Austin, TX Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Chapter 10-8 targets urban deer overpopulation directly. Sec. 10-8-3(A) makes it an offense to "intentionally feed deer or make food available for consumption by deer on private or public property within the territorial limits of the city." Sec. 10-8-3(B) then creates a rebuttable presumption: placing food, or causing food to be placed, on the ground outdoors or on any outdoor platform standing fewer than five feet above the ground is presumed to be intentional deer feeding. "Food" is defined in Sec. 10-8-1 to include corn, fruit, oats, hay, nuts, wheat, alfalfa, salt blocks, grain, vegetables, and commercially sold wildlife, bird, or livestock feed, but the definition specifically excludes shrubs, live crops, plants, flowers, vegetation, gardens, trees, and fruit or nuts that fall naturally from trees, so ordinary landscaping is not swept into the ban.

The chapter carves out two defenses. Sec. 10-8-3(C) exempts animal control officers, veterinarians, peace officers, City employees, and state or federal wildlife officials acting within their authority, along with property owners authorized by government to manage, trap, or remove deer. Sec. 10-8-4 adds an affirmative defense for a person who places food in good faith to feed domestic livestock or pets on the property, meaning a homeowner feeding a dog in the backyard isn't automatically liable even if deer end up eating the leftovers. The City also runs a parallel education track: Sec. 10-8-2 directs the city manager to run a community program on the dangers of urban deer overpopulation, rather than relying on enforcement alone.