Effective September 1, it will be illegal to feed deer statewide in Virginia. The annual prohibition runs through the first Saturday in January. In addition, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ (VDGIF) Board has made the following amendments to the deer feeding prohibition.
New this year:
- It is illegal to feed deer and elk in Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise counties at any time.
- It is illegal to feed deer or elk in any county, city, or town during any deer or elk hunting season.
- All feed must be removed from any deer feeding site prior to September 1st.
- A regulation has been established that makes any area where deer feed has been distributed a “baited” area for 10 days following the complete removal of the food.
It is also illegal to feed deer year-round in Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren counties and in the City of Winchester as part of the Department’s chronic wasting disease (CWD) management actions.
Problems with Feeding Deer
Problems with feeding deer include: unnaturally increasing population numbers that damage natural habitats; increasing the likelihood for disease transmission; increasing human-deer conflicts such as deer/vehicle collisions, and diminishing the wild nature of deer.
In addition, feeding deer has law enforcement implications. Deer hunting over bait is illegal in Virginia. Prior to the deer feeding prohibition, distinguishing between who was feeding deer and who was hunting over bait often caused law enforcement problems for the Department’s conservation police officers. For questions on the impacts of feeding deer or VDGIF’s deer management programs contact Deer Project Coordinators: Matt Knox (434) 525-7654; Nelson Lafon (540) 569-0023.
It is clear that the negative consequences of feeding deer outweigh the benefits. If anyone sees or suspects someone of illegally feeding deer during this time period, or observes any wildlife violations, please report it to DGIF’s Wildlife Crime Line at 1-800-237-5712. To learn more about Virginia wildlife regulations visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website.
