State by State Policies Concerning Supplemental Feeding

Washington DFW Winter Feeding Factsheet

Seeing hungry deer in the winter can tug at anyone's heartstrings.  However, is feeding deer helpful or hurtful to them in the long run.  The best survival strategy for deer in the winter is to have plenty of natural food and cover.  However, early and deep snow coupled with cold temperatures can threaten their survival.  In the interest of stimulating this debate, we surveyed state wildlife agencies and others to identify both supplemental feeding guidelines and concerns.  Here is a summary of some of the information we uncovered.

Factors affecting feeding:

• Alfalfa hay and pellets are the most commonly available feed for deer, but it takes time for the animals' digestive systems to adjust to the change in diet from their natural browse. If deer don't have enough fat reserves to carry them through the adjustment period, they can die of starvation with a belly full of alfalfa.
• Can cause scours in fawns.
• Feeding deer in heavily traveled areas can increase deer-vehicle collisions.
• High concentrations of deer in one area can increase vulnerability to predation of poaching.
• High concentrations of deer can increase transmission of disease (especially eye and respiratory infections).
• Wildlife will continue to eat other forages even in areas where they are fed, and the high concentration of animals will cause the range in that area to be overused.
• When the expense of feeding causes feeding areas to shut down, deer are left searching for food in urban areas where they can cause damage to crops, shrubs and trees.
• Intense competition for food in a limited space will often cause higher death rates for fawns than under more natural dispersed conditions.
• Starvation primarily happens to animals that enter the winter in poor body condition, according to careful biological studies. Deer research has shown that animals in good condition can survive the winter on reduced feed levels. Supplemental feeding can be virtually irrelevant to survival.
• Deer accustomed to a feeding station will need food at least through March or April.
  
  (Click to continue reading)