Deer feeding rules are confusing

[Unregistered]

Deer feeding rules are confusing

After reading and thinking about the letter, "Facts are clear regarding deer feeding" all was not "clear" to me.
New York State punishes people who think feeding deer helps them, but people who feed deer in order to kill them get a stamp of approval? The reason, I am informed, for not allowing the feeding of deer is that doing so may help spread chronic wasting disease. My research has revealed that experts fear disease can be transmitted by "lateral transmission" - through nose-to-nose contact or through feed or water contaminated by feces or urine. They feel that any practice that concentrates deer - including baiting and feeding - is likely to increase the spread of the disease.

So, why can Clarence allow hunters to set out food to lure deer into their neighborhoods? Bait can draw even more deer into the area and set up the "concentrated" feed that is supposed to be wrong in the Cheektowaga Park. Unlike Cheektowaga, Clarence "feeders" want to shoot deer.

Obviously, some Clarence-fed deer will be unlikely to spread disease because they'll be dead. But no matter how skilled the hunters are, deer will escape, free to roam. Unbelievably, game animal farms, or hunting preserves, are still welcome in New York State.

So, the deer feeding facts aren't clear in Western New York. Feeding should be considered a problem not only in Cheektowaga parks, but also on game animal farms and in deer-baiting areas.

If I were the Cheektowaga woman banned from feeding, I would ask the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation why she has received the "thumbs down," while the hunters are given the "thumbs up" when they feed deer.

JOAN JIMERSON
Lancaster


www.buffalo.com

[Stevenco]

I'd like to see someone try to tell me that I can't feed a deer. There are unwritten laws that superscede any stupidity written by Clarence.

[Ragin]

I've got a bunch of fruit trees in my yard.

I'm willing to share the fruit with the deer as long as they share with me.

[WNYresident]

I acutally had a nieghbor ask me to make sure all the apples are picked up so we don't attract deer. I got 3 apple trees and 2 pear trees. Do you have a clue how many apples/pears that is?

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by WNYresident
Do you have a clue how many apples/pears that is? I am gonna go ahead and assume it depends upon the production of the specific trees in question.

[WNYresident]

Well it's a lot!!! My woman get's them sprayed because she doens't like the extra bug meat in the apples.

What some people don't understand is if the deer have a food source like apples they might not eat the bushes in your yard.

Before it became a no no to feed the deer I would put out about 1200 pounds of corn/deer chow over the winter. Now that we don't I have notice a lot more nieghbors with deer trimed bushes.

[Ragin]

I've got about 20 fruit trees .. 8 apple, 4 pear, 6 plum, and 2 apricot.

I also have 1 quince tree and 4 cherry trees.

We harvest about 6 bushels of apples, 4 bushels of pears and maybe 2 bushels of plums. More than enough to enjoy fresh then we home can the rest.

My neighbor takes his apples to the mill to be pressed and I will add some of my apples to his in exchange for cider. (need minimum 25 bushels for cider)

Often times, I can't pick all of it. It seems my farm hands have better things to do .. lol

[Ragin]

My neighbors don't like me to dump extra fruit out back. (we can't really stop the deer from eating off the trees though)

Seems the deer like to eat my neighbor's grapes that he grows out back
.
We took down three grape vines (what a b tch that was) when we moved in, but still kept one closer to the house. The deer leave mine alone as they're busy eating his.

My neighbor (I call him my guru :) ) sprays all the trees every year. I insist on paying for the chemicals, although he would never ask me to. He's 81 years old .. it's the least I can do. He has lots of help from his son, who lives on the other side of me.

[Ragin]

Originally posted by WNYresident
Well it's a lot!!! .

What do you do with all those apples, Res?

[WNYresident]

apple dumpings, apple pies... etc...

The rest are for the (shsssssssssss) deer. :) If god wills them to fall in reach of the deer who am I to disagree :)

[Stevenco]

Maybe we should stop feeding the obese.

[WNYresident]

Thats not nice stevenco. They can feed themselves just fine.

[therising]

Originally posted by WNYresident
I got 3 apple trees and 2 pear trees. Do you have a clue how many apples/pears that is?

No, but I bet he knows:
http://images.art.com/images/products/small/10101000/10101880.jpg

[granpabob]

professional hunters hired by local governments are the only ones who can legally bait and shoot. they surround the bait so no deer can escape do spread disease.
My neighbor complains because I have a natural deer trail through my yard that I blocked with a fence. Now the deer eat his bushes part of a friendly feud we are having.
I garden naturally and one year he ordered lawn spraying to kill the dandelions in my lawn so they would not blow into his yard. I not only stopped the chem lawn guy I ordered domesticated dandelions that I fertilized real good then I planted them in my garden near his side. you should have seen him watching my three foot tall salad dandelions grow.
Ps the deer loved them so I plant them every year. and my apples are left for the deer. the tree is far enough from my house that the bees dont bother me.

[therising]

Evencostay ashay ootay uchmay imetay onway ishay andshay,
eeingsay atthay ehay esurrectedray isthay 2 1/2 earyay-oldway
eadthray!

[LaNdReW]

Originally posted by RaginTaxpayer
I've got about 20 fruit trees .. 8 apple, 4 pear, 6 plum, and 2 apricot.

I also have 1 quince tree and 4 cherry trees.

We harvest about 6 bushels of apples, 4 bushels of pears and maybe 2 bushels of plums. More than enough to enjoy fresh then we home can the rest.

My neighbor takes his apples to the mill to be pressed and I will add some of my apples to his in exchange for cider. (need minimum 25 bushels for cider)

Often times, I can't pick all of it. It seems my farm hands have better things to do .. lol

That is quite a nice assortment you have there..

Now I am trying to figure out that last line. :D

[Stevenco]

She knits. Check out these quilts she made.

[Ragin]

Sorry ... I was refering to my children.
You just can't find good help these days. :)