There’s a reason people choose to live in less populated areas close to nature. Rural areas have a lot to offer when it comes to scenery, space and opportunity to raise crops or animals, and being close to nature.
Sometimes, though, nature can get too close, such as when wild animals become comfortable being near humans. Wildlife agencies in Western states regularly deal with interactions between humans and animals of all sizes.
Skunks, raccoons, marmots and other small mammals are known for making themselves at home around human homes. They consider your trash cans their dining room. These animals can raise their young under your deck, in your attic or in the wall of an outbuilding.
To prevent this from happening, monitor your property for signs of an animal having chewed through wood to get inside or digging under foundations to create a burrow. Haze out animals by banging on the floor, ceiling or wall, or shining a light into the area to encourage them to move on. Seal the entrance to avoid future unwanted guests.
Larger animals can make for even more destructive neighbors. Black bears are common throughout the United States, Alaska and many parts of Canada. In Idaho, there are an estimated 20,0000 to 30,000 black bears sharing space with a growing human population. Grizzly bears can be found in the northern and eastern parts of the state.
“Nearly all of Idaho is bear country,” says Roger Phillips, public information supervisor for Idaho Fish and Game. “Bears will even occasionally wander within a mile or two of the state capital. Nearly every bear encounter near homes and communities has one thing in common, and that’s a bear searching for food. If it finds food, chances are good the bear will be back. Then we have a problem that rarely ends well for the bear.”
The best thing people can do to prevent an unwanted bear encounter near their homes is to diligently watch for anything that might attract bears and remove those items. Bears’ extremely strong noses can sniff out anything from food to trash, birdseed and pet food.
- If you live in bear country, take these steps to reduce the chances of attracting bears:
- Keep trash in a bear-resistant container, garage or outbuilding.
- Put out your trash the morning the garbage is picked up, not the night before.
- Don’t feed birds, including hummingbirds, between March and November.
- Only feed domestic cats and dogs inside, if possible.
- Pick fruit from trees as soon as it ripens, and pick up fruit that falls off trees.
Bears intent on getting an easy, high-calorie meal can cause harm to anyone who gets in their way. For this reason, wildlife departments sometimes must lethally remove bears that have become habituated to food unwittingly left out by people.
“We ask property owners to take into consideration bears and other wildlife that can cause problems and try to avoid attracting them,” Roger says. “For example, there’s nothing wrong with feeding songbirds, but people might want to consider taking down feeders during months when bears are most actively feeding and replacing them after bears have hibernated. It’s a simple way to feed birds without attracting bears.”
While moose might not do as much property damage as a bear can, they can become nuisances.
“There are many cases of moose wandering into neighborhoods on the edge of urban areas and being fed by residents who mean well but don’t know that feeding a wild animal is the worst thing you can do for wildlife,” says Todd Jacobsen, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife conflict specialist.
Moose fed by humans often become habituated and can get aggressive when food doesn’t come fast enough, or people or animals get too close to their calves.
“When this happens, moose have been known to charge people or dogs,” Todd says. “As with bears, this doesn’t generally end well for the moose. None of us likes to have to lethally remove an animal when it could have been easily prevented.”
Cougars tend to be more solitary than bears and moose, but encounters are possible, especially if you have domestic outside animals. To reduce the chance of conflicts with cougars, keep outdoor livestock and small animals confined in secure pens, especially at night. Use high fencing to contain livestock, and string barbed wire or electric fencing around the top. While this may require some money and effort, the more prep you put into it, the fewer negative interactions you will have with wildlife.
There are additional ways to prevent close encounters with wild animals of all kinds and sizes:
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Feed birds naturally by planting native plants that provide food for birds.
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Compost responsibly by fencing in your compost pile. Never compost domestic animal matter.
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Don’t feed feral cats.
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Trim tree limbs near rooftops to keep animals from accessing your home from trees.