Does anyone else feed the deer?

I guess I have my own herd of 6--finally got to see Buck with antlers a few weeks back--my he is big. Thought I'd try to feed them during the late winter when food is supposed to be scarce, I hope I'm not making a mistake. I've told them that they're welcome as long as they don't eat my favorite flowers. LOL

When the girls and youngsters come, I'm able to go outside and talk to 'em, they look like they listen! I call em "my dearies". Have moved the corn up to under the yard light, so hope to get some pics. If they'd just tell me when they're coming next...dawn and dusk are best, but they still like to keep me on my toes!

You could be making a BIG mistake!! It really isn't helpful for the deer to be fed by people. They will come to depend on you and your precious flowers, shrubs, young trees are all fair game. It is next to impossible to keep them away once they sample tasty geraniums, impatiens, azaleas, and a multitude of other expensive plants. Call your State Dept of Conservation for expert advice and then go to a zoo to see wildlife.
I have very serious problems with deer and never encouraged them to come. I did have an apple tree pruned and told the landscaper to just leave the branches for the deer to munch in the winter. BIG mistake!

This message was edited Sunday, Mar 2nd 11:01 AM

So many of my neighbors feed the deer and their population has grown beyond belief.The forest service here prohibits people feeding them, but they do it anyway and now we have them everywhere, and they eat EVERYTHING. They also attract mountain lions and other problems, like lyme disease. I try to keep them away from my property, my dog helps, but they still come in at night and eat anything that dosen't have a fence around it. Also, if you ever hit one with your car (they jump in front of you without you ever knowing they're there) you'll have some serious damage and possible injury too.

My husband and I have been feeding whitetail deer for years. We feed them corn, apples, acorns, and whatever shrubs they desire. We think they are a beautiful animal and get tremendous pleasure watching them. I will add that our property borders an extremely large wooded area.

This message was edited Monday, Mar 3rd 7:40 AM

the only 'dear' that I feed, is my 2-legged kind. Don't have deer where I live.

I loved feeding deer years ago when I lived in Michigan,One winter I had 18 deer coming in to get fed,I loved driving through the deep snow to get back to my land,they would hear me coming down the road with Hay and corn,and start darting around through the trees,by the end of the winter,there was no fear and they were waiting at my land.
But the sad part of the story is MI. had a very healthy deer population,at one time 1 million or more,ths led to over population,bring disease with it,They developed TB,and it was spreading,so the DNR,out of fear for the Bovine population has for the last year had a policy that is getting the down to managable levels,You had to buy a buck tag,and could get a doe tag for a dollar,if you included Bow,rifle,and muzzleloader season,you could get a deer a day,for a dollar a day,for 100 days.
Last time I went home,I camped on my land for 4 weeks,the whole time in Mi.I did not see one deer.

Rootdoctor, that is sad but shows the problems with feeding deer. Their population grows beyond the land's ability to sustain them and the congregation of large populations promotes disease. We have seen the same problem here with ducks. People feed them and they get together in a huge mob and stay because of the food offerings, which promotes disease. The best answer for the wildlife is to set aside habitat for them. There are many groups that fight for this: 1) The Nature Conservancy 2) The Audobon Society 3) The National Wildlife Federation 4) Local Land Conservation Groups and even groups that promote the preserving of farm land.

I now stepdown from the soapbox!

Yes, Sorry I jumped on the Box,I understand that Wi. is having same problem with the deer.

My 7 year old daughter started to toss bread, lettuce, bird seed and anything she can find that a deer will eat over our fence to feed a injured deer. Looks like the deer was clipped by a car. It's injured in the hind end, but can walk. How do you tell a 7 year old NO you can't feed that deer. It's really heart breaking. We have a HUGE population of deer in out little area. I feel so bad for them, they've run out of room.
The herd that lives in our neighboorhood does ALL kinds of damage about the middle of summer to the perennials and shrubs. We also have a HORRIBLE problem with deer ticks here.
As much as the deer drive me nuts I hope this injured deer will get well. It does travel with the herd so maybe there is hope for her.

I don't know about FL, but back home in WI, it is illegal to feed the deer. They are having overpopulation problems and disease problems. I personally would never directly feed wildlife as you are indicating. I opt to provide food, water, and shelter for them to forage in instead. REmember that it is natural for herds to increase in size and then die back due to the availability of food. Nature will take care of them and maintain the proper populations if you just leave the animals to fend for themselves. The weak, old, and sick will be removed from the population and it will thrive.

I don't feed them on purpose - I spend most of my time trying to starve them outta my yard, so they will go back to enjoying all the woodland vegetation.

Like elsewhere, we have some diseases spreading through the deer population - and we have cougar now where you never saw them before.

It is such a delicate balance and we have the power to really mess it up!!! I try to peacefully co-exist - after all, I am only here for such a short visit, borrowing their land.

The bird net of last year has given way to using 2 to 4 ft vinyl covered wire to cage stuff - reusing the rebar from the bird net hoop houses to anchor the cages - and reusing the bird netting to sew "tubes" into which I can put my plants that have graduated from peat pellets to 4 inch pots in trays. The squirrel and birds have way too much fun and food, otherwise.

I haven't yet figured out how to reuse the cut sections of polyvinyl pipe - but it just occurs to me that I could put slug bait into shorter sections of those - YEAH - and it won't harm birds and pets - and I can throw slug filled tube sections away.

Reduce, reuse, recycle!!!

Well here they are, in the dog pen, reckon they think they're dogs?

Guess that blows the idea that having dogs in your yard will keep them away! Looks like they have plenty to forage on in the woods at the back. I visited friends who live in the Finger Lakes Region on Sunday and on the way home I tried counting the deer. There were groups of 20 to 30 in the fields. After about a half hour I had counted about 200. Some were very close to the road. I was amazed. I saw more deer than cows.

We do feed the whitetail deers over here during winter time. We don't have any problem with them eating around my garden or flowers.. My dogs keep them away! Since they're not around for a while. I still have penty of deer corn sitting in the shed. Now I feed my pet Rooster with that deer corn.. He likes.. Even today I put some out.. BlueJay, Red Head woodpeckers, red carnials was eating them by the backdoor! I watch them from kitchen window while washing the dishes..