Monterey County, CA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Monterey County Animal Services states plainly that feeding wildlife in any way is not permitted in the unincorporated county, with the exception of a bird feeder in the yard, citing MCC 8.42.012. The purpose is to prevent habituating wild animals such as coyotes, deer, raccoons, and others to human food sources, which creates safety, nuisance, and public-health problems. The ban is broad: leaving food out for deer, coyotes, raccoons, or other wildlife, or maintaining feeding stations beyond a yard bird feeder, falls within the prohibition. Two related County rules round out the picture. MCC 8.44.050 makes it unlawful to fail to render assistance, or to call for assistance, after knowingly hitting a deer, other wildlife, or a domestic animal with a motor vehicle on public property. And MCC 8.44.010 treats abandoning an animal as a misdemeanor. Residents who encounter injured wildlife should contact Monterey County Animal Services or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator rather than feeding or keeping the animal, because possession of native wildlife is also restricted under California Fish and Game rules. Because cities in the area (such as Pacific Grove and Monterey) have their own wildlife-feeding bans, the rule that applies depends on whether the property is inside or outside city limits; the County code applies in the unincorporated areas.