Oh deer… BG City Council to consider ordinance banning residents from feeding wild animals – BG Independent News

By JAN McLAUGHLIN

BG Independent News

Bowling Green wants its residents to put away the peanuts and stop dotting their gardens with salt licks.

On Monday evening, the City Council will hear the filing of an ordinance prohibiting outdoor feeding of wildlife in the community – with the exception of songbird feeders.

Working with ODNR, Bowling Green developed legislation intended to prevent deer from eating landscape plants, turkeys from pecking people, and raccoons and opossums from crawling into spaces that don’t belong in the houses. The proposed ordinance is based on an ordinance already passed in the City of Dublin.

According to the ODNR, wild animals fed by humans can become habituated to humans, causing them to lose their fear of humans and become aggressive. Therefore, in order to promote a safer and healthier community, the municipal council is asked to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wild animals.

The ordinance addresses other negative impacts related to resident-feeding wildlife, including the spread of disease, disruption of natural foraging behaviors, increased vehicle-animal accidents, damage to development landscaping and aggressive animal behavior.

The ordinance covers the feeding of pets that run off-leash and wild animals, including squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, raccoons, skunks, opossums, muskrats, deer, foxes, black bears, wild turkeys, bobcats and coyotes.

“We hope people aren’t too upset,” said Amanda Gamby, BG City communications director. “We don’t restrict the feeding of songbirds.”

Gamby said the ordinance was written with wildlife protection in mind.

“The community can coexist with wildlife,” she said. “But feeding the animals eventually leads to conflict” with neighbors and the plants they feast on, and with motorists who don’t expect an entire family of deer to bound across the streets or a flock of turkeys takes its time strolling along the roads.

City officials have heard from residents upset about neighbors putting salt licks for deer and peanuts in their shells for other animals.

After incidents last year in which wild turkeys were aggressive toward residents and mail carriers in some neighborhoods, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources attempted to capture some of the more greedy male turkeys for move to other regions.

ODNR staff spotted several homes where food bowls were left available for wildlife.

Although the capture effort was unsuccessful, it appears the wild turkeys – known for their intelligence – have moved to places like Wintergarden Park to avoid ODNR capture attempts.

“We’re trying to prevent this from happening in the future,” Gamby said of ODNR’s trapping efforts. “We don’t want to get to the point where we have to move animals or euthanize them. »

Feeding a resident’s own animals or wild birds on their premises will be exempt provided the food does not attract wild animals or free-ranging animals.

According to the order, violations of the order will be misdemeanor offenses, with each day that a violation continues being considered a separate offense.

The City of Bowling Green website lists several ODNR tips on human coexistence with wildlife. The information page also lists resources that may be helpful and answers to frequently asked questions.

ODNR Information

Even as community growth displaces some wildlife, many species continue to live in available habitats in parks, undeveloped plots and vacant lots, and in backyards.

Humans and wildlife can coexist peacefully in most situations, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. However, there may be times when conflicts arise.

Tips to avoid problems:

• Do not feed wildlife. If you choose to feed songbirds, place the feeder where it is inaccessible to other wildlife. Use a feeder with a gravity-operated pedal to discourage squirrels, and don’t let spilled food accumulate on the ground below. Feeders should be 4.5 feet off the ground. Using a platform feeder (again, 4.5 feet off the ground) can help attract certain species of birds without putting the food on the ground.
• Cut back tree branches that extend over your roof or install a three-foot-wide strip of sheet metal (six feet above the ground) around tree trunks that overhang your home. This will reduce raccoon access to your roof.
• Cover window wells with screens, bubbles or hardware cloth.
• Keep pet food indoors.
• Seal holes around and under the house’s foundation.
• Bury 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth 1 to 2 feet deep or lay it horizontally just below grade at least 2 feet around building foundations, sidewalks, or in areas where animals could gain access by digging.
• Store waste in metal or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Keep containers in the garage or shed and only dispose of waste when it is scheduled for collection.
• Fence gardens and cover fruit trees and berry bushes with netting. Fireplace screen fireplaces and furnaces (February through September) as well as attic and dryer vents. Keep dampers closed when not in use (consult a competent source to avoid fire or safety hazards).
• Decks built less than two feet off the ground should have 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth nailed from the top of the exterior joists to the bottom of a 10-inch trench, leaving approximately six to eight inches of fabric additional hardware at the bottom. to form an L shape. A wooden trellis can be added for added aesthetics.
• Seal all holes and cracks in your foundation, siding or stucco wider than 3/8 inch to keep out rats, mice, bats and snakes. Common entry points include chimneys; spaces around window air conditioners, water pipes or electrical outlets; openings in interior walls leading to the attic or ceiling; loose or shrunken siding boards; and loose vent covers.
• Repair broken, weak or rotten areas on your home’s roof, soffit and facade.
• Mark large windows with strips of white tape or silhouettes of birds of prey (hawks) to prevent birds from flying into the window.
• Do not handle or move orphaned or injured wildlife. Visit: Orphaned and injured wildlife | Ohio Department of Natural Resources to learn more about orphaned and injured wildlife.

Resources:

Urban Wildlife FAQ