Lee County, NC Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Penalty
- $100.00 civil penalty plus possible park expulsion
- Scope
- County parks only, not private property countywide
- Fishing exception
- Allowed under state wildlife resources commission rules
- Contraband
- Unlawfully taken wildlife seized under Sec. 18-34(d)
- Enforcement
- Parks and recreation department and sheriff's office
Summary
Lee County's parks ordinance bans harming, trapping, hunting, shooting or feeding any bird, mammal, reptile or amphibian on county park property, and it is illegal to take eggs, nests or young. Sec. 18-34(c) declares county parks wildlife sanctuaries, and the parks department can seize any bird or animal taken illegally.
(c)Wild animals and birds. No person shall molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, hunt, chase, capture, shoot, feed or throw missiles at any mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian; nor shall he remove or have in his possession the eggs, nests or young of any wild animal. Parks are sanctuaries for wildlife of all kinds.
Full Breakdown
Inside every county park (San-Lee Park, Buchanan Park, Horton Park, Dalrymple Park and the others operated by the county's parks and recreation department), Sec. 18-34(c) of the Code of Ordinances forbids anyone to molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, hunt, chase, capture, shoot, feed or throw missiles at any mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian. Taking or possessing eggs, nests or young of any wild animal is likewise prohibited. The code labels county parks wildlife sanctuaries. An exception exists for fishing, which the same subsection allows only under the rules of the state wildlife resources commission.
Sec. 18-34(d) treats any bird, animal or fish taken in violation as contraband: county parks staff can seize it and turn it over to the department of parks and recreation for disposal. Enforcement runs through the parks and recreation department and the sheriff's office, and Sec. 18-32 sets a flat civil penalty of $100.00 for violating any provision of the parks article, with expulsion from the park an additional consequence the director can impose. The protection is tied to county park property; it does not extend to private land or the rest of unincorporated Lee County, where bird and wildlife issues fall to state law rather than a county ordinance.
Anyone hosting a youth group, running a nature program, or simply walking a county park trail in unincorporated Lee County should expect rangers to treat feeding waterfowl or disturbing a nest the same as trapping game.
Violations & Fines
Violating Sec. 18-34(c), whether by feeding waterfowl at San-Lee Park, disturbing a nest, or hunting on county park land, carries a $100.00 civil penalty per Sec. 18-32 and can result in immediate expulsion from the park. Any bird, fish or animal taken unlawfully is subject to seizure as contraband under Sec. 18-34(d) and is turned over to the parks and recreation department for disposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed ducks or geese at a Lee County park?
Does the bird protection rule apply outside county parks?
What happens if I catch a fish or bird in a Lee County park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee County
Compare Lee County to another location·View the North Carolina animal ordinances overview
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