It’s now against the law to give a treat to Bruiser the elk and the countless black-tailed deer that live on Whidbey Island, according to a new rule adopted by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife this week that prohibits the feeding of certain cervids.
The appearance of a case of chronic wasting disease in an Eastern Washington deer prompted the new regulation, which may seem harsh but is in place to protect deer, elk and moose from catching and spreading the disease. The disease has not yet been detected on Whidbey.
According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website, chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurologic illness caused by an infectious prion protein and transmitted from animal to animal through feces, saliva, urine or through contaminated environments. There is no harm to humans.
The disease has no cure and the only way to determine infection is to test tissue collected from the head of carcasses, which hunters in Eastern Washington within the mandatary testing region are required to do. In late stages of the illness, animals show signs of weight loss, lethargy, drooping ears, excessive salivation and urination and loss of fear of people.
Ralph Downs, an enforcement officer for the state department, said that up until this point, the animal can appear completely normal.
“By the time it’s in the final stage of the animal, it’s terrible,” he said. “They’re sickly, they don’t eat.”
The change in state code went into effect May 17. Banning feeding prevents deer from congregating and potentially spreading the disease. Downs said some people worry that the deer on Whidbey aren’t getting enough to eat, but this isn’t the case.
“Let them do their thing,” he advised. “Especially this time of year when there’s so many good things to eat.”
Fruit, which people have fed them in the past, is particularly disruptive to their digestive systems. Downs recalled a time a few years ago when deer were consuming apricots and the pits were toxic to them. Fish and Wildlife initially thought a different contagious illness was sweeping through the population because of the fruit’s effects.
The town of Coupeville has been ahead of the curve with the creation of an ordinance in 2021 that bans feeding wildlife, largely in response to the aggressive behavior of deer but also to prevent congregation and the spread of disease. Mayor Molly Hughes said it made her smile to hear the news about the new statewide regulation.
“Even though we have had really good compliance in Coupeville, it helps us that the state is saying the same things,” she said.
The town’s ordinance has been successful in stopping feeding and the deer population continues to be healthy. Hughes noted five fawn births within the last 48 hours.
“People don’t believe it,” she said. “They think they need to feed the deer to survive, but they don’t. It’s bad for the deer.”
The new state code prohibits scattering feed. Fish and Wildlife has noted that if bird feeders or other items are attracting deer, elk or moose, they should be removed to help limit the potential spread of chronic wasting disease and other contagious illnesses.
“Like any new rule, we’re going to be as light-handed as possible and educate as many people as possible,” Downs said.
Those who knowingly continue to feed deer, elk and moose, however, will face a $150 fine under the new regulation.
To learn more about chronic wasting disease and the new rule, visit wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/diseases/chronic-wasting.
Photo by David Welton People are no longer allowed to feed deer, elk and moose in the state, but it’s for their own good. A case of chronic wasting disease, a highly contagious illness among cervids, has been identified in an Eastern Washington deer.
