I’m gong to talk about a subject that might be touchy to some animal lovers. There are a lot of people who like feeding the deer in their backyard because they really enjoy watching them – kind of like a mammalian bird feeder – and they think they’re helping their personal herd. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Feeding deer and other wildlife is illegal in our area. It doesn’t stop neighbors from doing it, but I realize it is okay in other parts of the country. Yet, even if there is no law prohibiting it, I want to encourage everyone not to do it.

First off, feeding deer cracked corn or another commercial feed is basically feeding them junk food. Sometimes eating this unnatural food will even kill the animal since their digestive systems do not process it effectively. So you think you’re helping them, particularly if the winter is harsh, when you might actually be causing them pain or killing them.

Offering a food source can even make a good deer go bad. Even though deer look sweet and docile in the field, those who are used to being fed can become downright demanding and bratty if they don’t get want they want, when they want it. This is one reason the National Park Service is adamant about people not feeding animals. Even squirrels can be mean if they don’t receive a treat. If deer have a fit they can seriously hurt you. Trust me, those hooves hurt.

It invites unwanted guests. While you think you are only feeding the deer, you very well could be providing easy pickings for the local predators. It’s a mountain lion’s dream to find a location where a number of deer show up at the same time, in the same location, day after day. And since they prefer to make their home with a solid food source, don’t think if they don’t grab a deer they will move to a new location. In the suburban areas, there are plenty of cats and dogs to snag for dinner. By feeding the deer, you are potentially setting up a very dangerous situation for everyone in the neighborhood.

Diseases are a big problem with deer in proximity to each other when they typically would be dispersed. From mange to viral cutaneous fibromas (which are big, ugly growths on the deer), or even the dreaded chronic wasting disease, when deer are close to one another, they are more likely to spread diseases.

Feeding deer and habituating them to people also causes problems for your neighbors. We have a neighbor who feeds the deer. I almost ran into one at 5 p.m. in our own driveway this winter! They’ve also changed their habits over the years. In past springs, once the fields started greening up, the deer left the neighborhood and headed to greener pastures. Now they’re sticking around, eating the new trees or perennials we plant. As a result, Grant has to keep a cage around practically everything. They also completely devoured my tulips before I could even put the egg wash over there. And two deer were found dead in backyards this spring with no apparent reason why. It might have been a food issue, or it could have been disease.

So even if the Fish and Game Department won’t give you a citation, if you enjoy the wild deer, keep them that way. Feeding them food that isn’t good for them. Teaching them a neighborhood is a safe place to be only spells trouble for everyone.