Jasper, when you hear of it killing deer it's because they dumped suddenly large amounts of feed and the deer weren't used to it. It causes a "colik" type problem in their digestive tracts and they get all twisted up. Feeding throughout the year, especially in early spring, helps them recover from a hard winter diet. Set your feeder up to put out a little at a time at first then slowly increase output over a few weeks till you reach a good feed density for your deer.