The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is advising residents that it is illegal to keep deer as pets and unwise to try to tame deer.
Several incidents occurred across the state last year involving people and dogs being attacked and injured by deer that were likely raised by humans illegally and regularly fed by local neighbors, the WRC said in a press release.
With the start of fawn season coming up in late spring, officials are trying to get the word out to preemptively warn well-meaning folks who see deer as potential pets, rather than wild animals.
“Deer that lose their fear of humans can act in abnormal ways,” said Deer Biologist April Boggs Pope. “That male deer that seemed fine or friendly during the rest of the year can become dangerously aggressive during the rut.
“A male fawn that is treated like a pet can become a danger as an adult when hormones surge during mating season. Deer antlers and hooves can inflict serious injuries.”
With the end of hunting season, most people who attract deer no longer stock their feeders. This can cause some deer who associate food with humans to come closer to human habitation, where they are sometimes acclimated to humans, losing their natural fear.
Over the past year, there have been reported incidents of people or dogs being attacked by deer in Rockingham, Randolph, Wilkes, Onslow, Iredell and Cherokee counties. Most of these incidents occurred with deer that had either been regularly fed by residents or illegally raised by humans.
On Nov. 6, a 70-year-old Wilkes County woman was hospitalized after being gored by an antlered buck near her mailbox. On Oct. 21, a woman in Onslow County was medically treated after being attacked by a 3 ½ year old buck that had been illegally raised as a fawn by an acquaintance. The woman suffered a puncture wound to her shoulder and neck and many scrapes and bruises from the deer’s antlers and hooves.
In March, a neighbor’s alleged pet deer attacked a man while he was gardening in Cherokee County. The victim was treated at an urgent care facility for a laceration to his lip. Recently, a deer being fed by residents in a subdivision killed a dog in Iredell County.
In North Carolina, it is unlawful to hold most native wildlife, including mammals and wild birds, for amusement or companionship purposes. A wildlife captivity license issued by NCWRC can authorize an individual to possess wild animals or wild birds for scientific, educational or exhibition purposes. Further, only licensed wildlife rehabilitators are allowed to rehabilitate fawns in North Carolina.
While it is not illegal to feed deer in most places, NCWRC advises residents against hand-feeding deer or other animals, or feeding deer to condition them to people. However, in an effort to reduce the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the State prohibits baiting and feeding between Jan. 2 through Aug. 31 in CWD Surveillance Areas.
“Attempting to domesticate a wild deer creates safety concerns for people, and it rarely ends well for the deer,” said Game Mammals and Surveys Supervisor Colleen Olfenbuttel. “People trying to tame wild deer may think they are doing the deer a favor, but they are putting the deer at higher risk of malnourishment and poor health, as the artificial foods provided by residents don’t contain the diverse nutrition needed by wild deer that they can get from natural foods.
“And if the deer attacks a person, as we have seen several times this year, it will be euthanized. Sadly, often the person attacked is an innocent bystander rather than the culprit who fed and tamed the deer.”
NCWRC advises the public to contact the NC Wildlife Helpline if someone is illegally housing deer or for guidance on addressing human-deer conflicts.
