{"id":196,"date":"2021-03-25T01:30:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T01:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/?p=196"},"modified":"2023-04-27T01:24:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T01:24:37","slug":"should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I Run a Deer Feeder Year Round or Only During the Hunting Season?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Operating a deer feeder or feeders can be an excellent way to keep a population of deer healthy and keep them returning to one specific area. At my day job, I spend a significant amount of time answering questions about <a href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deer feeders<\/a>, and one that seems to be asked repeatedly is this one: Should I run a deer feeder year-round or only during the hunting season?<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season\/#Become_Familiar_with_the_Laws_in_Your_State_Regarding_Deer_Feeders\" title=\"Become Familiar with the Laws in Your State Regarding Deer Feeders\">Become Familiar with the Laws in Your State Regarding Deer Feeders<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season\/#Understand_the_Food_Cycle_for_Deer_in_Your_Area\" title=\"Understand the Food Cycle for Deer in Your Area\">Understand the Food Cycle for Deer in Your Area<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season\/#Why_Operate_a_Deer_Feeder_All_Year\" title=\"Why Operate a Deer Feeder All Year?\">Why Operate a Deer Feeder All Year?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season\/#What_are_the_Downsides_of_Running_a_Deer_Feeder_Year-Round\" title=\"What are the Downsides of Running a Deer Feeder Year-Round?\">What are the Downsides of Running a Deer Feeder Year-Round?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season\/#Staying_in_Compliance_with_State_Laws\" title=\"Staying in Compliance with State Laws\">Staying in Compliance with State Laws<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season\/#Potentially_Spreading_Infectious_Diseases_Deer_to_Deer\" title=\"Potentially Spreading Infectious Diseases Deer to Deer\">Potentially Spreading Infectious Diseases Deer to Deer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/should-i-run-a-deer-feeder-year-round-or-only-during-the-hunting-season\/#The_Additional_Costs_Associated_with_Year-Round_Supplemental_Feeding\" title=\"The Additional Costs Associated with Year-Round Supplemental Feeding\">The Additional Costs Associated with Year-Round Supplemental Feeding<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"398\" src=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Should-I-Run-a-Deer-Feeder-Year-Round.jpg\" alt=\"Should I Run a Deer Feeder Year Round\" class=\"wp-image-197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Should-I-Run-a-Deer-Feeder-Year-Round.jpg 600w, https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Should-I-Run-a-Deer-Feeder-Year-Round-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Before I get into the specifics of answering that question, there are a few crucial points I want to make that are directly related to this question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Become familiar with the laws in your state regarding deer feeders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understand the food cycle for deer in your area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Become_Familiar_with_the_Laws_in_Your_State_Regarding_Deer_Feeders\"><\/span>Become Familiar with the Laws in Your State Regarding Deer Feeders<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve read any other posts or articles on this website, then you&#8217;ll know that I talk about this topic over and over. I do that because it is such an important topic. Other than poaching, there is no faster way to lose one&#8217;s hunting license or hunting privileges than violating a state&#8217;s laws regarding baiting deer or hunting over bait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s essential to fully understand your specific state&#8217;s laws regarding what you can or cannot do in supplemental deer feeding. For example, some states will allow a hunter to operate a deer feeder only during designated periods before or after the hunting season, while others only allow supplemental feeding during the winter months. Each state is different, and I recommend that you have a clear understanding of those laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, in my home state of North Carolina, a hunter can do supplemental deer feeding year-round, with one exception, and that&#8217;s during Turkey season. During turkey season, a hunter cannot do any supplemental deer feeding if he or she will hunt turkeys in the area and must have all remnants of any supplemental feed off the ground before Turkey season starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A customer from my day job was unaware of this rule, so he kept feeders going all year and ended up losing his NC hunting license for 12 months because he was charged with hunting turkeys over bait. The &#8220;I didn&#8217;t know the law&#8221; excuse doesn&#8217;t go very far with most Game Wardens or Wildlife Officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understand_the_Food_Cycle_for_Deer_in_Your_Area\"><\/span>Understand the Food Cycle for Deer in Your Area<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a fancy way of saying that you need to understand what <a href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/do-deer-eat-meat-the-answer-might-surprise-you\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1296\">deer eat <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/do-deer-eat-meat-the-answer-might-surprise-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1296\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">through <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/do-deer-eat-meat-the-answer-might-surprise-you\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1296\">the year<\/a> as the seasons change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, using my home state of NC again, the Spring and Summer seasons offer deer a plethora of natural feed sources that supplemental deer feeding isn&#8217;t necessary from a food supply perspective. The food sources begin to die off in fall, and then Winter is really where deer in my area need the help of supplemental feeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This food source cycle may be different in your area, which is why it&#8217;s essential to understand the cycle. If you live in the NE part of the US, then colder weather comes in earlier, and the deer in your area may benefit from supplemental feeding that starts sooner in late Summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s get back to answering the central question about operating deer feeders all year long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Operate_a_Deer_Feeder_All_Year\"><\/span>Why Operate a Deer Feeder All Year?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Assuming that deer in your area don&#8217;t need a supplemental food source throughout the year, what&#8217;s the point in <a href=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/why-use-a-deer-feeder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">running a deer feeder<\/a> or doing supplementary feeding year-round?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most hunters operate a deer feeder for one of two reasons (or both reasons)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>It offers the deer a food source during lean times as a means to keep the population healthy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It serves as an incentive to keep the local deer population either on your hunting land or in a specific area for future hunting purposes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While most deer establish a territory or area that they like, they will also migrate or leave an area searching for food or if a food source dies out. Keeping a deer feeder running helps to keep the deer in a specific territory for future hunting purposes. While offering a food source may not be enough to stop some deer from migrating to different locations, it is usually sufficient to keep at least a certain number of the local population returning to the feeder for an easy meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_Downsides_of_Running_a_Deer_Feeder_Year-Round\"><\/span>What are the Downsides of Running a Deer Feeder Year-Round?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Running a deer feeder all year does have some potential downsides, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Staying in compliance with state laws<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Potentially spreading communicable diseases deer to deer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The additional costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s discuss each one in more detail:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Staying_in_Compliance_with_State_Laws\"><\/span>Staying in Compliance with State Laws<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We pretty much already covered this topic above, so I&#8217;m not going to rehash it. Know the rules and regulations about feeding deer in your state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Potentially_Spreading_Infectious_Diseases_Deer_to_Deer\"><\/span>Potentially Spreading Infectious Diseases Deer to Deer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Deer are herd animals by nature, so they always run the risk of infecting each other with diseases like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/prions\/cwd\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chronic Wasting disease<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Epizootic_hemorrhagic_disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hemorrhagic disease<\/a>. Deer may come to a feeder, and that close contact could be enough to spread a contagious disease. To date, I haven&#8217;t seen any concrete data saying that deer feeders cause an increase in either of the diseases I mentioned before, but it is worth noting as a possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"391\" src=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Deer-Feeders-and-Infectious-Diseases.jpg\" alt=\"Deer Feeders and Infectious Diseases\" class=\"wp-image-198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Deer-Feeders-and-Infectious-Diseases.jpg 600w, https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Deer-Feeders-and-Infectious-Diseases-300x196.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Additional_Costs_Associated_with_Year-Round_Supplemental_Feeding\"><\/span>The Additional Costs Associated with Year-Round Supplemental Feeding<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Maintaining a deer feeder throughout the year creates more out-of-pocket expense for a hunter than running that same feeder through the winter months. Those costs include the additional feed, additional feeder maintenance, and the cost of your time to refill the feeder.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Operating a deer feeder or feeders can be an excellent way to keep a population of deer healthy and keep them returning to one specific area. At my day job, I spend a significant amount of time answering questions about deer feeders, and one that seems to be asked repeatedly is this one: Should I&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":197,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"single-nofeaturedimage.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deer-feeder.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}