Living in the Country with Wildlife
Within the country area outside Portland (and in all of Oregon, in fact) there is a very wide range of wildlife. You can often easily spot deer, racoon, possum, skunk, rabbit, a myriad of rodents, frogs and toads, hundreds of different birds, and even occasionally cougar and coyote. Depending on your goals, you might want to just identify what you see, encourage certain wildlife to inhabit your property or discourage some types of animals from coming around.
Living with Deer in the Yard
Courtesy of Oregon Dept Fish & Wildlife
Identifying Wildlife
To identify the wildlife you see, check the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Species Lists (many with excellent pictures). In addition to the online list, there are two downloadable brochures, About Oregon's Large Mammals and About Oregon's Small Mammals.
There are also a number of books available which are specificially geared toward identifying Pacific Northwest animals.
Living with Wildlife
If you have wildlife around you, no matter what it is, there is some give and take. Deer are beautiful to watch, but if you want a garden you'll need to take certain precautions. Raccoons are cute, but they can get into everything. Skunks are brave for their size and you probably don't want to make one mad! Whatever visitors you have, make the necessary arrangements to make sure that you, your family, your pets and your animal visitors are safe.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website has an excellent series on Living with Wildlife, including information and guidlines for a number of different common animals.
The Audubon Society of Portland offers a series of brochures on Living with Urban Wildlife, covering a wide variety of animals and issues .
Another resource for learning how to manage and plan for wildlife on your land, check publications offered by the Woodland Fish and Wildlife Project. The Woodland Fish and Wildlife Project is a cooperative effort between state and federal agencies and universities to provide information on fish and wildlife management to private woodland owners and managers, and this site provides excellent detailed fact sheets on many native animals and birds.
Encouraging Certain Wildlife
White Tail Deer Tracks
(Not lifesize)
Courtesy of ODFW
If you are looking to encourage certain types of animals, birds, butterflys or insects to visit or reside on your property, the key is to create a habitat that is inviting to your desired guests. There are many organizations, groups and websites providing information on all different types of wildlife and habitats.
The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) offers on–going workshops and events on "naturescaping" – using plants in your landscape to attract desirable birds, insects, and animals. They also have an on-line tutorial, Naturescape in 8 Steps.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has a 204 page how-to guide, Naturescaping, "for gardening the way Mother Nature intended", available through their online store for $15.00.
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Pollinators, which are typically invertebrates, are extremely important to a healthy habitat. Their site contains a wide variety of information and they publish Books, Guidelines, Fact Sheets and Plant Lists, many of which are available in downloadable .pdf format. Of particular interest to establishing habitats is the Pollinators in Natural Areas: a Primer on Habitat Management.
Discouraging Nuisance Wildlife
If you have bothersome wildlife on your property, the information above on Living With Wildlife may help. Sometimes you can discourage them by creating a habitat that does not encourage them. Sometimes fencing can help.
If you run into serious problems, contact your local Department of Fish and Wildlife for suggestions (see Help & Assistance for locations).