Steer clear of feeding those deer anywhere

View larger image The year-round ban on feeding deer in Winchester and four local counties began as a way to combat chronic wasting disease. Rich Cooley/Daily file

As seasonal ban goes into effect, state may follow local lead and make it year-round

By Preston Knight - pknight@nvdaily.com

A seasonal statewide ban on feeding deer will begin its fifth year on Wednesday and officials are considering making the prohibition year-round, which is already the case in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

The state's first year-round ban went into effect in April for Winchester and Clarke, Frederick, Warren and Shenandoah counties as part of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' chronic wasting disease response plan. In 2006, as the disease started to become a local issue, a statewide feeding ban from September through January began, deer project coordinator Nelson Lafon said.

Chronic wasting is a slow, progressive neurological disease found in deer, elk and moose, and it ultimately results in death, a news release states. Symptoms include staggering, abnormal posture, drooling, confusion and weight loss. There is no evidence it can be transmitted to humans or other animals.

The presence of the disease in Hampshire County, W.Va., led to the year-round feeding ban in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. The disease is spread through saliva, so Lafon has said anything that can be done to deter deer from congregating in one spot is helpful.

The September-January ban overlaps hunting season dates and helps limit the number of people who feed deer recreationally, he said. By feeding deer, people may unknowingly be baiting them for hunters, which is illegal.

The ban also is a good management practice, Lafon said, as it lessens the likelihood of the animals becoming like pets and, particularly in urban areas, endangering them by increasing the risk of being hit by cars.

A statewide, year-round ban is something the game department is considering, he said.

Anyone in violation of the current bans is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $500. Lafon said warnings are issued to some people, such as those who encounter deer as a result of simply trying to feed birds.

Even as the current bans exist, deer feed can be found in some stores, and the game department has been in contact with them. That's about all it can do, Lafon said, as the agency cannot control what is stocked on store shelves.

What happens to the feed from there, though, is fair game for the department.

"People are either buying it and not using it or using it illegally," Lafon said. "People have to get used to [not feeding deer]."

For more information on chronic wasting disease, visit www.dgif.virginia.gov.