Wildlife commission studying deer feeding ban

In its Thursday meeting, the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks continued its discussion of implementing a statewide ban of supplemental feeding of deer.

During the education session, commissioners listened to a presentation out lining the risks of supplemental feeding of deer and other wildlife. The presentation came after Commissioner Leonard Bentz asked during the February meeting about the possibility of a statewide ban on feeding rather than just in areas within chronic wasting disease management zones.

The idea of banning supplemental feeding of deer and other wildlife is to slow the spread of CWD, an always-fatal disease in deer.

Russ Walsh, Wildlife chief of staff at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, started the presentation by pointing out that corn, the primary feed used, does not cause CWD.

Supplemental feeding unnaturally concentrates deer

“Corn is not what spreads CWD or not what spreads disease,” Walsh said. “It is not the feed itself. We want to focus on the feeding mechanism itself and that is placing feeders on the landscape and unnaturally concentrating those animals at the same location day in and day out for long periods of time.”

Walsh stated that according to a study conducted by Mississippi State University, deer visited feeders three times more often than food plots or trees with mast crops. The study also showed deer-to-deer contact was four times greater at feeders than in food plots.

In the study, new, unused feeders were placed in areas known to have CWD. After being used by deer in the area, CWD was detected on all of the feeders.

Walsh pointed out that the unnatural concentration caused by feeders could facilitate the spread of parasites and bacterial infections, not just CWD.

Clarion-Ledger supplemental feed ban survey

Reactions to the potential ban have been mixed. Social media posts indicate some are strongly for a statewide ban while other strongly oppose it. Reactions in an online survey conducted by The Clarion-Ledger were also mixed.

The survey included 867 participants and 93% claimed to hunt in Mississippi. When asked how serious of a threat CWD is to Mississippi’s deer, 69% responded they felt is was serious or moderate. When asked if they felt supplemental feed increased the risk of disease transmission among deer, 58% replied ‘yes.’

When it came to a statewide ban on supplemental feeding, the two camps were almost equally divided with 52% in favor and 48% opposed.

Note: The survey was not scientific and participation was not controlled.

Will a ban on feeding deer be imposed in Mississippi?

The statewide ban on supplemental feeding of deer faces an uncertain future, though it seems to have some support among commissioners.

In the February meeting, commissioner Scott Coopwood said it was something that needed to be studied and weighed by public input.

In Thursday’s meeting, commissioner Bentz said, “I’m prepared to make the motion today to do a statewide supplemental ban.”

However, the meeting ended without a vote and no mention of when it will happen was indicated.

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.