Jackson County, MO Animal Ordinances: Coyote Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- No feeding/baiting wildlife without permit
- Scope
- County parks and rail corridor only
- Permit
- Written permission from Parks Director required
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 1 year jail
- Excludes
- Kansas City and other cities' own codes
Summary
Jackson County bans feeding or baiting any wildlife, including deer, raccoons, and coyotes, in county parks without the Parks Director's written permission, targeting the deer and coyote conflicts that follow backyard-style feeding on public park land.
No person shall feed or bait any wildlife, including all mammals, birds (excluding feeding at songbird stations), deer, raccoons, and any other species of wildlife, in any Jackson County park, without the written permission of the Director.
Full Breakdown
Under Jackson County Code § 5018.7, no person shall feed or bait wildlife, all mammals, birds outside songbird stations, deer, raccoons, or any other species, including coyotes, anywhere in the Jackson County park system without the Parks + Rec Director's written permission. The rule covers county parks, waterways, and the Rock Island Rail Corridor, not private land or the rest of unincorporated Jackson County, and it does not reach Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Blue Springs, Raytown, or Grandview, each of which enforces its own municipal code. Violating any provision of this park regulations chapter, including this one, carries up to a $1,000 fine or a year in the county detention center under § 5093, with each incident charged separately.
Violations & Fines
Feeding wildlife without Director permission is enforceable under Chapter 50's general penalty: up to $1,000 in fines or up to one year in county detention, each violation counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed deer or coyotes in a Jackson County park?
Does this rule apply in Kansas City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson County
Compare Jackson County to another location·View the Missouri animal ordinances overview
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