bad consequences to feeding deer

[st99]

http://www.wmur.com/escape-outside/1...dents/31981324

[BadlyBaines]

Wow. That story is shocking and saddening. It's so typical of human efforts to "help" nature and end up causing harm instead.

[score]

Something sounds not quite right with that. The foods they mentioned shouldn't have had that kind of effect IMO. I can't see feeding deer pellets, oats, hay, etc. having a bad consequence. I've done it and seen no such thing. Many of the same deer returned yearly, healthy with healthy fawns.

[landwalker]

I know a guy feeding deer with grain for over 30 years, but not aware of bad results.

[Talking moose]

If your feeding the deer all winter long, great. If it's late February and you decide you wanna start feeding the deer, bad. By feeding the deer those foods all winter the deer have no adjustment to make. By starting late in the winter, after eating browse all winter, kind of shocks the system. If your gonna feed deer during the winter, do it all winter, don't start halfway through or near the end of winter.

[dmcbride]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

If your feeding the deer all winter long, great. If it's late February and you decide you wanna start feeding the deer, bad. By feeding the deer those foods all winter the deer have no adjustment to make. By starting late in the winter, after eating browse all winter, kind of shocks the system. If your gonna feed deer during the winter, do it all winter, don't start halfway through or near the end of winter.

Good advise, and follow through till spring when it starts to green up.

[58thecat]

I feed the birds and the deer show up constantly to clean up all the seeds on the ground, last night at sunset we had 8 feeding off the back deck and down a small trail, once the bugs show up I stop feeding the birds and the deer move on. No bad results or shock to their system etc

[Esox]

The most important time of the year to feed deer is February through to the start of may when things are green. Deer have approximately 100 days of reserves built up going into winter. By this time of year pretty much all of their fat reserves are gone and now is the important time to be getting feed into them.

[dmcbride]

Originally Posted by Esox

The most important time of the year to feed deer is February through to the start of may when things are green. Deer have approximately 100 days of reserves built up going into winter. By this time of year pretty much all of their fat reserves are gone and now is the important time to be getting feed into them.

Here is some information about feeding deer.

http://www.novascotia.ca/natr/wildli.../Feed-deer.asp

While I agree with you about the deer having used up most of there fat reserves, starting to feed deer in February causes more harm then good unless it is done correctly.

[Esox]

Yes I agree that it needs to be done properly. Most people aren't just going to start feeding now. People who feed deer usually do so all winter. Just don't stop now because grass is starting to poke out in a lot of places is all im saying. You also have to realize deer dieing from a sudden change in diet like what happened here is far more likely to happen in forested areas and not so much in the farmland/forest fringe areas because the farmland/forest fringe deer continually feed in fields on grains all winter.

[Grizzly Adams]

If you live in Sundre, likely to find you're feeding a cougar as well.

Grizz

[Prairiewolf]

Originally Posted by score

Something sounds not quite right with that. The foods they mentioned shouldn't have had that kind of effect IMO. I can't see feeding deer pellets, oats, hay, etc. having a bad consequence. I've done it and seen no such thing. Many of the same deer returned yearly, healthy with healthy fawns.

Could have been that someone in South Hampton considered these deer a nuisance and laced the feed with something? I hate to think that but yeah, it seems strange that corn and pellets killed that many animals in such a short time span.

[dmcbride]

Originally Posted by Prairiewolf

Could have been that someone in South Hampton considered these deer a nuisance and laced the feed with something? I hate to think that but yeah, it seems strange that corn and pellets killed that many animals in such a short time span.

It's not strange if the deer never feeded on the pellets and corn before and all of the sudden gorged them selves. Shocking there system will kill them.

[edmhunter]

Been feeding deer for years with Rolled Oats and Molasses a standard Horse feed. I start in November and stop in April. Never thought that it would be bad for them!

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by edmhunter

Been feeding deer for years with Rolled Oats and Molasses a standard Horse feed. I start in November and stop in April. Never thought that it would be bad for them!

It's not bad for them if you started feeding in November...

[Leafy]

Originally Posted by dmcbride

It's not strange if the deer never feeded on the pellets and corn before and all of the sudden gorged them selves. Shocking there system will kill them.

Correct.....

Originally Posted by edmhunter

Been feeding deer for years with Rolled Oats and Molasses a standard Horse feed. I start in November and stop in April. Never thought that it would be bad for them!

Your supplement feed program schedule is about perfect for Alberta weather.. Minerals will be next step in April...

Originally Posted by Talking moose

It's not bad for them if you started feeding in November...

Exactly, and carry forward to green up in the spring.........

Supplement feeding is an extremely time consuming and expensive way to assist our wildlife in the challenging times they endure in our climate. Research and research more before you commit to these supplement programs as a high percentage of attempts actually fail miserably when not done properly.

[edmhunter]

Supplement feeding is an extremely time consuming and expensive way to assist our wildlife in the challenging times they endure in our climate. Research and research more before you commit to these supplement programs as a high percentage of attempts actually fail miserably when not done properly.[/QUOTE]

All I know is that lots show up. I always get a kick out of feeding them, typically put down about 1000 lbs. of feed a year and it's not cheap. But the way I look at it: If you take from nature you should give back!

My beloved father taught me that when he paid for my first DU membership.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by edmhunter

Supplement feeding is an extremely time consuming and expensive way to assist our wildlife in the challenging times they endure in our climate. Research and research more before you commit to these supplement programs as a high percentage of attempts actually fail miserably when not done properly.

All I know is that lots show up. I always get a kick out of feeding them, typically put down about 1000 lbs. of feed a year and it's not cheap. But the way I look at it: If you take from nature you should give back!

My beloved father taught me that when he paid for my first DU membership. [/QUOTE]

Just cause you're feeding them doesn't mean they're getting the nutrition they need.

Grizz

[last minute]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

If your feeding the deer all winter long, great. If it's late February and you decide you wanna start feeding the deer, bad. By feeding the deer those foods all winter the deer have no adjustment to make. By starting late in the winter, after eating browse all winter, kind of shocks the system. If your gonna feed deer during the winter, do it all winter, don't start halfway through or near the end of winter.

well said

[edmhunter]

Just cause you're feeding them doesn't mean they're getting the nutrition they need.

Grizz[/QUOTE]

Interesting isn't it? At least I know they survived the winters and did not starve to death.