Saskatchewan residents are being reminded feeding deer at this time of season will do the animal more harm than good.

The Ministry of Environment has recently received calls during the winter months from people wanting to feed deer in the southern region of the province. While the concerns are understandable, the good-mannered actions can be harmful to the deer population.

They do have thick winter coats, fat reserves, a reduced metabolic rate and sedentary behavior, that helps them survive the harsh winter conditions.

"If people do feed them a food that they aren't familiar, their very special four-parts ruminants stomach cannot handle that introduction of food," Wildlife Ecologist and Provincial Deer Biologic with the Ministry of Environment Allision Henderson said. "If theses animals have been feeding on woody vegetation and digesting that using their microbes and their ruminants, if you feed them hay, oats or other supplemental feeds they're accustomed to it can prove fatal."

Supplemental winter feeding can also result in other negative effects.

"It can congregate animals drawing them in from long distances away from good winter habit and that can increase their predation and can also lead to disease concerns where those animals are congregating," she said.

Research has shown relatively good condition for deer, can help the mammal fast for several weeks without suffering any detrimental effects.

If you would like to support deer management with the Ministry of Environment you can sign up for the Winter Weather Watcher Program that measures snow amounts and snow crust levels. You can also sign up for the Cooperative Deer Management Survey where individuals record their observations and send them to their provincial deer biologic, who in turn uses metrics to better understand habit and deer numbers to best make recommendations for deer.

For more information, or to contact your local Ministry of Environment field office click here