Feeding Deer in Winter Harms More Than Helps

[scotman]

If a Biologist is condoning feeding deer through winter then I would personally check how they are tied to the industry. Do they have something to lose personally? With feeding deer in the winter some can make it look like they are wanting the deer survive through the harsh winters becuase they care but when you have time and money invested in crops it is hard to turn a blind eye away from a $2500.00+ yearly investment.

The majority of main stream wildlife biologists do not condone feeding animals. But this would not be the first time we seen wildlife biologists holding to double standards. We have seen how the outside consensous can even effect the findings of some scientists how is it soo hard to believe this is just not another case of that?

With CWD still on the rise we have our whole tradition at stake here. What do we actually know about CWD and how it is contracted? The finger of truth is pointing to animals that are brought together under a unnatural set of circumstances are susectible to CWD it is only a matter of time before it effects the wild population overall. We should be refraining from any practices that make deer congregate unnaturally. That is something we can control to reduce the chance diseases can be transferred. That is something we must face as hunters.

[Gulfcapt]

when a biologist quots by feeding the deer it "can" have devestating effects on the enviroment. most fail to tell you in what way.... Some of these forums I had read are people that actually been on a few studies.. WELL was the studies in a remote area? Was it monthly/yearly/summer/fall? was their Greenry planted for the study, and what kind? are there water holes or lakes or rivers manmade/natural nearby? Understand! you plant something new in a remote area its like putting icecream infront of a kid. They will flock to it, pound on it, crap and piss on it, and the surrounding area,and its Nearest watering hole. Now this is a prime hotspot for the disease/CWD? I believe so... But You take away every food plot in america those deer will be even more congrigated on our farmland,and If you think for one second they won't congrigate to one area/foodsorce in the so called forest/woods/swamp in the winter, because of the lack of forage your crazy. The more different areas/foodsource their is for deer,the more dispursed they get. Again this is 1mans apinion mike.haglund@gmail.com

[dtrain56]

TO feed or not to feed is the question????
 
what is artificial and what isn't....
 
are the dozen apples trees that i planted and  turn into feeders every fall...not good for deer...
 
are food plots not good for deer...they increase the capacity of the land to hold deer...and come and go with the seasons...
 
Just because it comes in a feeder or a bucket makes it no different than anything else that attracts deer to an area....
 
 
and when the food runs out the deer adapt and move to areas with food....they don't hang out....
 
do feeders help with survival rates???? I can say they do but .....i am no biologist....I have observed in my area doe having twins instead of singles in the mountains which tells me they are healthier
 
sure the surronding vegitation gets eaten more...i am sure it does because there is more deer around...but they wouldn't stay thier if they were going to strave to death...they would find a better place to be
 
they are not stupid....matter of fact i think the population of deer  has exploded in modern times.
 
BUT really pay attention to the message ...when they start talking car collisions   This leads me to think they have a political agenda and are taking kick backs by the auto insurance agencys...
 
 
this happened in PA....all the sudden their was a huge push to reduce doe herds in 2002...the guy who was the head of the game commision got canned when he was linked to the auto insurance industry.....
 
Biologist should be worried with....herd health....habitait distruction.....not the cost of collisions....I know someone is already crying people die from hitting them....
 
 
how many people..... anymore than crossing the street....by swearving to miss a rabbit or racoon in the road....
 
no...the problem is they cause millions in damage to cars.....who do you think is pushing to reduce deer herds.....
 
 
I lived in NH...the deer herd is less than 100,000...with no habitait at all...just forest and not hard woods...pines acidic soil and lots of pines...deer kill is like 10,000 a year or less by hunters....
 
they would  certaintly not the leading experts i would be listening to....about anything...they are not doing a good job at all...people in NH would rather go out of stateand hunt.... at least you will see some deer.....
 
if you get a shot at a deer once a year you are doing great for NH and i mean One shot.
 
but back to feeding....it has no effect if you do all winter stop half way or don't at all deer will seek out the best habitat..
 
the one exception would be if the snow is real deep and it lasts for a prolonged period. If withn that time you decided to stop....then you are going to really stress the deer...they can't travel all that well and searching for food will be a very difficult and exhausting task
 
 
 
 
 

[Woods Walker]

but back to feeding....it has no effect if you do all winter stop half way or don't at all deer will seek out the best habitat..

Sorry but you are wrong on this. In an area that where winters are severe enough that winter mortality can occur, you most certainly WILL create an effect on the native habitat. That's the most important thing...native habitat...that most people with the best of intentions completely overlook. This isn't about the deer. It's about the native ecosystem that they inhabit. Artifically high deer numbers in an area who's native WINTER carrying capacity is less than what's there can damage that ecosystem to the extreme, and maybe permanently.

Mother Nature can be a real b****. The result of keeping deer numbers higher than what the native winter habitat can support are deer die offs (at the best case scenario...deer can recover VERY quickly their population numbers), and LONG TERM HABITAT DESTRUCTION (at the worst) which can DECADES to rejuvanate...if ever. This not only further reduces deer numbers, but also all the other wildlife in the area.

If you can't identify the specific ecosystem you're in, or the plant species in it, OR the current state of plant succession, then all you are doing by supplementally feeding is throwing darts in a dark room. You have NO idea of what's there, what you've hit, what you've damaged, or how severe the damage may be.

Get a professional to assist you in making a plant inventory, and then come up with a management plan that can maybe increase the winter carrying capacity and be happy with that. If all you want are lots of deer, and then just fence the land and make a feedlot out of it, then you can see all kinds of deer. Who knows? You may even get a real live, honest to goodness TV hunting show personality to come and film an episode on it! [;)]