How to Avoid or Resolve a Wildlife Conflict

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Some wildlife species are drawn to residential areas because they offer food, shelter, and safety from natural predators. But in exchange, they risk running into trouble with their human neighbors.

As a Maine resident, you can control the way you experience the wildlife around you – enjoying the wonder of watching animals move through their habitats, not yours. To do so, you just need to understand why animals might be attracted to your property, and then take some preventative steps.

How to Avoid Conflicts

Many conflicts can be prevented by keeping your distance and removing common attractants. Here are some specific ways you can do that:

Keep wildlife wild

  • Watch wildlife from a distance
  • Never approach, handle, feed, or attempt to move a wild animal

Eliminate access to shelter

  • Seal potential entry points in attics or chimneys and under buildings, decks, and crawl spaces with 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth, boards, or metal flashing.
  • Trim tree limbs near rooftops and attach sheets of metal flashing around building corners

Be smart about the garbage

  • Store garbage in a building
  • Use garbage cans with latching lids that do not open if pushed over
  • If you have curbside pickup, wait until that morning to take out the trash
  • Keep dumpster lids closed and latched

Compost responsibly

  • Secure your compost to keep wildlife out
  • Never compost animal matter, which can become smelly and attract wildlife

Feed birds the natural way

  • Plant native plants in your yard that provide food and shelter for birds and other species, without attracting rodents and other animals 

Protect poultry and livestock

  • Secure your poultry and livestock in a predator-proof pen, protected by electric fencing or guard animals
  • Store food indoors or in an animal-proof container

Be a responsible pet owner

  • Keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date
  • Keep your pet on a leash and under control at all times
  • Don’t feed pets outside unless you must; and if that’s the case, clean up after.
  • Don’t feed feral cats
  • At night (dusk until dawn), brings your pets inside and lock pet doors to keep other animals out

Download a Checklist for Your Home (PDF)

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How to Resolve Wildlife Conflicts

Seeing wildlife near your home, even during daylight, is typically not a cause for alarm.

The best way to encourage wildlife to move to another area is to follow the steps above. To learn more about the species living near you and additional ways to encourage them to move on, please click the links below.

Mammals

Birds

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Need more assistance? Find an ADC Agent or contact USDA

Still having trouble after you’ve followed the preventative steps above or tried a species-specific recommendation to resolve your problem?  You are in luck! You can hire a local Animal Damage Control Cooperator (ADC agent) or contact United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for support.

ADC Agents: An ADC agent can help you resolve conflicts with a wide variety of wildlife found around your home – anything from mice to coyotes. There are several agents that specialize in certain species (such as beavers or bats), so be sure you choose an agent with the right expertise. If you are having problems with a species that doesn’t fall into one of the categories on the list, or moose, deer, bear, or turkey, please contact your regional wildlife biologist or district game warden.  

USDA: To request information or support from USDA, please call 207-629-5181. USDA is the best option for issues involving Canada geese and other migratory birds, but are able to help with all species.

Find a local ADC agent to hire:

County Town Name Phone Towns willing to work in Can help resolve conflicts with

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