Sandpoint resident: Lack of skunk, raccoon policy stinks

SANDPOINT - Part of North Idaho's allure is its close proximity to wildlife and nature, but one Sandpoint resident has had his fill of the fury creatures that populate the area.

Sandpoint's Chris Naccarato has lived at his Cedar Street residence for years, but recently the fifth-grade science teacher has been overrun with skunks and raccoons. By his count, Naccarato has had 24 skunks and five raccoons on his property over the past two years.

For reasons he has yet to uncover, the skunks have a near magnetic draw to Naccarato's backyard shed. Eschewing the friendlier confines of other neighborhood yards, Naccarato said the malodorous little creatures march through town with their sights set on his nondescript shed.

Hoping to find a solution to his animal problem, Naccarato contacted officials from the city, county and Idaho Department of Fish and Game, who all gave him a variation of the same advice: They don't belong to us, so get rid of them yourself.

"The city said 'We don't own them, talk to Fish and Game'. Fish and Game doesn't own them either. They said, 'They're not the state's animals, they're the people's animals.'" Naccarato said.

Fish and Game's Matt Haag, who receives numerous calls every day about skunks and raccoons, said the animals are classified as pests, making them the responsibility of the land owner.

Haag also said the cost in time and manpower it would take to deal with every animal would drain his annual budget.

"We're paid by license dollars only. We're not paid by the general tax fund, so if we responded to those calls we would no longer be working for the sportsmen, who are paying the bills," Haag said.

While they agree with Fish and Game that the animals are the responsibility of the home owner, the city does offer residents use of its two traps, but Naccarato said he is dubious of using them for fear he would accidentally trap his neighbor's cat.

Once caught, the city tells residents to release the skunks into the wild.

"We just tell them to take them out to the country - somewhere they can thrive - and let them go," said Sandpoint records clerk Tania Riley, who receives multiple calls about animals every week.

Because he believed there was no other solution, Naccarato began calling a local pest control company to remove the animals, at a cost of $50-$70 per catch. With 29 unwanted visitors being disposed of since 2006, Naccarato said he's spent more than $1,500.

Of course it would be easier - and far less expensive - for Naccarato to simply run the little critters off his yard with a hose or an accurately thrown rock, but he knows if he doesn't deal with the them, the animals will just move on to one of his neighbor's homes.

"I want to be a good citizen and neighbor. I'm not going to just shoo them away so they can become someone else's problem," Naccarato said. "That's what we as citizens are supposed to do, step up, take care of the problem and help out."

Naccarato does not blame the city or Fish and Game for not dealing with the animals, but said he would like to see the groups come together in an attempt to resolve the issue. Haag agrees.

"At some point we're going to have to sit down with the city and figure out what we can do to get rid of these raccoons, because it's becoming a real problem," Haag said.

If nothing is done soon, Naccarato fears things will only get worse as the animals reproduce, with each generation becoming more accustomed to living in populated areas.

"To me it about the sheer mathematics of it," Naccarato said. "If there are 24 skunks and half are female and can have 6-8 pups twice a year, just think about how many skunks are going to be out there."

Naccarato recently augmented his fence and hopes it will keep the skunks from his shed, but he knows his solution is only a Band-Aid for a much larger problem effecting the entire community.