Hammond, IN Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 91.024, FEEDING WATER FOWL PROHIBITED
- Fine
- $25 flat fine
- Covers
- Ducks, geese, other waterfowl
- Signage locations
- Wolf Lake, George Lake, Forsyth Park
- Adopted
- Ord. 8444, passed 9-9-2002
Summary
In the City of Hammond, Indiana, feeding ducks, geese or other waterfowl anywhere in the city carries a flat $25 fine. The city posts signage at Wolf Lake, George Lake and Forsyth Park, its three main waterfowl habitats, warning residents against feeding the birds.
§ 91.024 FEEDING WATER FOWL PROHIBITED. (A) No person within the city shall feed ducks, geese or other waterfowl. (B) Proper signage shall be placed by the city's Sign Department in the Wolf Lake, George Lake and Forsyth Park. (C) The penalty for violations of this section shall be a fine of $25.
Full Breakdown
" The rule is citywide by its text, not limited to parks, though the ordinance directs the city's Sign Department to post notices specifically at Wolf Lake, George Lake and Forsyth Park, the three locations where waterfowl congregate in the largest numbers and where feeding has historically been most common. 024(C) sets its own fixed penalty: a fine of $25 for a violation. 19) that predates the current waterfowl-specific language. 31's separate ban, in the Parks chapter, on molesting or trapping birds in city parks.
Together the two sections mean Hammond residents may neither feed nor harm the waterfowl at Wolf Lake, George Lake and Forsyth Park, leaving wildlife management of those flocks to the city rather than to individual feeding.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 91.024 is a fixed $25 fine set directly in subsection (C), rather than the chapter's general up-to-$500 penalty under § 91.999. There is no tiered escalation written into the section for repeat offenses; each feeding incident is charged as a separate $25 violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to feed the ducks at Wolf Lake in Hammond?
How much is the fine for feeding waterfowl in Hammond?
Where does Hammond post no-feeding signs for waterfowl?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hammond
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