RICHMOND, Va. – It will be illegal to feed deer statewide in Virginia, effective September 1. The prohibition will run until the first Saturday in January, according to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The Department says feeding deer can unnaturally increase deer populations and damage natural habitats; increase the likelihood for disease transmission; increase human-deer conflicts such as deer/vehicle collisions, and diminish the wild nature of deer.
Fed deer are often emboldened to seek human foods, leading them into conflict with people. Despite their gentle appearance, they can become lethally dangerous during mating season, capable of goring and slashing with their sharp hooves and antlers. There are numerous cases across the country of individuals injured, and in some cases even killed, by deer they treated as pets.
Feeding deer invariably leads to the prolonged crowding of animals in a small area, resulting in more direct animal to animal contact and contamination of feeding sites.
- All feed must be removed from any deer feeding site prior to September 1st.
- Any area where deer feed has been distributed is considered a “baited” area and cannot be hunted over for 10 days following the complete removal of the food.
- It is illegal to feed deer or elk in any county, city, or town during any deer or elk hunting season.
- It is 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.
- These restrictions do not apply to agricultural plantings (including wildlife food plots) or food distributed to livestock.
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.
