When home is where the wild things are

WOODSTOCK – While the warm weather gives people and their pets an outdoor place to play, residents should be aware of the potential problems when sharing spring and summer with native wildlife.

According to Sara Denham, Wildlife Resource Center Manager at the McHenry County Conservation District, issues with warm weather wildlife can range from coyotes and pet safety to woodpeckers and yard maintenance.

“Coyotes are an urban animal now, and it’s not unusual to find them in neighborhoods. Just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not using the neighborhood as a hunting ground or a highway,” Denham said.

Denham stressed that the primary concern about coyotes involves pets.

“Coyotes look at dogs as competition, and they want to drive them out. For your dog’s safety and security, it’s best never to let them off leash and to make sure they’re close to you, especially small dogs. Dogs will sometimes run at the coyotes to play or act defensive of their own yard, and that’s when the dogs get into trouble,” she said.

Coyotes are not the only large critters that require caution. Beavers, for instance, can pose a threat to foliage near wetlands in neighborhoods. According to Denham, beavers will fell trees that stand unprotected by wire or aluminum flashing. For optimum protection, this flashing must be at least 3 feet high.

In addition to placing physical precautions, residents can reduce wildlife run-ins by minimizing certain activities. One example is reducing the easy access of bird seed.

“Birdfeeders are an attractant. The deer will eat the bird seed, so birdfeeders attract deer to the yard. Also, the coyotes will eat the small mammals that are attracted to the seeds. So it’s kind of a misnomer to call it a birdfeeder because just about everybody eats seeds, from coyotes to raccoons to possums to deer,” Denham said.

However, some birds do pose a spring and summer challenge regardless of bird seed location. Woodpeckers, for instance, might drum on houses that they mistake for a hollow tree. According to Denham, this situation can be easily remedied.

“There are scare tactics you can use to keep the woodpeckers off of houses. Garden centers sell scare eyes or eye spot balloons, which are like a beach ball you can hang with a large eyeball on it. Anything that’s going to flap and blow is all it takes to deter them from coming to the spot,” she said.

Aside from scare tactics and deterrents, Denham warned that certain procedures to rid wildlife woes are illegal without a license.

“You need to have a permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to do any kind of wildlife trapping, just like you can’t go hunting or fishing without a license,” she said.

In addition, Denham urges residents to suppress the desire to intervene in the event they find an injured animal and instead let professionals handle the situation.

“Most of the time, animals should be left alone, she said. “A lot of people want to interfere, but most often, no interference is necessary.”

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