Feeding wild deer in Illinois is against the law. Here’s why.

Are deer baits legal?Story By Kathy AndrewsPhotos By Joe McFarland

Stroll down the aisles ofmost farm supply or out-door stores and you’llundoubtedly come uponshelves stocked with salt or

mineral blocks, grain and other prod-ucts marketed as wildlife foods, orattractants. Anyone can purchase theseproducts, but what most people don’tknow is that, in most instances, theyare illegal to use.

In 2002, as part of the state’s contin-uing effort to limit the spread of chron-ic wasting disease in the Illinois deerherd, a ban on feeding wild deer wasenacted. CWD is an always-fatal neuro-logical disease found in deer, elk andmoose that causes them to becomeemaciated, display abnormal behavior,lose coordination and die.

According to Paul Shelton, Depart-ment of Natural Resources ForestWildlife Program manager, there aremany reasons why feeding wildlife is abad idea, and most involve the transmis-sion of disease.

“Whenever animals are concentratedunnaturally, such as around a food

source, there is a heightened suscepti-bility to disease,” Shelton explained.“Where deer are concerned, the morebiologically sound approach is to bal-ance the issue of food availability withthe size of the deer herd, and ultimatelyreducing the herd to the appropriatesize for the resources available.”

Commercial food products are legal-ly used by persons possessing an Illi-nois Game Breeder permit issued byDNR who are raising captive (tame)deer. Among the other exceptions tothe feeding ban are bird and squirrelfeeders close to homes, the incidentalfeeding of wildlife within an active live-stock operation and food plots (seesidebar).

According to Conservation PoliceOfficer Jaime Maul, officers routinelyinvestigate wildlife feeding complaints,

and in many instances violators areunaware that the practice is harmful towildlife and illegal.

“Making food and mineral productsavailable where wild deer are present isa petty offense carrying a maximum$1,000 fine,” Maul said. “If the investi-gation reveals that the bait was huntedover, the violator is subject to an addi-tional Class B misdemeanor ticket,which may result in up to 6 months injail and/or a fine of up to $1,500,seizure of any items used for the huntand loss of hunting privileges.”

Whether you are one of the nearly 3million Illinois residents who enjoysfeeding, observing and photographingwildlife, or among Illinois’ 316,000hunters, know the law and why it is inplace: for the protection and health ofour wildlife resources.

Wildlife feeding banexemptions

For a complete list of exemptions,the administrative rule 17 Illinois

Administrative Code Part 635 at dnr.state.il.us/legal/adopted/635.pdf.� Elevated bird/squirrel feeders pro-viding seed, grain, fruit, worms or suetfor birds or squirrels located within100 feet of a dwelling devoted tohuman occupancy� Incidental feeding of wildlife withinactive livestock operations� Feeders for wildlife other than deerso long as deer are excluded from thefeed in and around the feeder by fenc-ing or other barriers� Standing crops planted and leftstanding as food plots for wildlife� Grain or other feed scattered solelyas a result of normal agricultural, gar-dening or soil stabilization practices� Standing, flooded or manipulatednatural vegetation or food/seeddeposited by natural vegetation� Grain or other feed distributed as theresult of manipulation of an agriculturalcrop or other feed on the land wheregrown, for purposes of dove hunting

October 2010 OutdoorIllinois / 5

Buyer beware. Deer baits are readily

available but, in most instances, are

illegal to use in Illinois.