Most winters, I devote some space to reminding folks that feeding wildlife to “help” them through the harsh weather of the season is generally a bad idea.

After two relatively mild winters with not much lingering snowfall, we’ve already had some cold weather and a bit of snow so far, even though winter officially begins this weekend. That may be an indication that we could be in store for a more traditional winter this year in terms of weather. If that is indeed the situation, more folks will be tempted to put out food for wild animals. The best advice regarding that is just don’t do it.

In most cases, putting out food for wild animals usually does more harm than good for several reasons. During harsh weather, attracting animals to a food source can concentrate them in a small area and make them more vulnerable to predators or to being struck by vehicles. Animals can easily become dependent on an artificial food source during tough times, and if those handouts are interrupted, they will be in trouble.

The artificial feeding larger wild animals such as deer, elk and wild turkeys is especially discouraged. The metabolisms of wild deer and elk adjust to the foods available to them as the seasons change throughout the year. Corn, wheat, barley and other grains high in carbohydrates typically aren’t part of the winter diet of deer or elk, so the animals won’t be able to digest such foods properly and eating quantities of such things can be fatal.

I recall several years ago a large bull elk was found dead. A necropsy revealed the animal had ingested a quantity of corn that had most likely been put out illegally and died as a result.

In addition to the harmful effects of winter feeding of wildlife, doing so can also be illegal. Feeding wild elk is prohibited anywhere these animals are found in Pennsylvania.

When the first wild deer in Pennsylvania were discovered to be infected with chronic wasting disease back in 2012, the Pennsylvania Game Commission established specific Disease Management Areas to help control the spread of the disease. Any feeding of wild deer within a DMA is prohibited, and anyone caught doing so will be subject to fines and other legal action. Most of our region is included in one of the several designated DMAs.

Despite all the negative aspects of winter wildlife feeding, there are ways to benefit wildlife in the long term, depending on the size and location of your property. The best and most significant thing to do is habitat improvement. Planting the proper trees, shrubs and other plants to provide food and cover will attract and maintain the wildlife you wish to have on your property without creating many of the inherent problems that arise with artificial feeding.

One important exception to the prohibition of feeding winter wildlife, of course, is a backyard bird feeder, which can provide hours of enjoyment watching the intrepid little snowbirds that are adapted to making a living during our Pennsylvania winters.

There are a few considerations to feeding the birds to avoid any possible problems. Avoid putting out large quantities of food that can not only become expensive in the long run but also make too many birds too dependent on your food source. It is much better to put out modest amounts of food each day to attract birds regularly to your site and maintain that supplement throughout the winter. While most birds are selective about what they eat and seem to instinctively know what is not good for them, don’t tempt them with salty foods like potato chips or corn chips, uncooked rice and dried peas or beans.

Proper feeder placement is important, both for viewing enjoyment and the welfare of the birds. While you’ll probably want to locate your winter feeders in places where you can observe them from the comfort of your house, be careful not to place them closer than about 20 feet to large windows to prevent birds from accidentally flying into the glass. Birds will tend to find feeders more attractive if there is some type of cover nearby.

Trees and shrubs give the birds shelter from cats, hawks and other potential predators as well as providing them with a resting place between trips to the feeding station. Species such as cardinals, juncos and song sparrows often prefer feeding on the ground and will readily clean up spilled seeds underneath a feeder. These birds can be accommodated by putting out a feeder tray or two on the ground for them.

Several years ago, after I wrote about feeding winter birds and how much I enjoyed photographing them around feeders, a nice lady stopped me in the grocery store. She thanked me for the feeding tips and was going to invite me to her home to photograph her birds but became tearful as she confessed to discontinuing her feeding efforts.

One afternoon, a hawk swooped down, killed one of her snowbirds and tore it to pieces right in front of her. The raptor was probably a sharp-shinned or Cooper’s hawk. I know how swift and deadly they are and really find them fascinating. But watching the natural concept of predator and prey enacted in gruesome detail at her living room window was more than she could bear.