Farmington Hills, MI Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Farmington Hills is a fully developed suburban community in southern Oakland County that, like neighboring Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Rochester Hills, and Novi, has experienced chronic white-tailed deer overpopulation as the surrounding region has urbanized and predators have been extirpated. The City adopted ORDINANCE C-5-2017 in 2017 prohibiting residents from feeding the deer within Farmington Hills. The ordinance was part of a multi-element deer-management strategy that has included community surveys, coordination with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and (controversially) a controlled cull program. The local ordinance complements - and does not displace - MICHIGAN'S STATEWIDE BAN on baiting and feeding deer and elk in the Lower Peninsula. The Michigan Natural Resources Commission adopted the statewide Lower Peninsula bait-and-feed ban via Wildlife Conservation Order amendment in 2018 in response to confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in white-tailed deer, with the public-health objective of slowing disease transmission by preventing artificial concentration of animals at feeding stations. The statewide ban applies to feeding for any purpose, not just hunting, and applies to corn, sugar beets, apples, salt blocks, mineral blocks, and any other deer-attractant. Penalties for violating the state ban include misdemeanor charges and fines. In Farmington Hills, this means residents face TWO layers of enforcement for feeding deer: (a) the local Ordinance C-5-2017 enforced by Farmington Hills Public Safety and Oakland County Animal Control; and (b) the state Wildlife Conservation Order enforced by Michigan DNR Conservation Officers. INCIDENTAL FEEDING: residential bird feeders, squirrel feeders, and pet food left outdoors are not categorically banned, but if they become deer attractants - particularly cracked corn, fallen birdseed accessible at ground level, or feeders that deer can reach - they can trigger enforcement under either the local ordinance or the state Conservation Order. Pet food left outdoors also attracts skunks, raccoons, opossums, and coyotes; under Chapter 17 (Nuisances) of the Farmington Hills Code such practices can be cited as nuisance violations if they generate complaints. Residents are advised to use deer-resistant landscape plantings, install fencing around vegetable gardens, secure trash containers, and remove fallen fruit from ornamental trees to reduce deer attraction. DNR resources on safe wildlife-friendly bird feeding (elevated, deer-resistant feeders, sweeping fallen seed) are available at michigan.gov/dnr. Hunting is generally not permitted within Farmington Hills city limits except under specific City-DNR controlled-cull programs.