Providing supplemental feed to deer in the winter is controversial and often illegal in some states, but other states encourage and even help fund it. Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of winter feeding.
By Bernie Barringer
The Minnesota DNR has often been opposed to recreational deer feeding, and in fact, with the increased risk of Chronic Wasting Disease and other disease transmissions, there have been discussions about banning it. The winter of 2014 was very difficult winter for the deer northern Minnesota. Deep snow and cold temperatures created conditions where the predators had a heyday with the stressed deer. In many cases wolves moved into certain areas and slaughtered far more deer than they could ever eat. Deep snow made finding food extremely difficult and deer were near starvation by February and March. Despite the fact that the state of Minnesota DNR as often been opposed to winter deer feeding they mobilized volunteers across much of northern Minnesota with snowmobiles to feed corn to the stressed deer herds.
Near my home there was a 20-acre cornfield that did not get harvested before the snow came. There were 60 to 70 deer feeding and that cornfield every night. I had a discussion with a DNR officer about recreational deer feeding about that time. He felt strongly that recreational deer feeding concentrated the deer into areas where they could more likely transmit diseases. My question for him was this, “There are 70 deer feeding in this cornfield; they are nibbling on the same branches, eating fecal matter and chewing on the same corncobs. Wouldn’t it be better to have those deer spread out into a dozen smaller recreational feeding sites at the homes of the adjacent landowners, rather than have them all bunched up in one place? Wouldn’t that cause a reduction in potential transmission of diseases rather than an increase?” Neither one of us really have a definitive answer to that question.
These are just a couple examples of the controversy that surrounds recreational feeding of deer. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons.
Acclimation to Humans
Opponents of deer feeding feel that providing handouts for deer can make them more vulnerable to negative human influences. In some cases this may be true, and there are specific instances where deer feeding in the wrong areas has caused significant increases in roadkills. Deer feeding during hunting season can concentrate deer into areas where they are more vulnerable to hunters. But ask anyone who has hunted for deer over bait in states where baiting is legal and they will tell you that putting deer in a position where it’s easier to shoot them is a lot easier said than done.
Deer quickly learn when they are being hunted and will go nocturnal. Many states allow baiting of deer but very few mature bucks are killed this way. The human intrusion associated with putting the bait in place is simply more than a mature buck will tolerate. Even younger deer and does learn quickly that feeding under the cover of darkness is their best survival strategy.
One significant issue with feeding deer is the consistency. One of the worst things that can be done is to provide a food source on which the deer become dependent, and then stop feeding for a long period or quit altogether. Either of these can put the deer at significant risk. If the deer are relying on you for a daily food source, do not let them down.
Concentrated for predation
Human predators and not the only threats deer face. Deep snow can cause deer to bunch up around the available food. Particularly across the northern states, deer yards create easy opportunities for predators. When snow makes it difficult for deer to move around, the predators can move in and make short work of an entire herd. I have personally seen this in northern Minnesota where a pack of wolves decimated a herd of more than 40 deer in one week.
Wolves are controversial enough but when things like this happen, the anger rises quickly. Contrary to what wolf lovers would like you to believe, wolves do not kill just what they need to survive and no more. Put yourself in a wolf’s shoes (paws) for a moment and think of it this way: you know where there’s a lot of deer, so you go kill one and eat your fill. The next day you’re hungry again, so you go back and you have the option of gnawing on a hunk of frozen meat or, with very little effort, grabbing a hot meal. Which option sounds the best to you? That’s why wolves can wipe out so many deer in such a short time.
Other predators also capitalize on vulnerable deer. Coyotes, mountain lions, feral dogs, even bobcats and eagles have been known to feast on the easy pickings. Keep these predators in mind when you choose your deer feeding location. It’s best to utilize several smaller feeding sites rather than one large one.
Digestive Issues
High-carbohydrate foods are needed to get deer through the winter because they produce quick energy and body heat. But radical changes to the deer’s diet can be harmful and in some cases fatal. Introducing a source of corn to very hungry deer when there is very little other food available can make it very difficult for the deer to digest the corn. When deer are feeding on woody browse, their stomachs are adapted to digest that type of food. They do not have the ability to change quickly in a sudden introduction of large quantity of high carbohydrate food can cause acidosis which can make them sick and in extreme cases can kill them.
For this reason it’s best to introduce alternate food supplies well before winter hits so the deer’s digestive system have plenty of time to adapt. In cases where corn is being introduced to help starving deer it’s best to introduce small amounts of corn in multiple areas. Or better yet, introduce a mixture of feed with a mixture of carbohydrates and protein. Some companies make deer feed which includes other grains and proteins in addition to corn.
The real bottom line is that a deer’s stomach will tell it what it needs to survive. They will not commit suicide by eating corn. But we must be careful that we do not make radical changes to their diets or put them in positions where they are more vulnerable than they would be if we did not interfere. We must also choose carefully where the deer feeding will take place in order to avoid endangering them. Recreational deer feeding can provide entertainment for wildlife lovers and a benefit to individual deer and improvement of deer populations if it’s done in a responsible way.
Totally agree.
Thanks for the article . I have fed a small amount of deer and turkeys in my yard ,in the woods,in winter, for years now. It is a delightful thing. It doesn’t kill them and we have developed a relationship.I have known some for years. They bring their new fawns by in the summer. I don’t give them a lot at once but I feed them every morning in the winter.i am in an area protected from hunting. I understand there can be negatives and I certainly would not want to do them harm but it is hard for me not to enjoy their greeting every morning and feel a little bit better about the world where we all get along.
