As the days get shorter and the leaves start changing colour and those vibrant blue skies return to the mountain, we humans start turning our attention to turkey and pumpkin pie. Like us, our wildlife neighbours are focused on taking advantage of the fall harvest to fatten up before the snow flies. At this time of year it’s more common to see wild critters roaming our properties, adjacent woodlands and meadows, and along subdivision roads as they seek out quality food sources like berries, roots, rodents, and remaining green vegetation. The surreal beauty that is Anarchist Mountain is something many of us are thankful for every day. Let’s remember to do our part of keep the wildlife that we share this amazing place with safe and out of harms way.
Keep All Attractants Properly Secured
Black bears are always on the lookout for a quick and tasty meal, and unsecured attractants (garbage, BBQs, pet food, livestock feed, bird seed, compost) pose a hazard to the safety of the bears and people.
Avoiding Conflict with Coyotes
Here are some simple things we can do to ensure coyotes don’t lose their natural wariness of humans:
- Keep your dog on a leash and under control at all times and NEVER let your dog interact with or chase a coyote (or other wildlife).
- Never feed a coyote. If a coyote grows accustomed to being fed by humans, they will lose their fear of people, which can lead to unwanted conflicts and aggression.
- Manage rodent attractants like seed from bird feeders and fallen fruit so coyotes are not drawn to your property. Voles, ground squirrels, mice, packrats, chipmunks and squirrels make up the majority of a coyote’s diet.
- Keep garbage, recycling and compost bins clean and secured. In addition to preying on rodents, coyotes are scavengers who will take advantage of any available food sources.
- Be extra vigilant in areas coyotes frequent. Places like the perimeter of residential properties, backcountry trails, and areas with overgrown vegetation or fields with tall grass are common travel corridors for coyotes.
- Keep cats indoors and monitor pets and small children outside. Domestic cats don’t need to roam outdoors – its dangerous for the cat and the birds and small mammals they kill.
- Protect farm animals. Use fencing at least two metres high, ensure cages are well-built and ideally contain animals indoors at night.
- Spay and neuter your pets. Coyotes are attracted to and can mate with unspayed or unneutered dogs. Unspayed female dogs in heat will attract male coyotes and unneutered dogs may be lured away by the scent of a female coyote in heat.
Safety Tips For Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer
Deer are normally timid animals, but, like bears and coyotes, if they become habituated to humans they can become a nuisance and a danger.
- Keep your dog on a leash and under control at all times. And NEVER let your dog chase deer – it could end badly for the deer or your dog.
- Do not feed deer. Like all wild animals, they have ample food supply in the wild. Supplementing their natural diet not only attracts and holds deer in an area, but can lead to the spread of disease and dependency on hand-outs that aren’t as healthy as their natural diet.
- Never approach a deer, especially if it has young (of any age) with it. Getting too close is asking for trouble.
- In winter, cover shrubs and trees in your yard with burlap as this creates a barrier that prevents deer from browsing in your yard and coming back for seconds.
AND REMEMBER, SLOW DOWN AND ALWAYS DRIVE WITH CARE AND CAUTION TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF VEHICLE COLLISIONS WITH WILDLIFE. The speed limit on subdivision roads is 50 km/hr and on some roads 40 km/hr.
If you encounter wildlife acting aggressively, please contact the Conservation Officer Service reporting line (1-877-952-7277).