Pennsylvania Game News - June 2014 - 49

illegal, meaning that if the bull's death
stems from intentional feeding, it also
stems from an illegal act.
"Most times, the best way to help
wildlife through the winter is to step
back and allow the animals' instincts to
take over," said Cal DuBrock, director
of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Bureau of Wildlife Management.
"In a natural setting, most wildlife will
change their behaviors to adapt to
colder temperatures and scarcer food
supplies. Supplemental feeding can alter that behavior and have detrimental,
and sometimes fatal, effects.
An investigation into the circumstances that led to bull's death is ongoing. But the incident serves as a timely
reminder on the law prohibiting the
feeding of elk, as well as other concerns
associated with the supplemental feeding of wildlife.
While the feeding of wildlife remains
legal in many circumstances, there are
some accompanying risks.
Supplemental feeding can cause
animals to lose their natural fear of
humans, which can cause problems for
both the animals and other people. For
this reason, it is unlawful to intentionally place any food or other substance
that causes bears to congregate or
habituate in an area. Bears that become
habituated to humans often become
nuisances, causing property damage
and creating other problems.
Supplemental feeding also causes
animals to concentrate at unnaturally
high densities, increasing their risk of
spreading disease to one another, giving
predators an advantage and exposing
them to other dangers they otherwise

might not encounter.
Among other reasons, the supplemental feeding of elk remains unlawful because it can encourage the elk
to spend more time near population
centers where the potential for conflict
with humans increases.
Those convicted of illegally feeding wildlife face penalties that could
include hundreds of dollars in fines and
court costs, and additional penalties
could result if an animal dies because
of illegal feeding.
Rumen acidosis can be caused by
many foods other than corn. Wheat
and barley also are commonly responsible for causing the disorder, while
apples, grapes, bread and sugar beets
can cause the disorder, but are less
commonly involved. Animals severely
afflicted by rumen acidosis typically die
within 24 to 72 hours, but the disease
might also shorten the lifespans of the
animals that survive the disease.
DuBrock said he can appreciate
people who want to help wildlife
through the winter, but they can
make a more beneficial contribution
by improving wildlife habitat on their
properties. Feeding often creates more
problems than it solves, and some feeding activities are unlawful, he said.
"These are things to think about
when placing out food for wildlife," he
said. "Those who want to help wildlife
should also know about the potential
for harm that could result from their
actions."
It is the official policy of the Game
Commission to not support the supplemental winter feeding of game birds or
game animals.

Pennsylvania Game Commission: Managing wild birds, wild mammals and their habitats
for current and future generations.

JUNE 2014

Pennsylvania Game News - June 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - June 2014