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Maximizing Wildlife in Your Yard

David Drake

UW-Madison Dept. of Forest and Wildlife Ecology

Univ. of Wisconsin Extension

Wisconsin’s Vertebrate Wildlife

• 408 avian species

• 71 mammal species

• 36 reptiles

- 21 snake sp.

- 11 turtle sp.

- 4 lizard sp.

• 19 amphibians

- 12 frog sp.

- 7 salamander sp.

Backyard Wildlife

• Nocturnal (and diurnal)

• Fragmented habitats

• Adaptable

• Opportunistic

Habitat

• Food

• Water

• Shelter

• Space

Food Food

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Habitat

• Food

• Water

• Shelter

• Space

Habitat

• Food

• Water

• Shelter

• Space

Habitat

• Food

• Water

• Shelter

• Space

Forbs & Shrubs Young woodlands Mature woodlands

Grasses

TIME >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Habitat Diversity = Wildlife Diversity

Habitat Quality & Quantity

• Amount of turf

• Snags

• Brush piles

Habitat Arrangement

• Percent of open space

• Size and shape of open space

• Fragmentation and edge

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Additional Space Considerations

• Neighbor cooperation

• Regional and landscape context

Wildlife Corridors

• Travel

• Refuge

Wildlife Management Plan

• Identify objectives

• Habitat assessment

• Implement management plan

• Evaluate plan

Landscaping Tips

• Develop a plan

• Budget and timeline

• Go native!

• Consider all 4 seasons

Landscaping Tips

• Conifers

• Nut and acorn

producing plants

• Grasses and legumes

• Nectar-producing

plants

Landscaping Tips

• Summer-fruiting

plants

• Fall-fruiting plants

• Winter-fruiting plants

• Vines

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Additional Resources

• wildlife.wisc.edu

• dnr.state.wi.us

• Wildlife guides

• Landscaping for Wildlife by Carrol

Henderson (MN DNR)

• Wisconsin’s Native Plant Society

(http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/BCW/)

Wildlife Damage Management

• Correct species identification critical

• Develop a wildlife damage management

plan

• Estimate annual economic loss

Wildlife Damage Management –

Keys to Success

Wildlife Damage Management

Keys to Success

• Integrated approach

– randomness

– diversity

Wildlife Damage Management –

Keys to Success

• Integrated approach

– Do nothing

– Non-lethal

– Lethal

Non-Lethal Management

• Exclusion

• Harassment (noise, visual, or both)

• Repellents (taste and area)

• Trap and relocate

• Habitat modification

• Cultural modification

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Lethal Management

• Shooting

• Body-gripping traps

• Trap and euthanize

• Toxicants • Be proactive and persistent

• Be tolerant of others’ opinions and attitudes

• Tailor management approach

Wildlife Damage Management

Keys to Success

Regulations and Laws

• Federal

• State

• Local

Resources

• Mammal Tracks and Sign

Mark Elbroch

• Bird Tracks and Sign

Mark Elbroch

• Wildlife identification guides

Resources

• Websites

http://wildlifedamage.uwex.edu

http://icwdm.org/

www.dnr.state.wi.us/

Identifying Rabbit Damage

• Browsing

• Girdling

• Droppings and tracks

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Rabbit Damage Prevention and Control

• Exclusion

– Fencing

– Tree guards

Rabbit Damage Prevention and Control

• Habitat modification

– Remove cover

– Manage habitat for predators

• Repellents

– Contact (Thiram-based) or area (mothball)

Rabbit Damage Prevention and Control

• Trapping

– Home-made/commercial live traps

• Shooting

– Seasons set by WI DNR

Identifying Chipmunk Damage

• Burrows

• Eats seeds, bulbs, seedlings

Chipmunk Damage Prevention and Control

• Exclusion

- ¼-inch hardware cloth

- chicken wire

• Habitat modification

- avoid certain landscaping features

- placement of bird feeders

Chipmunk Damage Prevention and Control

• Repellents

- Napthalene

- Taste repellents

• Fumigants

- Aluminum phosphide

- Carbon monoxide

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Chipmunk Damage Prevention and Control

• Trapping

- live traps

- snap traps

• Shooting