CODY–  A winter message from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department—please do not feed the deer.

 “Supplemental feeding of big game, especially during periods of winter stress, is at times an appropriate response—most notably when and where ancestral winter habitat has been lost or severely degraded,” said Gary Brown, Cody Region wildlife supervisor. “However, feeding deer in urban settings can be counterproductive to the overall well-being of the herd.”

 In many towns throughout Wyoming, urban deer numbers have increased, due in part to rural subdivisions encroaching upon winter ranges. “As our communities expand and grow, so do our urban deer problems, “ Brown said. These problems range from property damage such as destroyed vegetable gardens, flowerbeds, and new shrub plantings, to pet injuries and deer-vehicle collisions.