Anoka County, MN Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Feeding wildlife
- Banned without Director's or designee's permission
- Also banned
- Harassing, hunting, or removing wild animals
- Covers
- Mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks
- Penalty
- Petty misdemeanor, fine and/or imprisonment
- Enforcement
- Sheriff, local police, Parks Department staff
Summary
Anoka County bans feeding any wildlife in a county park unless the Director or designee gives permission first, and separately outlaws harassing, disturbing, or removing wild animals from park land. The rule reaches deer, geese, ducks, and every other wild creature, whether the feeding happens from a trail, a picnic table, or a parked car.
"Wildlife" means any living creature, not human, wild by nature, endowed with sensation, power of voluntary motion, including, but not limited to, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and mollusks. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to: a. Kill, trap, hunt, remove, harass, annoy, pursue, or in any manner disturb or cause to be disturbed, any species of wildlife, except as permitted in designated areas; or ... c. Feed any wildlife in a park without permission of the Director or designee; or d. Remove any animal, living or dead, from a park or conservation area without a Permit or contrary to the provisions of this ordinance or the laws of the State of Minnesota.
Full Breakdown
Chapter V, Section 2 of the Amended and Restated Park Ordinance No. 2018-1 makes it unlawful to feed any wildlife in a county park without permission of the Director or designee. The ordinance defines 'Wildlife' broadly as any living creature, not human, wild by nature, endowed with sensation and voluntary motion, including but not limited to mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and mollusks, so the feeding ban covers everything from Canada geese and deer to turtles and fish in a park pond. The same section separately bans killing, trapping, hunting, removing, harassing, annoying, pursuing, or otherwise disturbing any species of wildlife except in areas the county has designated for that purpose, and bars removing any animal, living or dead, from a park or conservation area without a Permit or in violation of state law.
A related clause bans releasing or abandoning any animal within a park without a Permit, closing off a common route people use to dump unwanted pets or wildlife they've raised. Anoka County Parks Department staff and peace officers, including Sheriff's deputies and local police, enforce the section under the ordinance's general enforcement chapter, and can issue a warning or eject a visitor caught feeding animals in violation of posted rules.
Violations & Fines
Feeding wildlife without the Director's permission, or otherwise disturbing, harassing, or removing wild animals from a county park, is a petty misdemeanor under Chapter VIII, Section 2, carrying a fine and/or imprisonment unless state law enhances the charge. Enforcement Officers can eject a violator from the park under Chapter VIII, Section 1(b), and any Permit connected to the visit can be revoked under Chapter VIII, Section 5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed the geese or deer at an Anoka County park?
What other wildlife activities are restricted in county parks?
What's the penalty for feeding wildlife in a park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anoka County
Compare Anoka County to another location·View the Minnesota animal ordinances overview
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