Wausau, WI Animal Ordinances: Coyote Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Deer feeding/baiting
- Prohibited citywide
- Continuing violation
- Each day = separate offense
- Exception
- Mayor-authorized deer removal only
- Citation deposit
- $50.00
- Coyotes as pets
- Banned, Section 8.08.010(a)(6)
Summary
Wausau bans feeding or baiting deer anywhere in the City under Section 8.08.255, with each day of continued feeding counted as its own violation. The only exception is feeding authorized by the Mayor to assist a program removing deer from the City; coyotes as pets are separately banned under Section 8.08.010(a)(6).
8.08.255 - Feeding or baiting of deer.(a)Feeding or baiting prohibited. No person shall feed or bait any deer in the City of Wausau, except as provided in subsection (b) herein. Each day such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.(b)Exception. The feeding of deer may be authorized by the Mayor of the City of Wausau, solely for the purpose of assisting in any program for the removal of deer from the City of Wausau.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
255(a) makes it unlawful to feed or bait any deer within the City of Wausau, a rule aimed at deer congregating in residential neighborhoods and drawing predators, vehicle strikes and property damage along with them. The ordinance treats a continuing feeding operation harshly: each day the violation continues is deemed a separate offense, so a backyard feeder left out for a week can generate multiple citations rather than one. 255(b) carves out a single, narrow exception: the Mayor of the City of Wausau may authorize feeding deer, but only to assist a program aimed at removing deer from the City, not for general wildlife feeding or hunting preparation.
010(a)(6) lists canids, including coyotes and wolves, among the wild animals no one may keep, maintain or possess within the City, with domesticated dogs the only exception, so there is no lawful path to keeping a pet coyote regardless of the deer-feeding rule.
Violations & Fines
Feeding or baiting deer without Mayoral authorization violates Section 8.08.255(a), with each day of continued feeding constituting a separate offense. Because Section 8.08.255 is not among the enhanced-penalty sections in Section 8.08.270(b) through (d), it falls under the chapter's general penalty in Section 8.08.270(a): a forfeiture up to $200.00 plus costs of prosecution, or up to 15 days in the county jail in lieu of payment; the municipal cash deposit schedule sets the standard deposit for a feeding-deer citation at $50.00.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put out corn or salt licks for deer in my Wausau yard?
Is there ever a legal exception to the deer feeding ban?
What does a feeding-deer citation cost in Wausau?
Can I legally keep a pet coyote in Wausau?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wausau
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