Michigan Couple Feeds Hundreds of Deer in Their Backyard

Most wildlife experts will tell you feeding deer is a bad idea. It can cause over-crowded conditions and contribute to the spread of disease. But in Michigan's U.P. region, winter feeding stations are essential for the deer's survival.

Keweenaw residents Synthia and Richard Marsh have turned their yard into a deer wintering complex, where they provide shelter and feed hundreds of deer on a daily basis. They put 1 pound of pellets out per deer each day.

The Marsh's have a special DNR permit that allows them to feed the deer from early January through May when the snow melts.

Of course, feeding that many deer for almost half of the year can get expensive, so the Calumet-Keweenaw Sportsmen's Club helps buy the pellets for multiple feeding programs in the area.

Feeding deer is illegal in Michigan's Lower Peninsula and is limited in the U.P. without a permit.

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