Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland contractor faces federal bribery charge ... AHS breaks ground on new field ... Jackson County elected officials to get pay raises ... Ashland contractor faces federal bribery charge ... AHS breaks ground on new field ... Jackson County elected officials to get pay raises ... OUR VIEW Our View: Don't feed the deer Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 31, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 31, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News After kicking around all the difficult and controversial measures available to address Ashland's urban deer problem, from bow hunting to administering birth control, city officials have gotten around to doing the one thing the city can do most easily: cracking down on people who insist on feeding the animals. The city enacted an ordinance prohibiting feeding wildlife in 2012. What's new is the posting of signs warning violators that they face a $435 fine. That alone won't solve the deer problem, of course — there is plenty of naturally occurring forage to entice deer to hang around town, not to mention residents' flower and vegetable gardens. But deliberately putting out food not only habituates the animals to human contact, it spreads diseases among them and, when the wrong food is offered, especially in winter, it can be fatal. Deer in their natural habitat survive the winter by subsisting on woody material from trees and shrubs. They often lose weight when food is scarce, but they do survive. Their bodies adapt by producing the right enzymes to process the food they find naturally. Feeding them corn or other unnatural food can be fatal, because their systems cannot digest it properly. In addition, putting out food causes the deer to crowd together, something they don't do in the wild, and that spreads potentially fatal diseases from one animal to the next. Deer will always find plenty to eat in town; feeding them just makes the problem worse. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 31, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501