Anne Arundel County, MD Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Anne Arundel County Code Article 12 (Health) prohibits the intentional feeding of white-tailed deer in residential areas — a response to chronic Lyme disease, vehicle collisions on MD-2/MD-450/MD-214, and over-browsing in Broadneck, Severna Park, and Edgewater. Maryland Department of Natural Resources regulations (COMAR 08.03.10) prohibit feeding black bears statewide and make unsecured trash that attracts bears a civil violation in western counties, with AA County DNR officers applying the same rule if bear activity is documented (occasional sightings along the Patuxent corridor near Fort Meade). Waterfowl feeding at county parks (Sandy Point, Downs Park, Kinder Farm, Quiet Waters) is prohibited by park rules and discouraged countywide because concentrated Canada goose flocks contribute to Chesapeake Bay nutrient pollution and avian influenza risk. Unsecured trash, pet food, and bird feeders that concentrate nuisance wildlife (deer, raccoons, foxes) can be declared attractive nuisances. Feral cat colonies are handled under the county TNR policy administered by Animal Care & Control.