Panel says feeding wildlife OK for now Lawmakers want DIF&W to educate public on downside of backyard largess

AUGUSTA – Mainers who enjoy feeding wild deer and turkey in their backyards are free to continue their pastime, at least for now.

On Tuesday, a legislative committee voted unanimously to recommend rejection of a bill that would have made it a civil offense to feed deer or wild turkey intentionally or to provide salt to deer. The bill would have imposed fines of up to $500 for the first offense and up to $1,000 for a second violation.

But lawmakers urged the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to continue educating the public about potential adverse impacts of feeding deer and turkey. Legislators also indicated they could reconsider the ban in future years if wildlife feeding becomes a problem.

The bill, LD 197, was submitted by Republican Rep. Scott Lansley of Sabattus on behalf of a farmer who says some of his crops were devoured by deer drawn to the area by neighbors who leave out feed for wildlife.

DIF&W has long advised against feeding deer or turkeys.

Biologists state that wildlife converging on the feeding locations can become nuisances, especially on local roads. State biologists also warn that ailments such as Lyme disease or chronic wasting disease are spread more easily when animals congregate.

Deer that become accustomed to eating food left by humans also may be less likely to seek out other food sources or to retreat to winter “deer yards” that offer them needed protection from the harsh weather.

Critics of the bill have questioned some of those arguments, however, and described winter feeding as a harmless pastime that helps keep the state’s deer and turkey populations healthy. Farm and sporting groups also questioned whether the language of the bill could inadvertently punish farmers or people with bird feeders.

In the end, Rep. Tom Saviello, an unenrolled lawmaker from Wilton, recommended that the bill not pass but that the committee and DIF&W biologists continue to monitor the situation. DIF&W Commissioner Roland “Danny” Martin agreed.

“The department will continue to educate the public that it is not in the animals’ best interests to feed them,” Martin said.