Ilegally feeding wildlife can lead to problems or a citation

Print

RED LODGE — Along with spring weather, bears are emerging from hibernation in Montana. In some instances, they are finding food around where people live. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials know that no good comes when people mix with bears and other wild animals.

FWP reminds people that it is illegal to feed most wild animals. Those who deliberately leave food out to attract wild animals – or persist in inadvertently leaving food available after a warning – could be charged with a misdemeanor.

FWP Warden Kevin Nichols of Red Lodge said people who leave out garbage, pet food, bird feeders or other food run the risk of attracting bears. He asked people to be diligent about how they store and dispose of their household and kitchen trash. Pet food, barbeque grills, horse pellets and even songbird feeders should be made unavailable to bears during the spring and summer months in areas where bears live.

People also can cause problems by feeding other wildlife species. While leaving feed out for deer may seem innocent enough, Nichols said, it artificially concentrates the game herds. Those animals are more likely than dispersed herds to attract disease or injure people. In addition to increasing the likelihood of contact with people and vehicle accidents, concentrated herds of deer can attract mountain lions to Montana neighborhoods, he said.

Turkeys are messy and cause damage when artificially concentrated by people who leave out feed. Neighbors frequently are less tolerant of turkeys that live in the area because of artificial feeding. For the long-term good of the wildlife, Nichols said, people never should artificially feed wild animals.

For more information about living safely in bear country, please visit the FWP Web page at http://fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/bear/aware/wrong.html.

 

-FWP-