWP offices. Information about Montana’s wildlife can be found on the FWP web site at fwp.state.mt.us under Wildlife.