However, use of bait (e.g., corn, mineral licks, etc.) as an attractant is a controversial management tool, and the aspect of feeding deer via the ‘4-Poster’ station has caused them to be illegal in several states. While the unintended effects of ‘4-Poster’ feeders on deer and deer behavior are less understood, there are many studies that have investigated the presence of supplemental feed or bait. Supplemental feed or bait can be any artificial food source that is provided for the purposes of viewing, hunting, nutritional supplementation, or management. However, feeding sites can concentrate animals in high densities and exacerbate ecological issues in localized areas such as browse damage, intraspecific competition that disproportionately restricts certain individuals from food sources, and disease transmission such as chronic wasting disease (CWD). (2012) reviewed past deer baiting papers and concluded that supplemental feeding can disrupt movement patterns, but impacts were highly variable. While baiting has been shown to concentrate animals in specific areas, it is not fully understood if baiting protocols used for ‘4-Poster’ operations increase site-specific deer densities on the landscape, especially in overpopulated suburban areas. Nor is it well understood how often or during which times deer visit ‘4-Poster’ feeders, which is potentially consequential for their overall utility. This research was conducted within 3 public parks in Howard County, Maryland, approximately 29 km south of Baltimore, MD, and 43 km north of Washington D.C. The study sites were within the metropolitan boundary of Howard County characterized by increased urban development and population density.
Within the metropolitan zone, there were 9.64 people/ha versus the more rural western portion of the county with 1.24 people/ha.
On average, annual rainfall was 1.09 m and annual snowfall was 0.58 m.
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