Wildlife

What is a Wildlife Specialist?

A wildlife specialist assists landowners with wildlife conflicts. They can assist the landowner through a variety of ways:

1. Provide Technical assistance to the landowner either over the phone or with on-sight damage inspections.
2. Provide landowners with the tools necessary to solve the problem.

Wildlife Specialists also assists the Division of Wildlife by investigating crop damage complaints and providing accurate information concerning type and extent of damage. After the assessment, they work with landowners to develop a program to direct hunters to landowners with substantial crop damage.

Keeping Your Garden Safe from Wildlife

Nothing is more aggravating than going out to your garden to pick vegetables, and finding that the local wildlife population has beat you to it. For many people this is a yearly occurrence that turns into a battle.

There are many different species of wildlife in Ohio that can cause damage to a garden. Raccoons, groundhogs, whitetail deer, and rabbits are just a few that gardeners have to contend with. Check the area for clues as to what species you are dealing with. Once you know, you can target that species directly with a type of repellent.

Different Types of Repellents

Odor repellents work by deterring wildlife with an obnoxious odor. There are many commercial products that can be purchased or some gardeners prefer their own concoctions. Sometimes something as simple as a bar of soap or mothballs will help.

Visual repellents work by starling the animal. Again, there are different items that can be purchased or landowners can make their own. Scarecrows or pie pans are the best examples of these. However, there are now many different electronic motion sensing items available that can out-compete the straw stuffed scarecrow. These new items can be seen in any gardening supply catalog or local stores.

Fencing is by far the best repellent that you can have. Any type of fencing will work partially; however if there is mild electric current associated with the fence it will work even better. Although, you should check with local village or city ordinances to see if electric fencing is permitted. Usually it is not. Remember, fencing works the best if you can fence the area of your garden even before planting. This will condition the wildlife to stay clear of your garden.

What does Wildlife Damage look like?


Beaver damage to corn	Rodent digging to corn seedling	Dog contained by invisible fence used to control deer in orchard	Deer browse on apple trees.	Canaan Fir trees browsed by deer.

Raccoon damage to field corn	Groundhog damage to soy beans	Deer damage	Deer damage	Deer damage

For any other questions you may have, please contact Ryan Fink, District Program Administrator/Agricultural/Wildlife Specialist at the Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District at (740) 454-2027.