By JAIME ANTON

The Post staff writer

It can be very tempting to feed Bambi, but residents should think twice before setting out a three-course meal for deer.

A handful of corn here and there is one thing, but when residents are feeding deer several loaves of bread or buckets of oats or corn, news travels fast in the deer community. Soon an entire herd could be at your doorstep waiting for a free dinner.

Deer feeding is becoming a problem in the community, so much so that the city's nuisance ordinance will be revised to prohibit excessive wild animal feeding.

A few words are being added to the current nuisance ordinance which states, "no person shall keep or harbor any animal or fowl in the municipality, so as to create noxious or offensive odors or unsanitary conditions which are a menace to the health, comfort or safety of the public."

The revision will read, "no person shall keep, harbor or feed any animal or fowl...."

City officials do not want to infringe on residents' God given rights, but they do want to make it clear that if feedings become a problem and neighbors are complaining, they will be getting a phone call or a knock on the door.

"We don't want to infringe on people's right to feed animals, and we're not going to run out and cite residents the first time. But if it becomes a nuisance, we will go out and try to give them the facts and hopefully their better judgment will prevail," said Safety Director Bruce Campbell. "Sometimes people just don't realize the affect it has on neighbors."

The city has received major complaints of deer, especially from Royal Valley residents, fed up with some neighbors feeding deer. One resident there in particular has been putting out dozens of loaves of bread for deer on a regular basis. And now the deer flock to this person's home in droves each night, crossing streets and making the roadways unsafe at times for motorists.

"So there are now about 30 deer crossing the street in that area daily," Mayor Bob Stefanik said. "This person is dumping loaves and loaves of bread at night. It's getting to the point that the deer are waiting at night for this person to come out and dump the loaves."

A large group of deer can wreck havoc on neighbors' begonias and gardens. Neighbors who live near excessive feeders are also plagued by deer urination and defecation.

Campbell said deer become accustomed to these types of feedings and show up rain or shine for a hand out.

"It's like telling kids that McDonald's is giving away free Big Macs every day. They're going to show up and continue to show up every day. The deer become conditioned. Instead of a few stragglers, now you have a herd, and it can have an effect on the area. It inhibits people who want to walk in their neighborhood but can't or won't because they are afraid, especially if it's mating season and the deer are aggressive. You can't predict animal behavior. You have large numbers crossing city streets, and they are urinating and defecating in people's yards. One or two is not an issue but 20 to 30 is," Campbell explained. "It's not fair to the people that live around these folks."

Residents are allowed to feed animals, reasonably, and can continue to do so, however, if the feedings become excessive or a nuisance, as is the case in Royal Valley, and the resident is asked to stop but doesn't, they may be cited and charged with a minor misdemeanor.

"People can still feed animals, but once it becomes an issue, we will go out and take action. Residents could be cited as causing a nuisance under the new legislation," Stefanik explained. "We don't want to do that, but this person is taking it to the limit."

There are other excessive feeders in the community. Campbell said they have all been asked to stop and have complied to his knowledge. But, he said it's happened before that a resident was asked to stop and did for awhile but resumed the practice after a few months or so.

"Before, we had no way of citing these people," he said. "Now we have a tool in our toolbox that gives us the ability, when there is an excessive feeder, to do something about it."

Council is expected to OK the revision.