The Ministry of Natural Resources is reminding people not to feed the deer, no matter the season.
“People pick the winter to feed the deer and they think they need to,” said MNR conservation officer Ross Johnston. “Deer don’t need to be fed.”
Johnston said people are often doing more harm than good when feeding deer.
The animal’s natural metabolism slows in the winter as deer use the fat they stored in the summer. And deer digest their food with bacteria. Artificial feeding can interfere with that.
“They may or may not be able to digest it,” said Johnston.
Also, by feeding deer in the winter and early spring, they are likely to return in the summer and feed on items like apple trees and gardens.
“They’re also going to feed on your neighbours’ property,” said Johnston.
With the weather warming and the snow melting, another issue this time of year is dogs chasing deer.
People can be charged if a dog chases a deer to its demise.
With the warm weather during the day and the temperature dropping at night, the snow forms a thin crust that dogs can run on top of and deer would punch through when running.
“The stress on the animal is huge,” Johnston said, noting it can cause does to miscarry and sometimes the deer are chased to their death.
“We would lay charges on the dog owner in that case if we were able to prove the dog was chasing deer and you owned it,” he said.
City council passed a bylaw last February where anyone found intentionally feeding deer, seagulls and geese could receive a fine up to $5,000.
