The BC government has cautioned the public for years not to feed deer. Now it is backing up that warning with a penalty of $345.

A wildlife regulation adopted in 2024, but not widely known, makes it illegal to intentionally bait or feed an ungulate — including deer and elk — or turkey within 200 metres of a dwelling, schoolyard or playground on Vancouver Island.

In defence of the regulation, the province says: “Feeding wildlife unnatural types of food can have negative consequences to the animal itself ranging from causing mildly irritating behaviour to catastrophic health issues and can concentrate animals which increases the risk of disease transmission.

“Urban deer are more likely to get involved in conflicts with dogs and are at risk of being struck by vehicles. To protect both people and deer, do not feed deer.” 

So why is it legal for deer hunters to use bait on Vancouver Island?

Deer populations in rural and remote areas are not as abundant as those in urban and semi-urban areas, meaning fewer concerns over disease transmission, the province says.

Further reading: https://wildsafebc.com/species/deer/; https://spca.bc.ca/news/dont-feed-wildlife/.

Black-tailed deer numbers took a hit in the Gulf Islands and southern Vancouver Island, including the Cowichan Valley, in 2020 due to the spread of adenovirus hemorrhagic disease. Higher densities of animals increased susceptibility.

The latest concern in BC involves chronic wasting disease — fatal to deer, elk, moose and caribou — confirmed in the Kootenay region in 2024. Hunters are not permitted to use bait in that region.

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— Larry Pynn, May 6, 2025