In order to best provide for wildlife, it is extremely important to understand their precise needs and the effects of our actions on their environment.
Please consider the following before putting out supplemental food and water:
- Providing supplemental food will hold animals in habitats that cannot naturally support them, and populations will exceed carrying capacity.
- Populations that exceed carrying capacity will experience starvation and disease.
- Populations that stay in a burned area will quickly eat any new plant regrowth, slowing or even stopping the healing process.
- Populations that are nourished only through supplemental food will not get their complete nutritional needs. Deer corn has especially low nutrition value and should be avoided.
- Wildlife concentrated at feeders, especially those who are already stressed by hunger or injury, have an increased risk of contracting and spreading disease.
- Providing supplemental food attracts feral hogs, raccoons and other non-target animals.
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND FEEDING DEER, since they have a large impact on ecosystem health.
If you choose to provide supplemental food anyway, here are some ways to reduce potential harm:
- Use an elevated gravity-type, free-choice feeder to feed protein pellets, soy beans or other high protein content feed other than corn.
- Move feeders around periodically (every few days).
- Clean the feeder ports when refilling.