Don’t feed deer in the Northwoods or it could cost you $340 or up to $1000. That’s right and most locals know about this, but if you occasionally visit or vacation in the Northwoods you might not have heard that there is a band on feeding and baiting deer for hunting.
This band is due to CWD (CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE) and over the years the DNR instituted this feeding band in 45 out of 72 counties in Wisconsin. Studies have shown that CWD can be transmitted by the contamination in soil from deer urine, feces and saliva and/or food and water.

Other studies believe having large amounts of deer in one area where an infected deer was killed, it’s better chance other deer can contract CWD. I can see their reasoning, but because of the decrease in food sources during winter, deer naturally will congregate in large groups called YARDING. Last winter I have seen at least 50 in one area more than once and that winter was mild compared to this year.  So, how do you stop deer from yarding up to prevent this? YOU CAN’T. The fact is and will never change deer congregate together in the winter.

The first case of CWD in Wisconsin was in 2002 and came from a captive deer farm/hunting preserve. If you’re not familiar with what these are, let me explain. These hunting preserves and/or breeding farms is where unskilled hunters pay big money to shoot trophy deer over food plots in a fenced in area. Talk about large number of deer in one area that the DNR doesn’t want, here are just a few examples of close contact these confined deer had in the past. One farm had 425 deer on 570 fenced in acres. Another 370 deer on 351 acres. How about 320 deer on a 230-acre enclosed site.

Between 2000 and 2003 over 1200 deer died on these hunting preserves and for some reason NONE were tested for CWD. As far as the first case of CWD in 2002, it was reported that a deer from that farm escaped and roamed for 6 months. Did that deer have CWD? The DNR does not know. Then between 2004 and 2007, it was reported 671 deer escaped from these facilities. Jump ahead to 2016 and a buck in a hunting preserve in Three Lakes tested positive for CWD. In 2017 60 deer tested positive in these captive operations.

Even though there have been wild deer that have tested positive for CWD in the Northwoods, those numbers have been low so far. In 2025 not one deer tested positive in Vilas County and out of 3236 there were 2 deer that tested positive in 2026. One deer in Eagle River is the newest case.

When a wild deer tests positive for CWD the feeding/baiting ban goes into effect in that county and I was told banning is also added in the boarding counties of the confirmed case. This ban CAN be removed if there hasn’t been a CWD positive deer for 24 months in that area but will start the 3-year banning again if one does. I looked up what the average fine for feeding deer and one said typically it’s $100 to $500. Another said fines can range from $300 up to $2000 per offense.

Why did I look this up and write this article? I was fined $340 and told to stop feeding deer immediately, and that’s not in our monthly budget.  I guess the DNR can’t give first time offenders just a warning. Oh, I asked, and was told that was not possible.

Here is the part I just can’t understand. I cannot feed deer in my yard but just 3/4 of a mile behind my house is the state of Michigan and feeding is allowed. Less than 30 miles is Iron County and feeding is allowed.

This is a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT after seeing deer in our yard for the past 3 years and SAD to see them looking as us in the house and we can’t feed them. I guess they will move on in 3 or 4 weeks and someone else will get fined.

WHY DO SO MANY BUSINESSES SELL CORN WHEN IT IS ILLEGAL TO FEED DEER?