Despite Heavy Snowpack, DNR Says Don't Feed the Wildlife

UNDATED (WJON News) -- Wildlife managers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are asking animal lovers to avoid feeding wildlife this winter.

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With heavy snowpack, the DNR is starting to see corn left on the roadside which is likely to feed ringneck pheasants. They are also getting more reports of the birds themselves along the roadside.

Marshall area Wildlife Supervisor Wendy Krueger says pheasants are resilient animals. They can survive more than two weeks with no food and quickly regain lost body weight in the spring...

Habitat is the critical piece for pheasant survival. It provides cover for the winter and can also play a key role in nesting success the following spring.

Krueger says by feeding wildlife, you can draw them out of thick cover, which makes them more vulnerable to disease, predation, and motor vehicles, including snow plows.

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