Non-Lethal approaches to wildlife management are focused on preventing or minimizing wildlife’s unwanted access to an item or area. There are 2 main approaches that are used to accomplish this: 1) implementing a physical barrier or employing a deterrent; or 2) stimulating an animal’s senses to trigger its fight/flight response. With the exception of physical barriers, many non-lethal approaches decrease in effectiveness over time; wildlife can become used to them and not respond as strongly to them. In this regard, these strategies can be especially useful for temporary (e.g., seasonal) issues or as a way to transition to other approaches.
Examples of different non-lethal strategies that are used are:
- Exclusion (e.g., repairing/patching holes, fasten lids/covers on garbage cans, etc.)
- Fencing (e.g., electric, barbed wire, plastic mesh, chain-link, etc.)
- Visual scare devices (e.g., scarecrow, fake owl, reflective tape, strobes, etc.)
- Auditory scare devices (e.g., predator/distress calls, blast cannons, fireworks, human presence, etc.)
- Repellents (e.g., species specific chemicals, capsaicin, urine, etc.)
The costs of different strategies can vary widely. When deciding about which strategy to use, cost, effectiveness and length of need should be evaluated.