MCCALL, Idaho — McCall City councilmembers passed an ordinance prohibiting deer and other wildlife feeding in city limits. The ordinance, unanimously passed on Sept. 28, calls for a $100 fine for first offenses and misdemeanor charges for subsequent offenses.
"Multiple generations have just learned to stay here and be fed," Mayor Bob Giles said. "What we were seeing was a rapid growth of the [deer] population. People were hitting them in the street, running into them with their cars. We saw the deer; they were not very healthy. They had some exotic lice ... and they looked like they were pretty weak."
Giles said McCall tried to pass a similar ordinance a few years ago without success. This time, city officials worked with the public for five months on education and outreach and also heard public feedback about how to safeguard the deer and minimize impacts on their natural behaviors.
The Idaho Conservation League gave the city suggestions about the ordinance. Wildlife program associate Jeff Abrams said he hopes the city continues outreach efforts and that people take the new rules seriously.
Fish and Game data shows about 250 deer live in and around McCall. Because some of those animals get fed on a regular basis and the overall climate is warmer, Abrams said the herd is not as likely to follow natural migration patterns.
"It's a natural, empathetic, human response to want to help wildlife," he said. "But it's actually not in the best interest of the deer."
Giles believes the ordinance is a good step forward in addressing the number of deer roaming throughout McCall. Other towns, like Cascade, already have similar wildlife feeding ordinances in effect.
McCall's new ordinance, which goes into effect next week, does not include birds and squirrels. To learn more about the ordinance and the wildlife in McCall, people can visit mccallwildlife.com.
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