Dane County, WI Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Wisconsin Stat. §29.335 and Wis. Admin. Code NR 10.07 prohibit the baiting and feeding of deer in any county with a CWD-positive detection; Dane County has been under a continuous ban since 2002. Violations are Wisconsin DNR citations typically $343.50. Madison General Ordinance §9.22 prohibits feeding deer, wild turkeys, geese, and ducks on city property or in a manner that attracts them to neighbor properties. Bird feeders are allowed but must be maintained to prevent rodent attraction and may be ordered removed under MGO §7.30 nuisance rules. Dane County Code §46.06 broadly prohibits conditions that attract nuisance wildlife in unincorporated areas, including unsecured trash, pet food left outdoors, and intentional feeding of deer, coyotes, raccoons, or feral cats. The Wisconsin DNR's CWD response plan applies to all Dane County properties. Bear feeding is a separate Wis. Stat. §29.329 violation, though bear presence in Dane County is rare. Feeding protected migratory waterfowl can also violate federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 USC 703).