NDGF: Wildlife Feeding Concerns

Tough winters with cold and snow have some residents concerned about stress on wildlife.

North Dakota Game and Fish section leader Kevin Kading says the department does not promote winter feeding. Kading says while well intentioned feeding operations can do more harm for wildlife than good.

The negative impacts range from drawing animals from long distances and away from good winter cover to increased predation…disease concerns…spreading of noxious weeds and feeding costs.

Kading says while it’s not uncommon for wildlife to die from exposure to cold – they rarely die from starvation. Knowing this, the department promotes habitat development that can provide critical winter thermal cover.

One alternative to feeding wildlife is for landowners, wildlife clubs and others to plow open areas of harvested grain or row crop fields to allow access to waste grains and other materials.