Guy with a deer feeder

[beccachow]

Right at the end of the next lane over. He doesn't hunt, just draws them in to eat. Now this is all fine and dandy, I suppose, til someone hits one with a car (happens a lot) as he crosses the lane to get to the good stuff. We DO drive slowly around here, our deer population is out of control.

So I am wondering...if someone hits a deer on their way to this feeder, who is responsible? This happened to a friend of mine, deer darted across to get to where the rest of the deer were feeding (in the guy's back yard!!) and he went over and raised holy heck and was politely infomed as to what he could do with his opinion. On further conversation, we heard that it isn't the first time. We have deer in our backyards, deer in our fields, deer planting gardens and doing laundry...doesn't he see enough of the buggers?

I actually don't have an opinion either way, just saw a herd of them over there the other evening and got to thinking.

[mamita]

around here it's always a new person that suddenly thinks the deer are so adorable. happened when the people across the road moved in. they thought it was amazing to see deer, so out came the feeders. they aren't close to me, but the deer made a path thru my property on to theirs. now the deer eat most of my beautiful plants on route to the feeder. he planted a garden...big surprise...all those adorable deer he liked seeing out his window love to eat his garden. feeder is gone, but deer habits stay. makes me go...UGH! here you are only allowed by law to set out feeders during certain months, and I doubt anyone would be held liable for a deer/car incident because of it. too hard to prove it was actually due to his feeding them when they are everywhere.

[NickieL]

Mmm road kilt deer? I'd be ouot there to Um, take care of the mess LOL so long as I get it fresh

[beccachow]

Nickie, you are so funny. When I hit that one last November, she tail over nosed about 60 feet in the air and stuck the landing, no movement. So as I am hysterically crying to my friends, they were like, "so what did you do with the deer?" lol.

[NickieL]

Originally Posted by beccachow

Nickie, you are so funny. When I hit that one last November, she tail over nosed about 60 feet in the air and stuck the landing, no movement. So as I am hysterically crying to my friends, they were like, "so what did you do with the deer?" lol.

hahaha I'm actually serious

[beccachow]

...so were they, lol.

The worst was we had a deer struck out here, she crawled into a neighbor's horse field, back obviously broken, and pregnant besides. The nieghbor did the "right thing" and called the police to dispatch the suffering creature...three cars showed up, and not one pulled a gun, arguing over having to fill out a report for discharging the fire arm. My DH came back, got a pistol, walked right past them, flashed a permit, and shot the poor thing, mercifully. The cops all "have a nice day" and such and slunk back to their cars. So sad that a bunch of uniformed, armed grown men would watch this poor thing suffer and be too worried to write a report over a single deserved gun shot to a deer.

[Bearfootfarm]

So sad that a bunch of uniformed, armed grown men would watch this poor thing suffer and be too worried to write a report over a single deserved gun shot to a deer.

In some states it's illegal for anyone other than a Wildlife Officer to dispatch a wounded deer.

In other states, it's illegal to feed them

Check your laws to see what you can find

[NewGround]

I'd be thinking that each day I'd move the feeder a little further in the barn ;-)

[Michael W. Smith]

In PA, the deer are "owned" by the PA Game Commission. However, they accept no responsibility for what "their" deer do.

Damage a car - too bad, that is what your car insurance is for.
Eating your flowers or garden - too bad, so sad, don't care.

And yes, around here, if you see an injured deer, you are to call the game commission and they supposedly will come around and kill it. And if you get a road killed deer, you are supposed to report it to the game commission too. (But I don't think that happens too much around here. A freshly killed deer just "disappears".)

[manygoatsnmore]

It's like that here in WA, too. Deer and elk belong to the state, but any damage they do is "just an act of God" and they are not responsible. Tell that to the farmers whose hay crops, field crops and fences are all devastated by elk...and they are not allowed to harvest a nuisance deer or elk, either.

[Kiamichi Kid]

Originally Posted by manygoatsnmore

It's like that here in WA, too. Deer and elk belong to the state, but any damage they do is "just an act of God" and they are not responsible. Tell that to the farmers whose hay crops, field crops and fences are all devastated by elk...and they are not allowed to harvest a nuisance deer or elk, either.

I'd say me eatin' Elk/Venison is an "act of God"....I am gonna eat..it can be peas and corn..or it can be Elk...doesn't matter to me.

[Pops2]

beside feeding laws check your local nuisance ordinances. if the feeder is violating nuisance laws your lawsuit will be stronger. if it fits the legal definition of nuisance report it and stay after it. once cited or even a couple of times your lawsuit gets that much stronger. if you already know it is creating a hazard you may as well prepare for the lawsuit.

[soulsurvivor]

I'm on the opposite side of the county from most of the deer population. The deer tend to stay close to the knob land and river. Many of our friends own cabins and acreage there and have feeders set up for the deer. Lots of hunters in this area, so the deer population is usually well managed.

I grew up on a farm in the southwest of this county and it was an everyday sighting of deer there. My mom used to drive to Lebanon to work everyday and we always could count on her having at least one wreck a year with a deer. It was and still is dangerous to drive on the country roads here due to deer jumping on your vehicle.

There's one place in the old highway where the deer jump off a cliff to cross the road. We used to call it Deer Drop Point. I often pictured the deer closing its eyes and taking a running leap yelling tally ho. Mom always made certain she drove a car with a sturdy roof because of this dumb deer action.

[HOTW]

Check your state laws here in NY it is illegal to fed wild deer, even though every sports store sells "bait items".

One of the guys who runs the hunt classes has property and has a permanent stand and wa sup there one day and founc salt licks removed them, bagfed them and put the date he found them on them. Several days later he went back and DEP agents were there about to arrest him because one of them had seen the licks when a guy comes out of the woods looking around. Tehy ask him what he was looking for he told them salt licks they arrested him and said sorry to the other guy who told them to wait and drove home and provided the "proof" he had. Good reason to alwasy have a well hidden game cam near your stand to make sure noone is hunting your property illegally

[Chris in PA]

Just imagine... the man feeds the deer. Because they have adequate food all year, the population grows. Probably no hunting in the area because of the housing being close. Five years from now the guy moves. No food and all those deer will struggle without his help. So slowly many of the deer will starve to death. He is really helping the deer, isn't he.

I had a friend come a visit from Mass. and she just did not understand deer hunting. I explained that we could control the deer population or they could starve to death or get hit by cars. Suddenly a clean shot and almost instant death sounded a lot better to her. People just do not consider the concequences of their actions - esp. long term.

[foxtrapper]

Tell a farmer that his corn field is a public menace because it draws deer to it to feed.

Equally, tell him he can't harvest it because those hungry deer might then starve.

Let us know how it goes!

[Gregg Alexander]

Even though he is putting out feed for the deer , the deer are wild and you can't stop them from coming other than stop putting out feed. If a person hits one coming to the feed sorry the deer is wild. Hopefully the insurance will take care of the damage. As foxtrapper said tell a farmer his field is a public menace, maybe you will get off his land with out getting a butt whipping.