Feeding Wildlife- A Wrong Choice

Whatever the intentions may be, whether it is to have a closer encounter with wildlife, to help animals in the winter, or to increase the number of available game animals, numerous problems arise when we feed wildlife. Feeding wildlife interferes with a natural healthy balance between wildlife populations and their habitat. For this reason, and for many others identified on this page, wildlife biologists suggest to “just say no” to feeding wildlife.

WHY FEEDING WILDLIFE DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD

Wildlife feeding threatens human and animal safety.

As wild animals are fed they become used to the presence of people. Animals like coyotes and black bears can become a potential threat and can harm both humans and pets. Animals may behave abnormally and have to be lethally removed if they are posing a threat. More vehicle collisions may occur as deer are drawn closer to towns and roads for human supplied food.

As deer congregate, diseases like Chronic Wasting Disease become more prevalent.

Additionally, injury can result as animals become more aggressive when competing for food.

Wildlife feeding leads to wildlife overabundance.

An overabundance of wildlife damages natural habitat, and creates nuisance issues with humans. For example, overabundant deer populations can result in increased damage to natural forest habitat from overbrowsing, agricultural crop loss, and automobile collisions. Additionally, as wildlife approach and stay around homes, deer cause damage to gardens and landscape plants; bears and raccoons raid garbage and pet food; and an abundance of geese and other waterfowl lead to increased droppings.

Wildlife feeding can promote the spread of diseases.

In the wild, animals naturally disperse across the landscape, but food promotes the concentration of animals into a small area that increases the potential for disease spread. Food gets contaminated with feces, saliva, and urine, which easily harbor infectious disease-causing micro-organisms like bacteria, viruses, prions, or fungi. Once introduced, these diseases are difficult to eliminate and some can be transmitted to humans (zoonoses). Examples of diseases spread due to feeding include:

Chronic Wasting Disease - a fatal disease that infects the brain of deer and elk, similar to “mad cow” disease.

House Finch Conjunctivitis - a disease that infects finches eyes causing them to be swollen and crusty.

Aspergillosis - a fatal lung infection that can decimate entire duck and waterfowl flocks from moldy corn.

Salmonellosis - an infection that harms many songbirds that can be contracted from dirty bird feeders.

Waterfowl like ducks and geese eat a variety of insects and plants naturally present in the water.

While they may willfully eat humans foods like crackers, bread and popcorn, these items have little nutritional value and are poor substitutes for their natural foods.

Wildlife feeding may cause malnutrition in wildlife.

Human foods do not offer a healthy diet for animals. Animals may readily consume foods like corn and bread, but they receive little nutrition from them while these foods also disrupt their digestive system. As wildlife become reliant on the food source at hand, they stop feeding on the variety of foods they need in their diet for proper nutrients. Human foods can upset the digestive tract of wildlife animals as well. Additionally, feeding the wrong diet to a newborn animal can cause permanent damage to developing muscles, bones and tissues. The young may not learn to feed normally, which decreases its chances of survival. Plastics and other waste from raided garbage bags are also harmful to animals.

Wildlife feeding leads to the unnatural behavior of wildlife.

Animals that become reliant on an abundant year-round food source may not migrate during the normal time of year. Fed animals also become more aggressive towards each other and towards humans as they lose wariness. This results in animals becoming devalued, losing the quality that most people like about wildlife -- their “wildness.”

Wildlife feeding is illegal for deer, bear and moose in New York State.

To take action against many of these issues, DEC has implemented rules and regulations that prohibit the intentional and unintentional feeding for several species of wildlife, including: deer and moose feeding regulations, and bear feeding regulations.

The following links offer more details on how feeding impacts wildlife and provides tips to help avoid conflicts with animals:

Issues with Feeding Waterfowl like ducks, swans and geese

Coyote Conflicts

Discouraging Bears from Homes and Camps

Good Intentions Gone Bad: Feeding Deer in Winter Can Cause More Harm than Good - a previous magazine article from DEC’s Conservationist magazine.

Feeding Wildlife … Just Say No! - a 34-page booklet produced by the Wildlife Management Institute that discusses the many issues related to feeding wildlife and can be purchased for a minimal price from Wildlife Management Institute. Go to their website to order the booklet.

WAYS TO KEEP WILDLIFE WILD AND HEALTHY

Following the simple tips below can help keep our wild animals wild and healthy, while giving you a chance to view them in their natural characteristics and habitats.

Areas like the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge provide ample opportunities to view wildlife; especially migrating waterfowl like ducks and geese during their spring and winter migrations.

Visit Wildlife Refuges and Natural Areas.

You can readily see a variety of wildlife like songbirds, ducks, geese, hawks, deer, moose, beavers, butterflies, turtles, frogs and many other animals that are often found in wildlife refuges and natural areas. Many state lands offer overlook sites for great views of wildlife within their natural habitat. To find a wildlife viewing area in New York State, check out our Watchable Wildlife page, or browse through our Places to Go pages to find a natural area near you.

Naturescape your landscape and preserve natural habitat.

Preserving natural areas on your land and landscaping with native plants will attract wildlife.

Did you know a deer’s regular diet consists of browse like leaves, twigs, vines, and shoots of trees; and forbs like weeds and flowering plants?

Although DEC prohibits feeding deer In New York State, one exception to this rule is planting their preferred native deer foods and cutting browse for feeding. This helps provide deer the proper nutrition that they can easily digest, while helping them during harsh winters.

For other helpful natural tips, visit our Attracting Wildlife to Your Yard page.

Use backyard bird feeders in the winter only and keep them clean.

You can feed birds with backyard feeders in the winter, starting in late October through early March. As food becomes available in the spring, and as bears come out of hibernation, the feeders should be put away. It is also important to provide only a moderate number of feeders and keep them clean. They can be thoroughly scrubbed with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water), rinsed in fresh water and dried completely before refilling with bird food. Additionally, birdbaths and areas surrounding feeders should be kept fresh. All of this will offer a healthy environment for our backyard birds and help prevent the spread of disease.