Deer Feeding Bans: How Did We Get Here?

The laws surrounding deer feeding vary from state to state in the US. While some states have a hard ban on any form of deer feed, others have more relaxed regulations, allowing feeding on private lands. The main reason for these laws is to prevent the spread of disease among deer populations, as well as to reduce the risk of starvation, predation, vehicle collisions, and aggression within the deer community.

Deer are vulnerable to starvation, predation, disease, and vehicle collisions when fed by humans

Firstly, deer are vulnerable to starvation when fed by humans. This is because deer held in high densities near feeding sites will waste vital energy reserves through aggression, which can lead to injury or death. Additionally, deer use energy travelling to and from the feed site, reducing their fat reserves. In winter, deer require fat reserves to survive, and any activity that increases their energy use can lead to death.

Secondly, deer are vulnerable to predation when fed by humans. Feed sites congregate deer into unnaturally high densities, which can attract predators and increase the risk of death by coyotes or domestic dogs.

Thirdly, deer are vulnerable to disease when fed by humans. High densities of deer at feeding sites can facilitate the spread of disease among the deer population.

Finally, deer are vulnerable to vehicle collisions when fed by humans. Deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) can result in deer fatalities, property damage, and human injury or death. In the United States, DVCs cause at least 59,000 human injuries and 440 human fatalities each year. Feed sites can lure deer away from natural wintering areas and towards roads, increasing the likelihood of DVCs.

Feeding deer makes them less fearful of humans

Deer are wild animals that are adapted to survive in the winter.

Supplemental feeding can harm deer by causing aggression and wasting their energy reserves

Supplemental feeding can cause aggression in deer, which can lead to injuries and even death. When deer gather at feeding sites, larger deer have been observed to kick at smaller ones, causing injury and wasting their energy reserves. This aggression is a result of unnaturally high densities of deer congregating in one area.

Supplemental feeding can also cause deer to waste their energy reserves. Deer travel to and from feeding sites, using up their fat reserves and reducing their energy. This is especially harmful for older or smaller deer, or those with fewer fat reserves. If their fat reserves are depleted before winter ends, they will die.

Supplemental feeding can also cause deer to become dependent on humans for food, which can lead to a loss of fear of humans and a decrease in their natural foraging behaviours. This can result in malnutrition and a higher risk of predation.

In addition to causing aggression and wasting energy reserves, supplemental feeding can also lead to the spread of disease among deer, increase the risk of vehicle collisions, and attract predators.

Feeding deer can result in over-browsing of local vegetation and ornamental plants

Deer are considered browsing animals, meaning they feed on twigs, buds, and leaves from trees and shrubs. This is in contrast to grazing animals like cattle, which primarily eat grass. Deer can easily jump over many decorative fences, so if you want to keep them out of your yard or garden, you'll need to install an electric fence or an eight-foot-high deer fence.

Deer feeding can lead to over-browsing of local vegetation and ornamental plants for several reasons. Firstly, deer tend to congregate in unnaturally high densities around feeding sites. This can result in over-browsing of the surrounding area as deer feed on both the supplemental food and local plants. Additionally, deer are selective feeders and will consume their preferred foods first, only turning to other plants when their favourites become scarce. Supplemental feeding can also alter deer behaviour, luring them away from their natural wintering areas and causing them to expend more energy. Finally, deer feeding can lead to an increase in the deer population, further contributing to over-browsing.

To prevent over-browsing, it is important to make your landscape less attractive to deer. Remove any unharvested fruits and vegetables, and do not provide supplemental food or salt. If deer damage becomes a problem, consider using exclusion fences, scare tactics, population reduction, repellents, or alternative plantings.

Feeding deer can increase the risk of deer-vehicle collisions

Deer-vehicle collisions are a serious problem, causing billions of dollars in economic losses, human injuries, and deaths. While these collisions are often unavoidable, there are measures that can be taken to reduce their occurrence. One such measure is to avoid feeding deer, as it can increase the risk of these collisions.

Feeding deer can lead to unnaturally high deer densities in a particular area. This can result in an increased risk of vehicle collisions for several reasons. Firstly, deer tend to move more when they are in search of food, and feeding sites can attract them to roads and highways, where they are more likely to encounter vehicles. Additionally, feeding sites can cause deer to lose their natural wariness of humans and vehicles, making them less likely to avoid roads and more likely to behave unpredictably when startled.

Supplemental feeding of deer can also lead to increased aggression and energy expenditure, which can make deer bolder and more active near roads, further raising the risk of collisions. Furthermore, feeding sites can attract predators such as coyotes and domestic dogs, which can cause deer to flee in panic and increase the likelihood of vehicle collisions.

In addition to the direct risk of collisions, feeding deer can also contribute to over-browsing of local vegetation and ornamental plants, damaging the local ecosystem and reducing the available food sources for deer, making them more likely to venture onto roads in search of food.

To reduce the risk of deer-vehicle collisions, it is important to avoid feeding deer and to maintain their natural wariness of humans and roads. This can be achieved through proper waste management, avoiding the use of bird feeders accessible to deer, and by planting deer-resistant plants to reduce their attraction to roads and residential areas.

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