In winter, I prefer to feed them their carbs and protein in the evening, so to keep them warm while temperatures drop at night. Daytime they forge all day at what is available. I feel evening feeding helps them sustain warmth and energy durring the brutal coldness at night.
What do you feed them exactly and where do you get the food
Corn or commercial deer feed available at any farm store or feed store. Even Walmart sells bagged corn.
I feed them corn too . I get it at tractor supply 7.50 for a 40 lb bag . And they love apples, pears, and carrots.. ???? ????
Humans should never internally feed wildlife no matter how good it makes them feel unless:
They themselves have put up fencing or damns or intestate hy-ways that prevent the herd from reaching feeding grounds.
Foods such as CORN are not natural for ruminants (animals that chew their cud) and could cause them a lot of digestive problems!
It is not true that canines kill for fun. They are wild animals and they cannot afford to waste the calories on this.
When nature is in balance, predators only take down animals that would die any, saving them from a more horrible and painful death, such as starvation.
This has been proven by studies or wolf kills.
So, sorry, your hypothesis about wolves is incorrect and so is your hypothesis about intentionally feeding deer.
You are doing to please yourself, not for the good of the animals.
I guess you have never been to the midwest where the number one staple in the diet of whitetail deer in many areas is corn. There are hundreds of cases where wolves killed far more than they could eat and left the prey animals to rot. You call it fun, I doubt if that’s the reason but it happens often. All canines at times kill things and then play with them which would be wasting calories, and sometimes do not even eat them. Your post may set some kind of a record for passing along the most fallacies in one post. You need to get off the concrete more.
Then please inform Walmart to not sell deer corn.
And tractor supply and job lot
We have had a Buck white tail come into our backyard now for weeks and eats all our birdseed Black sunflower seeds and seeds of all kinds that we put out for birds. Thank you for the information shared as we haven’t actually fed this beautiful creature out of intention he helps himself to bird feed. We live in the mountains and would hope there’d be plenty of food in the forest that we back up too He is a beauty. We call him Bucky. We do need to respect each other when we post, not call each other names. Every one has different experiences and live in different areas. Nature and animals are always a breathtaking experience. I love looking out and enjoying both
Teri Draper – You are full of stern pronouncements, but short on information: 30 years of sled dog training and racing in Northern Minnesota has taught me that canines, wild and tame..will indeed kill more game than they will eat. Don’t know where you got your info on that one, but I know dogs better than you, and better than DNR geniuses. Dogs and wolves are the same species. I’ve known it for decades, but science finally had to break down and admit it when DNA study showed it to be true. Predators WILL kill perfectly healthy animals if the opportunity presents. Wolves are not veterinarians. They don’t know who is ready to die. Plus, moron…around here deer enter cornfields and eat corn every night. The people doing “studies” rarely get in the field. Or think from themselves.
People like Teri Draper have never witnessed a pack of wolves tearing the hamstring of a pregnant doe, and run off to kill another. not for food, just the way of the pack. Living in rural northern Minnesota, I have seen this kill for fun carried out many times throughout the winter months. If they can’t find deer, they will kill cattle, horses or even the family’s dog. If people wish to feed the deer in an intelligent manner, away from traffic and out of the city, than go ahead.
I know this is an old post but….. REALLY??? The author personally witnessed a pack of wolves wipe out 40 deer in a week….let me guess….the ‘studies’ you read about were authored by a wolf protection group….. ALSO, you say that corn isn’t a natural food source…..so the deer I see eating in the corn fields apparently didn’t get your memo cuz deer eat A LOT of corn, on their own out of corn fields…. get a clue….
Think you better double check your info…..deer eat ????…they just need very small amounts….not an unlimited supply….wolves and coyotes and bears kill alot of fawns NOT JUST THE SICK or the ones that are GONNA DIE ANYWAY… they will take down the biggest if it’s available…..we have Towns that actually purchase tons and tons of deer feed for winter feeding and they have a great deer herd …..Also they say feeding congregate deer into 1area and promotes disease….where do you think they go in the winter…..DEER YARDS …I’ve seen litteraly 40-50 deer in some yards laying and feeding all winter ….I think Fish and Wildlife shod keep promoting No Feeding but educate people how too the right way and what to use for feed the right way …..
Teri Draper you are clueless as to what occurs in nature.
Recreational deer feeding is one thing. Deer baiting, which is illegal in many states during the hunting season, is something else. Remember Hunting Ethics and Fair Chase,both regarding other hunters and deer?
Also, with CWD on the rise in many areas we shouldn’t be placing piles or rows of feed (shelled corn, etc.) in one spot in those areas.
I agree with the first part of your statement but here’s a couple things to think about. First of all, baiting is legal in many states and is considered ethical by most hunters, because that’s what they are accustomed to. Heck I have hunted in parts of the US, where if you didn’t use bait you’d never get a deer so it’s an important part of the wildlife management and population control picture. Secondly, there is no evidence that feeding deer can increase the spread of CWD. NONE. Studies have been done on how much saliva a deer needs to ingest from a CWD positive deer to contract CWD and the amount is bizarre. The university of Colorado feed saliva from a CWD positive deer to several other deer and only one contracted CWD and only after they forced a large amount of saliva into them several times. Recreational deer feeding has little to nothing to do with CWD, in fact, the more people who are feeding deer serves to spread out the herd which helps reduce contact among disease carrying deer.
It is true you have no real knowledge of the predator and prey relationship. When prey is plentiful, Wolves kill, eat, and kill again with little care with lots of waste. Then when the prey population is desimated, the balance comes back in the starvation of the wolves. It’s called a closed ecosystem. Suppy and demand for the concrete walkers.