Louisiana drops ban on feeding deer in 3 parishes

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Louisiana has dropped a ban against feeding deer in three northeastern parishes, but is urging against the use of supplemental feed for hunting.

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission ended the ban in Tensas, Madison and East Carroll parishes Thursday, after state biologists reported that they haven’t found any sign in Louisiana of a fatal brain infection found in a deer near the state line in Mississippi.

A Department of Wildlife and Fisheries news release Thursday said biologists tested 300 deer within 25 miles of where the infected deer was found and did not detect any chronic wasting disease.

The department says it is encouraging hunters not to use supplemental feeds for hunting because that increases the chances of spreading diseases among animals which come to bait stations.

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