Deer are a common sight across much of the United States, often wandering onto suburban lawns or rural properties. If you’ve spotted deer near your home, you may be wondering if it’s okay to offer them a tasty apple treat.
But is feeding wild deer apples recommended, or could it cause more harm than good?
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Feeding wild deer apples is not recommended. While deer will readily eat apples, feeding deer can lead to serious problems like disease transmission, overpopulation, and aggressive behavior.
Why People Want to Feed Deer Apples
Deer Appear Cute and Harmless
Many people find deer endearing, with their large brown eyes, perked ears, and gentle demeanor. When a deer approaches someone, blinking those long lashes, it can invoke a nurturing response to care for these seemingly helpless creatures.
Additionally, unlike predators like wolves or bears, deer appear harmless. Their plant-based diet and tendency to flee rather than fight make them seem innocent and non-threatening. This further compels people to want to get close, interact with, and even feed these gentle wild animals.
Seeing Deer as Needing Help and Care
Especially during the winter months when food is scarce, people often feel badly for deer and want to help them by offering apples and other human food. It pulls on people’s heartstrings to see deer looking thin and hungry.
However, while winter is lean times for deer, they have adapted to survive on limited food. Supplementing their diet can do more harm than good. As the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies notes, feeding deer makes them dependent on unreliable food sources – people.
Wanting to Get Closer Views and Interact
Many people simply enjoy seeing deer up close and want to interact with them. By offering treats like apples, deer become accustomed to approaching people in search of food.
Ultimately, close interaction blurs the crucial line between wild deer and docile pets. This leads to issues like food aggression, loss of habits to forage naturally, and conflict with vehicles and urban areas.
While interacting with wildlife is alluring, keeping a respectful distance is safest for both deer and people. Simple alternatives like observing them through binoculars allow enjoyment without endangering deer or ourselves.
Risks and Dangers of Feeding Deer Apples
Feeding wild deer apples may seem like a fun activity, but it can actually pose some significant risks and dangers – both to the deer and the surrounding ecosystem. Here are some of the main concerns to keep in mind:
Spread of Diseases
When deer congregate around a feeding site, it increases the chance of disease transmission between deer. Diseases like chronic wasting disease, tuberculosis and epizootic hemorrhagic disease can spread rapidly when deer are in close contact.
Feed sites also tend to draw other wildlife like raccoons, opossums and rodents which can spread diseases to deer as well.
Overpopulation and Ecosystem Imbalance
Supplemental feeding of deer can lead to overpopulation by reducing winter mortality and supporting higher than normal herd sizes. Too many deer in an area can negatively impact the ecosystem by over-browsing native vegetation.
This affects other wildlife species dependent on that vegetation for food and shelter. An overpopulation of deer can also lead to more deer-vehicle collisions and damage to landscaping and agriculture.
Loss of Fear and Aggressive Behavior
When deer become accustomed to being fed by humans, they start to lose their natural wariness and fear of people. This causes them to behave more assertively to obtain food from people, sometimes even displaying aggressive behavior like charging or attacking.
Habituated deer are more likely to consume contaminated human foods and have greater risk of vehicle collisions or retaliation from frustrated landowners.
The best practice is to enjoy deer from a distance and avoid feeding them. But if you do choose to offer supplemental feed, use extreme caution, follow regulations, and discontinue feeding at the first signs of any problems.
While feeding deer apples may seem benign, it has real ecological consequences and safety risks that must be carefully considered.
Healthier Alternatives to Feeding Deer Apples
While apples may seem like a tasty snack for deer, they lack essential nutrients deer need. Fortunately, there are better ways to make sure the deer in your area stay happy and healthy without relying on apples.
Plant Deer-Friendly Gardens and Trees
One of the best things you can do for local deer populations is plant gardens and trees filled with plants deer naturally love to eat. Some great options include:
- Oak trees – Acorns are packed with proteins deer need.
- Fruit trees – Deer enjoy munching on apples, pears, plums, cherries, and peaches when in season.
- Berry bushes – Raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry bushes provide tasty, nutritious berries.
- Vegetables – Deer nibble on lettuce, kale, carrots, peas, and sweet corn.
By cultivating some of these deer favorites, you can give deer access to healthier, more diverse foods to supplement their diet. This helps support the local ecosystem.
Provide Clean Water Sources
Deer need access to fresh, clean water daily to thrive. According to the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), deer drink almost a gallon of water per day on average. Making sure safe water sources are available encourages deer to stick to their normal ranges so they don’t have to wander into unsafe areas in search of hydration.
