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# New Milford Tells Residents to Stop Feeding Deer — and Brookfield Should Hear It Too
- URL: https://www.brookfieldcurrent.com/new-milford-tells-residents-stop-feeding-deer/
- Published: 2026-10-20T13:42:44.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-20T15:46:47.000Z
- Description: New Milford's Board of Health is reminding residents that feeding deer outdoors is illegal and dangerous — advice that applies just as much on Brookfield's side of the town line.
- Author: The Brookfield Current
- Tags: News

New Milford's Board of Health is asking residents to stop feeding deer, a warning published October 19 that rings true across the border in Brookfield, where deer and the ticks they carry are just as common.

According to the advisory, feeding deer human food harms the animals, encourages overpopulation, and increases the risk of tick-borne disease — a real concern in a part of the state where Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are a household topic. Handouts also attract rodents and create property damage as deer linger near homes.

And it's not just discouraged — it's illegal in New Milford. Outdoor deer feeding is already prohibited under Board of Health Ordinance BH4-5.0.

Brookfield sits in the same deer-and-tick landscape as its northern neighbor, with the same wooded neighborhoods and the same autumn patterns of deer moving closer to homes as the weather cools. The biology behind the warning doesn't respect town boundaries: more deer near homes means more ticks near people, pets, and yards.

If you've been leaving food out for deer, or have neighbors who do, now is a good time to stop. For tick prevention, the basics still hold: check yourself and your pets after time outdoors, keep yards clear of leaf litter and tall grass near play areas, and talk to your doctor or a local public-health office if you find an attached tick.