City of Davis advises us how to deal with our furry and/or feathered friends

From raccoons to skunks to squirrels to bats, we're clearly being overrun with wildlife

When I was growing up in this town the only "wildlife" I encountered were my fifth-grade classmates under Miss Montgomery's watchful eye at West Davis Elementary.

Those pickup basketball games on the school's hardscrabble outdoor courts led to more skinned knees and dislocated elbows than doctors Cooper, Vaughn and Larkey had time to heal.

Now, however, we have so much wildlife that I can't even pay my city water bill without encountering a full-page, brilliantly illustrated, taxpayer-funded explanation of how I should respond when I encounter any one of a number of wild species that might cross my path and threaten my well-being, if not my very life.

And I'm not talking about those pesky scrub jays that will boldly steal a chicken thigh right off your barbecue grill and come back for more five minutes later.

Page 1 was my monthly water bill. Page 2 listed nearly a dozen species I should take note of.

I don't know which page was scarier.

Under the heading "Living With Wildlife," I found separate photos of a cute and cuddly raccoon, a tail-up-and-ready-to-spray skunk and three very large turkeys, one in full attack mode.

Whoever put together this brochure decided ahead of time that "Deterring wildlife from entering your property" should be a priority for every Davis resident.