craigdailypress.com

Craig — As winter begins its descent into the valley, so are many animals, finding their way into town in search of warmth and food.

And this can cause many problems as residents notice their yards increasingly being trampled upon or eaten.

The Northwest Colorado Gardening Club is sponsoring a program to address such problems and teach residents about options in dealing with wildlife.

"One rabbit is cute, but you never have just one," said Cathy Park, a certified master gardener by CSU and speaker at tonight's forum.

She will address how to avoid attracting wild animals to your property, such as how to protect your plants and what plants are unappetizing.

She also will talk about how to exclude wildlife or how to avoid the problem in the first place by not leaving trash out for them to eat or wood piles to live in.

She also will discuss what residents' options are legally, assuming they have explored every other option.

There is a lot of debate about how to handle the deer problem in the area, Park said.

"Deer are a problem," she said, "and they are going to do what they are going to do, and they have 24 hours to think about it."

Legally, options are limited, but there are a lot of ideas for non-lethal force, she said.

Things such as fencing and the covering of trees help to dissuade deer from entering your property.

Park will discuss lots of ideas, but she encourages attendees to bring their own thoughts also.

The program is part of the Colorado State extension program, which provides services in every county across Colorado through extension offices.

Elisa Shackleton, county director at the Colorado State University Extension Office's Moffat County branch, said, "It's bringing knowledge to residents who don't otherwise have access."