Is It Illegal to Feed Wildlife?

April 12, 2018

Question: This question has been bothering me for years. Is it legal to feed wildlife? Some people make it a habit to not only put out seed for the songbirds and nectar for the hummingbirds, and others go so far as to feed the ravens, wild turkeys, foxes and raccoons. I am curious if such laws are enforced and what the penalties are for violating the law? At what point should Fish and Wildlife be notified if this is an ongoing problem? (Ken)

Answer: The California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 251.3, specifically states that it is illegal to feed big game mammals. For other species of wildlife, section 251.1 addresses feeding as “harassment” of animals. “Harass,” as defined in this section, is an “intentional act which disrupts an animal’s normal behavior patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, breeding, feeding or sheltering.” Reasonable amounts of normally used small bird feeders generally do not create an issue of “disrupting normal behavior.”

This section can (and has been) used as a tool to address situations where feeding animals has become problematic – for example, when such large amounts of food are being offered that wildlife no longer need to forage, hunt or sustain themselves naturally. Violation of these sections are misdemeanors.