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Parks & Rec Business
| parks + playgrounds Bambi in the Backyard When nature and humans collide, strange things happen By Sheryl L. Noble Sometimes, it’s innocuous. Small, happenstance encounters with nature that barely register on the brain. Things like a fly buzz, buzz, buzzing around your head during dinner or a leaf landing on your shoulder as you grab the morning paper. Other times, these encounters are slightly more noticeable: a mosquito bite, a bee sting, a runny nose during allergy season. And then, of course, there’s the unusual, like shooing a deer or black bear out of your backyard garden or reading about a nearby mountain lion attack. Regardless of the scale, humans have forever lived in and with their natural counterparts, but in these days of construction, pavement, air conditioning and technology, weeks can go by without any significant natural encounter. Some say this is why we no longer protect our natural environment. Others say it’s a sign of progress. Whatever your personal belief, the continual spread of development and human encroachment on vast stretches of open space have led to some startling developments—mountain lion attacks in towns like Boulder, Colorado; bear attacks/encounters in East Coast neighborhoods; and exploding deer populations in urban areas—which means you and your staff are probably already working to solve local wildlife problems. Here’s a look at how two states are working through the problem. Regional Wildlife Issues—Ohio Where you live determines the type and extent of wildlife interactions you may have to monitor or solve. In Ohio, the biggest problem animals tend to be whitetail deer and Canada geese. According to Dan Kramer, Wildlife Management Supervisor for Northeast Ohio, the lack of natural predators and loss of habitat have led to an exploding residential whitetail deer population, which has, in turn, led to an increase in deer-related auto accidents and frustrated home owners left to deal with hungry deer munching their prized shrubs and ornamentals. Since hunting is not allowed in many urban areas in Ohio, Kramer recommends a variety of non-lethal tactics including fencing (where zoning allows), foliage sprays (designed to make the foliage unappetizing to the deer), noisemakers and scarecrows. Kramer says he has found these methods often have only limited success in reducing deer damage in urban areas. In areas where hunting is safe/ allowed, the Ohio Division of Wildlife recommends controlled hunts in communities that are experiencing a significant problem, or in extreme cases, suggests sharpshooters target a specific number of animals. Annual statewide shotgun and archery deer hunting seasons are the primary means of deer population management employed by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The division also offers farmers deer damage permits, which, if appropriate, allow a landowner to kill a specified number of deer out-of-season. The Canada goose problem is, as you know, messier. The combination of a lack of natural predators and the unintended development of prime habitat (large and small flood retention basins, which are always included in any new building project) have led to flocks of Canada geese over-grazing parks, walkways, backyards, golf courses and, of course, leaving behind their waste for park patrons to walk in and through. To manage the problem, Ohio suggests a variety of non-lethal means (noisemakers, foliage sprays, dogs, etc.) and offers an annual 70-day hunting season that helps somewhat to thin the ranks of resident Canada geese. Still, the battle is ongoing and constant. (For a complete list of effective non-lethal Canada goose tactics, see “Canada Goose,” page 16 in the May issue of Parks & Rec Business.) Regional Wildlife Issues—Colorado West of the Mississippi River, the types of wildlife tend to be bigger, stronger and, in some cases, meaner. Don Moore, Senior Planner for Douglas County, Colorado, reports that elk, antelope, deer and Canada geese are his biggest challenges, along with the occasional incidents involving black bears, rattle snakes and, increasingly (at least in the news), mountain lions. As in Ohio, the folks in Colorado are utilizing a bag of non-lethal and lethal techniques to help animals and people co-exist, including a public information campaign. The Colorado Division of Wildlife is working to spread the message that residents need to respect wild animals and recognize that they are wild. They should not feed them, trap them or harass them because, if they do, bad things can happen. This educational campaign is evident everywhere, from laws enacted making it illegal to feed bighorn sheep, deer, pronghorn, mountain goats or elk, to signs at trailheads warning of the types of animals seen in the area and explaining what to do if you should happen to encounter one, to efforts to purchase prime habitat and keep it as open space to provide natural wildlife access corridors from the foothills to the plains (giving wildlife less of a reason to explore urban areas). To pay for this ambitious program, the state has enacted a stamp program (and presumably encouraged its citizens to use the post office instead of e-mail). However, despite these efforts, encounters of the scary kind do occasionally occur. In these instances, the division works hard to save the animal by tranquilizing, tagging and relocating it. This is particularly true in the case of the black bear. If the tagged animal commits a second offense, it often is killed, and nobody wants to see that happen. Sheryl L. Noble is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Parks & Rec Business magazine. For more information on wildlife containment/preservation practices in Ohio, call (800) 945-3543 or visit www.dnr. state.oh.us/wildlife. For more information on practices in Colorado, call (303) 291-7134 or visit www.wildlife.state.co.us/wildlife. |
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