Harmless snakes may help deer damage problem

Deer damage in urban areas of Ohio has become something of a concern to rural-bounded communities. Whitetail problems include grazing on ornamental shrubbery, unwanted tree pruning and increased risk of vehicle collisions. While hunting is the best way to control deer populations, some municipalities don't view it as the best option — at least typical gun hunting methods. Many have turned to public education to make property less "appetizing" for whitetails while others have used bowhunting to limit the animals' negative impacts. As damage to crops and landscapes have slowly increased over the years, deer hunting in rural areas has been used to harvest deer, providing hunters a terrific opportunity to fill the freezers, bag a nice Ohio buck and to reduce the social and economic impact of the deer population. In these areas, the equipment used during these various seasonal hunting opportunities include longbow, crossbow, straight-wall cartridge rifles, shotguns, and handguns. In some instances, after appropriate inspection and vetting of complaints, some deer are also harvested by landowners using the much less common and restrictive damage permit. Of course, the urban and suburban areas of the state don't have the luxury of opening up hundreds of acres and houses are close enough together that using firearms can be impractical. While bow hunting and generous limits help, many are still seeking the "magic bullet" without the gunpowder. Could such a solution be on the horizon? Some officials that have been studying the problem believe they may have arrived at a possible fix — the milk-rattle. Sounding like something that would be found in a child's playpen, this one is best kept away from the kids. It's a hybridization of the common eastern milk snake and Ohio's endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake. Eastern milk snakes are entirely harmless, are constrictors — meaning they squeeze their prey — and can have distinctive patterns considered beautiful by herpetologists. The typically 24"-36" stout-bodied reptiles are quite the generalist when it comes to habitat. Found throughout Ohio, it wouldn't be surprising to find them around sandy dunes on the banks of Lake Erie to fencerows along the Ohio River or anyplace in between. A nocturnal hunter, this member of the kingsnake family will eat mice as well as other small mammals, smaller snakes and amphibians, birds and bird eggs, slugs, and insects. The milk snake is even able to chow-down venomous snakes due to its venom-neutralizing properties found in its blood. Of special interest to researchers is that the milk snakes originally got their name from an alleged habit of sneaking into barns and drinking the milk from nursing cows, according to University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web. Since there are so few nursing cows in either urban or suburban environments, it's suspected that these harmless reptiles might find nursing doe deer living in these venues as a replacement for their milk break. This is what brought one official to consider the hybridization of the milk snake and the massasauga rattlesnake. Ohio's endangered eastern massasauga rattlesnake is also on the federal list of threatened reptile species. It's primarily associated with wetland habitats but some populations also utilize adjacent uplands. It prefers to avoid detection by hiding under vegetation, woody debris or other cover or remaining motionless and relying on its natural camouflage. When it's disturbed, the massasauga prefers to quickly slither away to a better hiding spot rather than facing an altercation. Because of this shy and retiring nature, few people will ever see a massasauga in the wild. Even so, like all pit vipers, this little guy does have a potent bite and prompt medical attention is required. By hybridizing these two species; whose crossbred name will be milk-rattle, it's hoped that the more social milk snake's characteristics, broader habitat use, its suspected pension for milk and the massasauga rattlesnakes nasty bite might combine to nip the milk at its source. By limiting releases of the milk-rattle to trial urban areas with exacerbating deer numbers, it's hoped that whitetail population will be impacted by such a nasty milking that their numbers will be reduced and thus local damaged lessened. "While culling through legal bowhunting is an effective way of removing excess deer from an urban setting, the new milk-rattle program could show some promise," extorted Mentiroso Stultus Mendax, research coordinator for the project. "While we don't expect any social issues due to the natural shyness of snakes, the milk-rattle research team will recommend that any lactating domestic animals be housed during evening hours." They also suggest that you refrain from leaving milk and cookies out for Santa as this could tempt hibernating milk-rattles to waken and enter the house. The first release site has not been announced but it's expected to occur on Monday, April 1. "Our wisdom comes from our experience, and our experience comes from our foolishness." — Sacha Guitry Along the way Many thanks to the The Courier and especially to reporter Lou Wilin for the very flattering write-up about the book I've written, "A Crusade for Conservation." I've been getting a number of calls of how to best get the new release and, at this time, it's only available directly from me. "A Crusade for Conservation" covers the history and evolution of the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the state's wildlife resources. The book opens with the settling of Marietta and progresses with a growing population and its impact on the territory's natural resources. The 24 historical chapters will take you from a land of buffalo, elk, and giant chestnuts to a country suddenly devoid of these animals. An area once teetering on the brink of losing all the fish in its streams and rivers and the destruction of bird populations once thought eternal. Besides the historical chapters, 56 stories written by a wide range of former and current employees are included. They provide personal aspects and experience from a wide range of job duties. Read Laurel VanCamp and his Barn Owls; A Day That Will Go Down in Infamy; The Birth of Wildlife Diversity; CODE 44!; The Women Behind the Badge; "Killer Dillon; When Eagles Were Nearly Lost; The History of Lake Erie's Fishery; Trumpets in the Marsh; Conservation on the Farm; The Half Unit and many others. Also included is a reference to Ohio's biggest fish, biggest bucks, wildlife areas, each county's historical list of "wardens," available photos of officer academy classes, and more. Professionally printed and soft-bound, laminated covers, 8.5X11-inch format. 388-pages with 78 in color. Learn about the history of wildlife conservation in Ohio and celebrate 150-years of professional wildlife and fisheries management in the Buckeye State. As mentioned in Lou's story, the cost is $39.99, $2.70 in sales tax plus $6.75 shipping (grand total of $49.44). All books will be signed and if you'd like your name or another's included, just send along a note and ensure spelling is correct. Orders should include your delivery address, check or money order and be sent to Shadow Dog Books, P.O. Box 413, Mt. Blanchard, OH 45867. Questions: jabrams.shadowdogbooks@yahoo.com or call 419-722-4628. Thank you! Step outside •Thursday: Trap and Skeet Practice, open to the public. 4 p.m. UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. •April 7: Trap Shoot. Traps open at noon, program at 1 p.m. Mount Blanchard Gun Club, 21655 Delaware Township 186. •April 13: Black Swamp Bucks Unlimited Annual Banquet and Fundraiser. Doors open 3 p.m., dinner at 5 p.m. The Cube, 3430 N Main St, Findlay. Tickets and sponsorships are now available and with a multitude of prizes including a Coleman Rubicon camper, Polaris Ranger 570 UTV, Coleman electric cart, Hawk tower tree stand, and others. Visit: www.blackswampbucks.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/blackswampbucks. •April 14: Trap Shoot, Fostoria United Sportsmen, 1324 N US-23 Fostoria. Practice traps open at 11 a.m., program begins at 12 noon. For information, contact Danny Bryant: 567-278-1956. •April 16–May 21: Spring Trap League. Need a 5-person team to compete. Program begins at 5 p.m. UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. Public welcome. Contact: Sandy Thomas, sandthm@aol.com. Abrams is a retired wildlife officer supervisor for the state Division of Wildlife in Findlay. He can be reached at P.O. Box 413, Mount Blanchard, OH 45867-0413 or via e-mail at jimsfieldnotes@aol.com.