Boater wrote:
wrote:
You can't really control the deer population very effectively. The
reason for too many deer is that they are "edge dwellers". They live
on the edge of forests near clearings. That's their habitat. When you
clear forests to build houses and condo complexes, you create more
forest edges. It's as simple as that. Man keeps creating more and more
deer habitat, and then complains that it's being used.
We have deer walking through the yard from time to time, but mostly on
our "edges" {we back up to a forest) we have raccoons, foxes, squirrels,
possums, and other more shy critters, plus lots of birds.
We certainly put out food for them on the edges. Just last week, I
bought a 50-pound bag of dried corn on the cob. It's very popular.
We don't "commune" with our backyard visitors, but we do observe them
from time to time.
I'm not convinced "man" is a higher species than the woodland critters.
Some of our visiting raccoons and foxes seem smarter and better behaved
than some of the scum in here.
I guess you know more than the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources:
Feeding Wildlife: You May Be Doing More Harm Than Good!
Before offering wild animals a handout of food please consider the
following:
Feeding wildlife may quickly cause problems.
Feeding a single wild animal can quickly lead to having many at your
doorstep. Wild animals constantly search for food and many will find the
easy food source you provide. Continually feeding many wild animals in
the same place can harm the habitat, people, and the animals themselves.
Feeding wildlife may cause the spread of disease.
Most wildlife diseases are transferred from animal to animal. Because of
their close contact, animals crowding at feeding sites can readily
exchange diseases. More animals die from disease and disease-related
ailments than from starvation. It’s also important to remember that
wildlife can carry many diseases that readily spread to people, pets,
and livestock. These diseases include rabies, Lyme disease,
salmonellosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, distempers, and
encephalitis. In addition, most wildlife species carry parasites that
are also easily transferred. For example, raccoon round worms can be
fatal to humans and scabies mites cause mange in pets.
Wild animals can be dangerous!
Animals that are fed by humans often lose their natural fear of people.
Nearly any wild animal, no matter how timid, is capable of inflicting
injury to humans, pets, and livestock.
Feeding leads to crowding and crowding causes stress.
In crowded situations, physical aggression among individual animals is
common. At feeding sites, larger more aggressive individuals often
exclude younger and weaker individuals. Aggressive behavior can lead to
injuries and even death, particularly for vulnerable individuals.
Supplemental food sources do not contribute to a wildlife population’s
well-being.
Wild animals need varied, natural foods as a part of their normal diet.
Their digestive systems are adapted to extract energy from a variety of
foods available throughout the seasons. Though wildlife may accept
handouts from people, they will likely not get the balanced diet they
need for good health. For example, deer have sensitive digestive systems
that cannot readily adapt to supplemental food sources. In fact, winter
starved deer have actually died with full stomachs because their
digestive system was unable to process the supplemental food.
An overabundance of individuals can result in habitat degradation.
Any given habitat can only support a limited amount of wildlife. An
overabundance of wild animals drawn to a feeding area can damage the
local habitat for not only the animals being fed but others species as
well. Habitat degradation significantly affects all wildlife species.
Also, feeding deer may cause problems for your neighbors or adjacent
landowners.
Feeding wild birds.
Even keeping a bird feeder has its difficulties. Although songbirds do
not lose their instinctual fear of humans and the seeds provided are
nutritionally beneficial, they are susceptible to diseases caused by
dirty bird feeders. Feeders should be kept clean and can be disinfected
with a mild bleach solution. The ground underneath the feeder should be
raked to remove moldy grain and bird droppings because both can harbor
disease.
Wild animals need habitat, not handouts.
Wild animals benefit from healthy habitat. To help wildlife species,
practice sound habitat management in your own backyard and support
programs dedicated to providing and protecting healthy wildlife habitat.
The Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service can provide information and
guidance to people interested in helping wildlife around their homes and
in their communities.
Note: For an in-depth look at the problems associated with feeding
wildlife read Feeding Wildlife…Just Say No! a Wildlife Management
Institute (WMI) publication available through their website at
www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org