The phones start ringing more frequently after the first of the year. I have a fox in my yard, I found an opossum in my shed, there is an injured hawk in my yard. Living in the San Joaquin Valley can be very interesting when it comes to wildlife. Some people say wonderful. Some people lean toward nuisance.

Remember, spring is the breeding and birthing season for most wildlife. So if you find adult wildlife in your yard or on your acreage and it is annoying you, killing it or relocating it is a death sentence for its young because they will starve to death. It is against the law to trap and relocate wildlife. It is also against the law for the public to rehabilitate orphaned or injured wildlife without permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Whatever your feelings about wildlife in your yard, here are tips to make living with them easier.

--Do not feed the waterfowl (geese, ducks, etc.)

California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 251.1 prohibits the harassment of wildlife, which can in some circumstances include feeding. Harass is defined as an intentional act that disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering. What keeps waterfowl coming back to ponding basins is the water and people feeding them. They are supposed to be migrating, not making their homes in these unnatural areas and suffering the health consequences of a poor diet.

--Got ducks in your pool?

Do a "walk-around" your property to see if the ducks have started to build a nest. If they have constructed one, destroy it. However, if eggs are present, you must leave it alone. Good luck -- duck parents and 8-12 ducklings are going to make a mess of your pool and the area. Make the area as unattractive as possible. Our best suggestion is to start early in the year and put lots of floatation devices in the pool to make it uncomfortable for the ducks to land. (See above, "Do not feed the waterfowl.")

--Spring is not the best time to trim trees. However if you do plan on trimming, do a cursory walk around and see whether there are nests in the trees, either birds or squirrels.

Birthing for squirrels starts in January and goes until early April. Palm trees are a favorite for barn owls. Sometimes baby birds fall out of their nests, but bird parents will accept the young when placed back in the nest or as near to the nest as possible. Barn owl parents will continue to feed the young on the ground if nothing disturbs them. It is impossible to duplicate parental care in foster care conditions, so unless they are injured, try to get them back in the nest as quickly as possible. This is also true for baby squirrels.

--If you are out in the woods and happen upon a fawn, leave it alone!

More often than not, mom is out foraging for food. She leaves her young in briars, branches and leaves, hidden from predators (for up to eight to 10 hours, unattended). There are the exceptions, when mom has been the victim of an accident and the fawn is nearby. Call the proper authorities. Do not attempt a rescue on your own.

--Raccoons, opossums and skunks in your yard?

Consider yourself lucky. They eat insects and garbage left behind. But what they are really coming for is the cat and dog food you or neighbors have left out at night. Pick it up before dark and take it inside. Without the invitation of "easy pickings" they will move along. It may take a few days, but they will.

Our advice is to learn to share your environment with the wildlife -- they were here first. For more information, check out these website links:

--http://www.crittercreek.org/Docs/Living%20With.htm

--http://www.dfg.ca.gov/LivingWithWildlife/

--www.ccwr.org/resources/resources.html