You can help deer get the water they require by doing things like:
- Putting out troughs, buckets, or small ponds filled with clean water.
- Installing a deer guzzler to collect rainwater for drinking.
- Making sure natural streams or ponds aren’t polluted by things like chemicals or litter.
Having multiple water sources spaced fairly close together gives deer options to stay hydrated. Position them in sheltered areas within deer habitats to make drinking safe and comfortable for them.
Use Deterrents to Discourage Deer
While cultivating plants for deer can support populations, too many deer gathering in one area can also cause problems. Overpopulation leads to vegetation loss, car accidents, and deer starving. Using humane deterrents when deer get too abundant redirects them to other areas with adequate resources.
Here are some tactics and products you can try to gently shift deer away from your property when necessary:
- Sprinklers triggered by motion sensors
- Ultrasonic repellers emitting high-pitched frequencies
- Scent or soap repellants applied to plants
- Reflective tape, objects, or fabrics that startle deer with glints of light
- Dogs trained to chase off intruding deer without harming them
Check your deterrents regularly to make sure they remain effective. Move or modify them periodically so deer don’t get accustomed to them. Using multiple different repellants ups your chances of success in directing deer away humanely.
When Feeding Deer May Be Okay
In Emergency Winter Months
Feeding wild deer apples and other fruits/vegetables can be permissible by wildlife agencies during harsh winter months when natural food sources are scarce. Supplemental feeding provides necessary calories and nutrients to help sustain the animals.
However, feeding should always be done sparingly under approval and guidance from state wildlife officials. Overfeeding risks overcrowding deer and increasing disease transmission.
With Approval From Wildlife Officials
In some cases, the state’s wildlife agency may grant special one-time permission for deer feeding on private property. This exception is usually only given for emergency situations like severe winter storms.
A wildlife biologist will provide instructions on the type/amount of food that can be offered without harming deer health or disrupting migration habits.
According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife, feeding deer without appropriate approval can result in fines up to $1,000.
In Designated, Regulated Feeding Areas
A small number of states have designated deer feeding areas that are closely monitored by wildlife agencies. These controlled sites must adhere to strict regulations on feeding times, food quantities, and containment structures.
For example, Michigan DNR allows feeding on private land within certain counties if feed is placed in an enclosed container unavailable to other animals. By concentrating deer activity, officials can better observe herd health.
Outside of the exceptions above, wildlife experts generally advise against feeding wild deer apples or other human food. While seemingly benign, supplemental feeding can negatively alter migration patterns and enable disease transmission between deer.
As the famous saying goes, “if you feed them, they will come” – often in numbers too large for their natural habitat to support.
Best Practices If You Do Feed Deer
Use Natural Foods Like Apples
Apples make a healthy, natural supplement for deer when fed responsibly. As a sweet, nutrient-rich fruit, apples offer deer carbohydrates for energy and vitamins like A, C, and fiber (1). Since apples grow abundantly in nature, supplementing a deer’s diet with sliced apples simulates their natural feeding patterns.
When offering apples, slice them first to make them easier for deer to eat. Whole apples present a choking hazard. Mixing apple slices with grains like corn, oats, or pelleted feed creates a balanced meal.
Feed Far From Homes and Roads
Feeding stations for deer should always be positioned at least 100 yards from any roadways or human development to avoid dangerous deer-vehicle collisions or unwanted habitation near houses. Secluded areas surrounded by woods or shrubbery give deer a sense of security while they feed.
Salt or mineral licks should be located near natural water sources. Placing feeders upstream from lakes or ponds encourages regular visits when deer stop for a drink. Just take care not to allow apple scraps to accumulate in water sources, as rotting fruit fouls drinking water.
Don’t Feed Year-Round
Wildlife experts caution that year-round feeding leads deer to develop an unhealthy reliance on humans for food. Instead, seasonal feedings through the fall and winter help deer conserve crucial fat reserves during cold-weather months when natural foods are scarce.
Come spring, deer show less interest in feeders once fresh buds and new plant growth return.
| Months | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| September – February | Feed apples and grains |
| March – August | Allow natural foraging |
Ceasing food provision through the spring and summer re-teaches deer to forage independently. Occasional fruit treats keep them returning to designated feeding zones away from gardens or busy roadways.
Conclusion
While feeding wild deer apples may seem like a harmless way to connect with nature, wildlife experts warn against this practice in most cases. Feeding deer can lead to a host of ecological issues and even dangerous behavioral changes in deer.
If you want to help deer near your home, consider planting deer-friendly trees and gardens instead of offering food handouts. With some thoughtful planning, you can enjoy seeing local deer without causing them harm.
