Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.

xtrails
@earthlink.net

Bill Cochran's Outdoors

Recent columns

• Less freedom at Hatteras for surf casters
• Here’s the scoop on hunting shed antlers
• Want more grouse? Get used to hearing chainsaws
• Sunday hunting bills aplenty, but some hunters hold out
• Column archive

Bill's Mailbag

• Hunting for a book on rabbit hunting
• More comments on Sunday hunting
• Mail archive

Bill's Field Reports

• Winterize your boat? Heck no! Keep on fishing
• Senator gets attention of DGIF
• Field reports archive

Resources

• Trout stocking schedule

BILL: Personally, I do not think we need a closed season on elk, as they are more in Southwest Virginia than people realize.

BILL: We like to feed deer on our property so we can enjoy them up close, but someone told us the other day that this is illegal. If it is, I think it is a shame. Can you investigate this?

C.L.: You can feed deer right now, but beginning Sept. 1 and continuing through Jan. 2 the practice is illegal under a new regulation approved several months ago. Notice that the restriction applies to most of the hunting seasons. Wildlife officials said the feeding was getting out of hand, and in some instances amounted to baiting. Feeding also can change the movements of deer, make them dependent on a handout, transmit diseases and generally cause nuisance and enforcement issues.

The regulations reads: “It is unlawful for any person to place or distribute food, salt, minerals or similar substances, to feed or attract deer from Sept. 1 through the first Saturday in January.”

This restriction does not apply to planting wildlife food plots. Growing food and distributing food are two different things in the eyes of wildlife officials.

As for bear, it is unlawful to feed them at any time.