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End of Summer Sale
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The township doesn't want to
trap or relocate the woodchucks, or
any animal, preferring instead to
"keep the area in a nice balance with
nature says animal control officer
Rick Metcalf. "They love flowers, will
mow down any flower garden and love
greens and apples."
Residents who don't want the pesky
animals around should soak rags
with ammonia and shove them down
into the animal's home for a few days,
Metcalf says. This convinces the wood-
chuck to leave and prevents his return
as he won't be able to find his scent.
Coyotes create creepy and contrast-
ing feelings in humans. On the dark
side, coyotes are considered western
predators; on the up side Wile E.
Coyote doesn't seem like such a bad
fellow. Reports of coyotes attacking
humans are rare and the damage
inflicted most often is minor. Coyotes
can weigh as much as 35 pounds, so
they stay away from bigger dogs. They
will track down unpenned small cats
and dogs, under 15 pounds.
"A coyote can bite a human but the
greater threat is from an unleashed
dog," Payne says. "If you run at (a
coyote), yell at it or make noise, it will
flee."
All four-legged invaders are adap-
tive to the human environment. Payne,
Schechter and Metcalf agree that
homeowners should take the same
strategy against all critters, as they do
for bears. "We want these animals to
fear us," Payne says.
Despite their bad press, coyotes play
a vital role in keeping nature's ecology
balanced. In addition to controlling
pesky mice and skunks, they also eat
goose eggs, explaining why complaints
about Canadian geese are down.
It's hard for people to get worked up
over the burgeoning deer population
simply because the animal is passive
and bears a striking resemblance to
Bambi. Deer aren't a threat to humans,
says Payne, "unless they jump out at us
while we're driving."
Deer grazing could threaten the
regeneration of foliage, which, in part,
explains why the DNR continues to
encourage deer hunting to keep the
population controlled.
Skunks, now bulking up for their
winter inactivity, eat lawn grubs and
yellow jackets that nest on the ground.
They can carry rabies but there are no
reported cases this year in southern
Michigan, Payne says. Skunks can
spray their foul odor eight to nine feet
but always give the intended victim a
warning by raising their front feet up
and down. If you see this ritual, you
better run.
Wild turkeys prefer large stands of
big trees. The birds show up periodi-
cally, eating food from bird feeders
and pecking at windows. Like all other
animals, turkeys are adaptive, so hom-
eowners should follow the same drill:
scare them and deny them their food
source.
Homeowners should ensure their
homes are air-tight and take a walk
around their houses, looking for little
openings where animals can squeeze
through, as well as checking the eaves,
Payne advises.
You have to find out how animals
got in. otherwise they'll get back in, he
says. If homeowners aren't sure where
the portals are, he suggests several
people stand around the house before
sunset and watch for animal activity.
The ground covered by backyard
decks is prime real estate for wood-
chucks and skunks. Payne recom-
mends homeowners put hardware
cloth around their decks that goes 18
inches into the ground.
If you suspect an animal is beneath
your deck or holing up in the garage,
but can't find out where, Payne says to
leave flour throughout the suspected
area so when the animal leaves for
food it will leave its paw prints in the
flour.
Homeowners should take these pre-
cautions now, Payne warns, to reduce
the fall mating season and prevent a
population explosion in the spring. 0
With plenty of wildlife near his
home, Jonathon Schechter is well
equipped with a loop, a net and two
kinds of traps.
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September 18 • 2008
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