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Bangor Metro >  January-February 2007 >  Detrimental Menu

Photo of white-tailed deer courtesy of Brad Eden

Most everyone enjoys viewing wildlife, and I’m no exception. It’s especially gratifying to see wild critters on your own property. Although my wife and I don’t own a lot of acreage, we enjoy a fair share of animals traipsing through our land. As a matter of fact, a doe and her fawn bedded just behind the garden almost every day this past fall. Just recently I watched a flock of a dozen or so turkeys scratch and feed their way through our woodlot. We’ve even had the occasional moose pay a visit to our humble abode. As much as I enjoy and feel privileged by these sojourns, I’m glad to see them come and go on their natural wanderings—not because of anything I do to lure them in.

Unfortunately, this is the time of year when many people choose to feed wild animals during the winter months. What at face value might appear to be a kind-hearted gesture toward our woodland creatures can, in fact, be detrimental. The fact is that rarely does Maine experience a harsh enough winter to require supplemental feeding. There are exceptions of course, the ice storm of 1998 being an example. Just like many humans who found themselves overwhelmed with cold and darkness for weeks on end I ran across a fair share of starving turkeys and stressed-out deer. But generally speaking, wild animals are much better off fending for themselves during a typical Maine winter.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife discourages the supplemental feeding of deer and wild turkeys. Other states such as Vermont have even made it illegal. Even so, some people still choose to feed wild animals, particularly during the winter. Aside from the misguided notion that these animals need our help, many simply like to keep the animals on their property for photographing and viewing. Others may think they are helping increase the population. Some may even hope to keep animals in the vicinity for upcoming hunting seasons or to protect them from hunting.

The truth is, feeding these wild animal subjects them to predation, motor vehicle accidents, disease transmission, and even malnutrition. Deer and turkeys traveling to and from feeding stations can cross busy roads and encounter domestic dogs. Predators such as coyotes can easily pattern their movements, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Supplemental feeding forces the animals into close proximity of each other, increasing the potential for disease transmission. Competition at feeding sites amongst deer can cause weaker and younger deer to become malnourished. Deer and wild turkeys can become tame and dependent on food such as cracked corn and commercial deer pellets rather than natural browse and foods. Once this happens, these wild animals need to be fed through to spring. This can become very expensive.

A better approach, and the one championed by wildlife professionals, is to maintain a good natural habitat year-round so the animals can go about their normal routine and fend for themselves. Planting native plants and shrubs on the back edges of lawns and maintaining woodlots by selective cutting ensures a rich abundance of browse. Preserving oak and beech trees that seasonally drop acorns and beechnuts supplies necessary food for deer and wild turkeys. Establishing hemlock and pine groves creates canopy and winter yard areas where deer can gather during heavy snow. Just plain keeping some land undeveloped creates havens for winter-weary wildlife.

Wild creatures deserve the respect to remain wild, not treated like pets or animals in a zoo. They are remarkably tough and resilient to whatever Mother Nature throws at them. In the end, supplemental feeding of wildlife, although well-intentioned, is cruel kindness.