Washington bans wildlife feeding to protect animals from disease, reduce hazards to safety

WASHINGTON STATE — It is now illegal to feed deer, elk, and moose in Washington, per a rule approved by the director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

The rule went into effect on May 17. According to the WDFW, feeding draws animals together where they can spread disease.

It is also illegal to place feed for other wildlife if it causes deer, elk, or moose to congregate, the WDFW said. Concentrating deer and elk at a feeder can create problems by making the animals more vulnerable to disease, predation, and poaching, according to the WDFW.

WDFW generally discourages citizens from feeding deer, elk, and other wildlife species any time of year because of the potential harm to their health.

Feeding areas have the potential to draw animals across well-traveled roads where they are more likely to present a safety hazard and be hit by cars, according to the WDFW.

WDFW said it is evaluating its own wildlife feeding practices in areas where elk are fed to reduce human-wildlife conflict in agricultural areas.