Even bird feeders can have undesirable consequences if placement or poor maintenance alters migration timing, spreads disease, or causes an imbalance in species distribution. Given the large deer population in Iowa City, supplemental feeding is an invitation to negative deer-human interactions that further promote the call for lethal deer removal. Deer movement to and from a supplemental feeding site or salt block frequently involves street crossings and consequent automobile accidents. Concentration of deer at a feeding site causes increased browse damage, soil erosion, and excrement in the feeding area and on neighboring properties. Given their varied diet, it is wrong to assume deer will eat only the corn and ignore vegetation in the area.
Routine backyard feedings alter deer behavior patterns such that they no longer fear humans.
With repeated invitations to human surroundings, deer that should otherwise be shy and dispersed away from humans spend their time looking for handouts and tasty plantings in more densely developed areas. You can be assured that the deer will ultimately be the loser in these conflicts. The book is available at the Iowa City Public Library. Unfortunately, nonlethal methods do nothing to stop the deer herd from increasing. Deer in the State of Iowa do not belong to individual cities or residents.