Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Adds New Counties to Deer Feeding Ban

(KNSI) – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has added five new counties to its deer feeding and attractant ban. The counties being added to the list include Becker, Clearwater, Grant, McLeod, and Meeker, bringing the total to 37. Some counties, including Sherburne and Wright, were among those added to the list just last June.

This ban, according to a DNR press release, is intended to help reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease transmission, following numerous detections of the disease in deer across the state last year.

“Where people place food or attractants out for deer, higher numbers of deer tend to congregate in one place,” said Paul Burr, acting big game program leader. “The feeding and attractant ban is one tool to reduce the unnatural congregating of deer and lower the risk of CWD spread.”

Even in counties not on the ban list, the DNR strongly discourages people from feeding deer. The organization instead asks people who want to help deer to aid efforts to improve their habitat. This, they said, will help provide shelter and long-term food sources.

A full map of affected counties can be found on the DNR website. More information on improving private land for deer and other wildlife is available on the website’s Private Land and Habitat page.

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