Educational programs that strengthen agriculture production skills are a continued priority identified by the Oldham County Extension and Agriculture Councils. A hindrance to producing food in Oldham County is damage caused by nuisance wildlife. This damage ranges from deer feeding on gardens and crops to black vultures feeding on newborn livestock.

Challenges include heavy deer population – with neighborhoods being close together in some parts of the county, hunting is not always possible. A challenge with black vulture control is that these birds are protected under federal migratory acts and permits are needed to dispose of them. Another challenge is the number of wildlife species that feed on chickens.  Because of these challenges, a seminar on Managing Nuisance Wildlife was held in March 2017 to give gardeners and producers options to manage these problems.

The Oldham County Agriculture Agent organized and promoted the program, taught by the UK Extension Wildlife Specialist. Forty people from Oldham and Shelby Counties attended the program and learned about common predators of gardens and livestock and tips for managing these.

Twenty-five people completed evaluations immediately after the program, and responses showed that:

- 70% of participants planned to implement habitat or damage management practices on properties such as use of fencing and netting; use of vulture effigies; repellent; guard dogs; mowing tall grass; and removing brush piles.

- When asked most significant thing participants learned or planned to apply there were several recurring answers, including understanding difference between black vulture and turkey vultures; encouraging natural predators; using fencing; and that problem pests like raccoons should not be relocated, but instead dispatched after trapping.

- While participants were concerned with protecting their gardens, crops, and livestock, 96% of them recognized that all native wildlife species have a value and purpose in the ecosystem. They indicated they planned to learn more about practices that protect or conserve wildlife habitat and natural resources.

Nine participants completed a follow-up survey in April 2018, and responses showed that: 

- 89% of them were using fencing to keep deer out of gardens and/or to keep predators away from chickens. 

- 56% were using repellents to deter wildlife damage on gardens

- 22% were trapping nuisance wildlife

With the success of recent poultry and livestock programs in Oldham County, it’s anticipated that sessions on managing nuisance wildlife will be offered again in 2019.