Well, people did that when they imported turkeys and boy were they sorry. The turkeys were ruining their hay etc. We have huge flocks of them everywhere. I love the wildlife. I don't care if they eat things. They are hungry too.
I probably would feel different if they actually did eat my plants. Oh well,, summer and the green stuff will be here soon.
I am going to need all of you DEER advice
It is illegal to feed deer, or any "game" (hunting license) animal in Colorado. It is called "baiting" because it teaches them to come to a certain location to eat, which gives hunters an unfair advantage.
Of course, this is a law that works better in theory than in practice. I remember when my cousin was raising fancy premium hay for a living, he would rant and rave about the elk coming in at night and tearing up his haystacks. When I teased him about feeding elk being illegal, he grinned and said that he and his neighbor were considering turning each other in for the reward.
And yes, it is also unethical to make a wild animals dependent on people - although I think perhaps there should be some compensation for habitat loss, especially in unusually severe conditions (drought, bad winter).
Both my daughters are volunteers at a local wildlife rescue. Injured animals that are brought in are not even allowed to go to human homes if disabled. If they can't make it in the wild they are put down.
You are right in that you shouldn't make wild animals dependent on you. But here in California we sometimes have terrible droughts and the wildlife does suffer. That's why if the deer start eating my landscaping I don't complain too loudly.
However, even when putting in a garden pond one should consider the impact on the native wildlife. Namely if you put in a water source you need to keep it a water source indefinately.
Our rescue ducks are from a public lake that has dried up due to the drought. These birds can't fly so they were in real trouble. They have it good here and will live out their days in a protected environment.
It is a balancing act for sure. Even with my bird feeders. I let them go empty for a day inbetween fillings just so the birds don't get the idea that there is always seed here.