I know they're cute, and they can really look scrawny sometimes, but the State of Montana Fish and Game Department is warning that it's illegal to feed the deer!
Our hearts are softened by the curiosity and almost approachable wild animals we have around here. I would never have thought of feeding the deer (they eat enough of my landscaping as it is), but some folks feel the need to coach the animals into their yard so that they can enjoy watching them. We all know it's wrong and some just hope they don't get caught.
The Department of Fish and Game has some new power to ticket people, big time for doing this! Apparently, hunters also have a luring tactic to train deer over a period of time so that they know where to find them when bow or rifle season comes around.
Wild animals are best at protecting themselves when they are wild. It's also really not good sport to train an animal to come and then shoot them.
Some of our cities have such a deer problem that we have actually had to hire people to chase them away. No one wants to tangle with a deer on their way out to get the newspaper, really!
