Should people feed deer in their yards?

[mwb970]

I have a friend who lives on a residential street with a stand of woods behind it. He puts out "Purina Deer Chow" (literally) back in the woods and is delighted when 3 or 4 deer show up for dinner. I must admit, they are impressive to see out there!

But, I have heard many people say this is a mistake, if a well-meaning one. They say that the deer become dependent on the handouts. They say that this leads to over-population of deer. That the deer will eat the neighbors' flowers and plants. That they have to cross busy roads to get to the feeding spot.

On balance, who's right? Does anyone here feed deer in their yard, or specifically not do so? Is it really a bad idea?

[Swede]

1. Not if hunting is allowed in your area.

The deer will not be afraid of humans,and make the job of the hunter quite easy.

[deucemagnet]

2. No!

That's how Lyme disease gets spread to the suburbs.

[mwb970]

3. Hmm, I hadn't thought of that angle. /nt

[Orsino]

9. I had lots of ticks in the yard at my last house.

I loved seeing deer all around, but am glad to have left the ticks behind.

[alarimer]

4. No.

They do become dependent on handouts and are then essentially pests. And it will probably lead to overpopulation of deer.

[pokerfan]

5. If you hate deer, by all means feed them

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2004/News_2004_Q4/Donot_Feed_Deer_121704.htm">Feeding Deer Harms their Health

[ogneopasno]

6. No. If you feed deer, you end up with what are essentially giant squirrels.

Just as pesty, just as annoying, and a lot more of a pain in the ass when you hit them with your car.

[Richard Steele]

8. That's an excellent way to describe the situation.

I couldn't put it better myself.

[ogneopasno]

12. Deer are fun to look at for about 10 minutes.

But when they start eating your bulbs, the branches on your fruit trees, the buds on your white pines, pooping every two minutes and making major messes of cars, you see them for what they are. I'm considering becoming a bowhunter to start controlling them on our property.

[quip]

7. I shot a deer in my pajamas

how he got into my pajamas, I'll never know! :P

(And my answer: never, no)

[Orrex]

17. Hooray for Captain Spaulding!

[Generic Brad]

18. How did a deer get into your pajamas?

The thief! I would have shot him too!

[auntAgonist]

10. No.

We have a lot of deer in our area. We never put food out for them.


aA

[Haole Girl]

11. No

This spells it out pretty well:

Please, Don't Feed the Deer!

People are motivated to feed deer for a variety of reasons. They may believe deer cannot survive winter without supplemental food, or they believe that feeding deer in winter will result in a larger, huntable population the next year. Landowners may believe supplemental foods will divert deer away from expensive shrubbery, hence reducing landscaping costs. Others simply enjoy seeing deer at close range.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife acknowledges that most individuals who feed deer are well intentioned...

Deer feeding sites may increase deer/vehicle collisions. Most deer feeding is conducted near homes, which places deer in close proximity to well-traveled highways. Collisions with motor vehicles near supplemental feeding sites can result in significant losses to a local deer population.

Deer may starve when fed supplemental foods during winter. Supplementally fed deer may die from eating too much feed at one time. Losses of this nature have been observed at winter deer feeding sites in Maine. Mature bucks seem to be most prone to overeating high-energy supplemental foods.

Supplemental feeding may increase browsing of landscape plants and gardens. Even when provided with optimal supplemental foods, deer will continue to browse on shrubbery, tree buds, garden plantings, and seedlings in the adjacent forest. Attracting deer to supplemental feeders in residential neighborhoods may result in deer damage to neighbors' property, because deer usually feed while en route to and from feeding sites.

Healthy, naturally fed deer do not require a handout to thrive...

http://www.umext.maine.edu/piscataquis/gardening/2004/vol2iss1/deer.htm



Something else I learned when I worked in Yosemite: If a wild animal eats sugar or salt, from refined foods, it can make the animal(s) feel full & they won't eat... actually causing malnutrition.

:-(

[gblady]

13. I don't think it's a good idea....

to feed wild animals domesticated food...
I know at the lake I walk around, there are signs not to feed the wild birds or geese...
says it's bad for their digestive tracks.

[WinkyDink]

14. I didn't know deer had houses, let alone yards!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. If deer are in their yard,

the deer are probably eating the stuff that's in their yard.

[MsTryska]

16. i wouldn't feed deer

but we did use to have a salt lick in ours.

[jcla]

19. NO.

I don't feed any wild or domestic animals in my yard. Draws in too much I don't like. I have a water dish for my dogs when they are out and about.
But I will not feed them or cats outside. I do have flowers for hummingbirds and bees. Anything else you are taking your life and theirs in your hands.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

20. No.

Just don't.

[Burma Jones]

21. Good Lord No

First the deer come to your yard and then the Mountain Lions and Wolves show up and then the Goddamned Documentary filmmakers show up and then what the hell you gonna do?

[Gormy Cuss]

22. I had neighbors like that.

The deer came through their yard twice a day, every day for years. It was pretty clear that they had imprinted on this area as a good food source. Then the neighbors sold to a guy who viewed them as pests and he erected a cheap fence. The deer knocked it down. He built it up again, and they knocked it down. He made it higher-- the deer knocked it down over and over again. It's been two years and the deer still come to his yard every day. I'm afraid that this is going to end badly for the deer because the higher and sturdier the fencing is, the more likely that a deer will break a leg trying to get over it.

Can't say about the effects on the neighbors since we have so many night creatures foraging in our yards it would be hard to say which are eating what. There is a doe who has been snacking on my petunias this year.

[Rhiannon12866]

23. I have no problem with it, but then I'm a liberal who adopts pets from rescue.

I used to get quail food for this little bird (a quail) who hung out in our backyard and that my mother was quite taken with. I have no problem with feeding wildlife, as long as you keep it up. I live in the boonies and I do... :-)

[mwb970]

25. My friends who do this are extremely kindhearted...

...and concerned about animals and the earth (and they are liberal, if you'll excuse the redundancy). They have three cats, they feed the hummingbirds, their whole yard is eco-friendly. Their hearts are clearly in the right place, as is yours. It's just this one practice of feeding the deer in a residential area that I'm not sure about, having read some articles suggesting that the temptation should be resisted.

[Paladin]

24. Why Not? Hunters Feed Them And Then Shoot Them

At least they do in Texas and other states. Shooters (I won't dignify them by calling them hunters) sit in comfortable blinds, the automatic feeders go off with a loud clattering noise and spew corn all over the ground, the deer wander in like a bunch of cattle, and one or more of them end up getting shot. And yes, there are more deer in Texas than ever, because deer are a well-fed cash crop. (Confession time: Years ago I used to "hunt" deer in this fashion, and I'm not proud of it.)

Now I'll grant you that feeding deer in a residential area presents other issues. But don't think for a minute that it's not a common practice.....

[EstimatedProphet]

26. No. Deer have enough food as it is, and it's a bad idea to make them dependent.