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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW How you can conserve water at home ... Stouts fire burns 15,000 acres and counting ... 'Mitigation banking' ... How you can conserve water at home ... Stouts fire burns 15,000 acres and counting ... 'Mitigation banking' ... OUR VIEW Our View: Where the wild things shouldn't be Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 9:35 AM Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 9:35 AM » Social News If you've lived in Southern Oregon very long, you've likely encountered some of our four-legged fellow residents — and we don't mean pet dogs and cats. The hospitable climate that keeps many of us here also is attractive to various wild creatures who are not too proud to seek out backyard buffets and take up residence in crawl spaces. Infestations of raccoons, possums and skunks are frequent enough to keep more than a dozen licensed wildlife control operators working in Jackson County. State wildlife officials are in the process of revamping the rules that govern how these critter catchers operate and what they may do with animals they trap and remove from clients' property. Unpleasant though it may be, relocating these animals is really not an option. Raccoons, for instance, have a powerful homing ability that can bring them back even when they are released miles away. Relocated animals also can clash with other animals already living where they are released. Many of these animals also carry diseases. Raccoons are highly susceptible to canine distemper, which they may spread to dogs, and carry roundworm, which can spread to pets and to people. Animals that are released in the same area where they were trapped will merely move to a neighboring property and continue their annoying behavior, except that they have learned to be wary of traps, and will be that much more difficult to catch again. If the idea of hiring a critter catcher who will remove animals from your property and kill them bothers you, there are steps you can take to prevent encountering the problem in the first place, courtesy of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: Don't leave pet food outside. If you feed a pet outside, bring the food bowl inside when your pet has finished eating. Fasten garbage can lids with rubber straps. Don't put food items or meat in uncovered compost piles. Clean up spilled bird seed and hang feeders out of reach. Close garage doors and seal openings under your house with metal screen or boards, but don't trap animals inside. Prune tree limbs that overhang roofs, and install screens over chimneys to keep racoons out.  Above all, do not feed raccoons or other wildlife. They are not pets and should not be treated as pets.     MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 9:35 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501