According to Fairfax County Police, residents are wrong who enjoy seeing white-tailed deer up close and may feel they are contributing to the animal’s welfare by providing supplemental food. Feeding deer can have unintended negative consequences and often does more harm than good. Feeding can lead to nutritional problems, increased habitat damage where high density herds are concentrated, dangerous encounters when animals lose their natural fear of humans and feeding can facilitate the spread of diseases among wildlife that congregate in feeding areas. It is against the law to feed deer in Fairfax County for the majority of the year.

Feeding deer for any reason is illegal statewide within Virginia from September 1 to the first Saturday in January 5. It is illegal to feed deer in any city, town, or county during any deer or elk hunting season. Effectively, this means it is illegal to feed deer in Fairfax County from September 1 through the last Sunday in April to coincide with the deer hunting season. The feeding ban applies to both public lands and private properties within the commonwealth.

The feeding ban restricts the placement or distribution of any food, salt, mineral or similar substances for any purpose if the placement of these materials results in the attraction of and/or feeding of deer.