Boulder, CO Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

" That definition sweeps in salt blocks set out for deer and water left for coyotes or bears, not just deliberate food drops. The rule sits inside the same section that bans possessing exotic animals, including ungulates such as deer, so Boulder treats attracting wildlife and keeping it as related problems in one code section. The only built-in defense is Subsection (d): a person cannot be convicted for feeding only wild squirrels, birds, or fish. There is no defense for feeding deer, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, or bears, and no permit process lets a resident feed wildlife legally.

Other provisions in the same chapter reinforce the anti-habituation approach: 6-1-13 bans knowingly killing wild animals protected by state law, and 6-1-9 bans leg-hold and unattended mechanical traps, pairing the feeding ban with restrictions on both harming and over-attracting wildlife. Because 6-1-4(c) carries no penalty of its own, a violation falls under the citywide general penalty in Section 5-2-4: a fine of up to $2,650 per violation, up to ninety days in jail, or both. Animal control officers and any peace officer may enforce the section under 6-1-32, and each day the feeding continues can count as a separate violation under Section 5-2-5(b).