BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington City Council is proposing to fine visitors and residents $50 for feeding or leaving food out for deer.
The director of Bloomington’s Animal Care and Control said the proposed ordinance stems from a 2012 Deer Task Force which found higher concentrations of deer congregating in areas of Bloomington where people feed them.
The ordinance would ban the public from feeding deer corn, fruit, hay, grain, nuts, wheat, and vegetables. People can also be fined for leaving food out that is easily accessible to deer.
The council will debate and vote on the ordinance on Wednesday, August 16. City officials acknowledge the ban will be hard to enforce if passed.
Joe Caudell, deer biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources says deer have a specific diet and their bodies can’t adjust well if they consume anything else. He also added diseases can spread easily between deer when they are fed by humans.
