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

Research did not locate a Stanislaus County ordinance that specifically bans feeding wild animals in the unincorporated area. Where the County is silent, California state law controls. California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 251.3 prohibits knowingly feeding big game mammals, which include deer, elk, antelope, wild pigs, and bears. State wildlife rules also discourage providing food for non-domesticated mammalian predators such as coyotes, raccoons, foxes, opossums, bears, mountain lions, and bobcats, because feeding alters natural behavior and can create public-safety hazards. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife enforces these provisions, and violations can carry fines. Even without a dedicated feeding ordinance, intentionally or carelessly feeding wildlife can also run into the County's general public-nuisance provisions in Chapter 7.16 if it draws animals that create a nuisance, and attractants that draw a dangerous animal could implicate Chapter 7.28. Residents in the foothill and rural parts of Stanislaus County, where deer, coyotes, and the occasional bear range, should secure trash, pet food, and fallen fruit to avoid attracting wildlife. Anyone unsure whether a specific feeding situation is lawful should contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.