The most vulnerable to the deep snow and cold temperatures are the young of the year — fawns. They simply can't compete with the older deer.

Douglass pointed out that losing fawns is not unexpected. "In fact, some winters we can lose between 20 to 80 percent of the fawns in this region."

Realizing the loss of fawns is inevitable, the emergency feeding program is intended to save the adults in order to try to keep a strong population going into the next season.

By the end of the week, Laughter said he expects to have all the feeding stations in the Ogden Valley, which is currently at the top of the feeding priority list, in full operation.

One concern biologists have is that citizens will try to attempt their own feeding program.

"It's rewarding to know people care so much about wildlife, but feeding can create more problems for people and deer. Feeding congregates deer, which makes them more vulnerable to spreading diseases. And, if people suddenly stop feeding, deer tend to move to the neighbor's property, and they may not be as tolerant when the deer start eating their ornamental shrubs," said Douglass.

"Another thing is that by bringing the deer down among residential homes, dogs become a problem. We have a lot of problems each winter with dogs chasing deer. We encourage people to control their dogs and not allow them to chase deer."

Often, too, the food that residents give to deer includes hay and apples. Given in large quantities, these foods can be a death sentence for deer.

Those who are concerned about deer in their area are asked to contact the nearest DWR office.

The plan is to keep the feeding program in operation through the winter.

"Once we commit to feeding, it's something we stay with through the winter. Deer have a complex digestive system. There's a transition period, so it's something you just don't stop."

The DWR has set up an emergency fund to pay for the feed. It then relies on volunteers to distribute the feed to the various sites.

For information visit www.muledeer.org or send an e-mail through the DWR Web site — www.wildlife.utah.gov.

Reasons why public should not feed deer