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

Unincorporated Siskiyou County does not have a stand-alone ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wildlife; its Animal Control code (Title 5, Chapter 3) addresses domestic animals, livestock, and rabies rather than wild game. For wildlife feeding, California state law governs. California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 251.3 ("Prohibition Against Feeding Big Game Mammals") states that no person shall knowingly feed big game mammals, as defined in Section 350. Section 350 defines big game to include deer (genus Odocoileus), elk (genus Cervus), pronghorn antelope, wild pig, black bear (genus Ursus), and Nelson bighorn sheep. Siskiyou County's heavily forested terrain is prime black-bear and deer habitat, so this prohibition is directly relevant: intentionally putting out food that draws deer or bears is barred statewide and enforced by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, a measure aimed at reducing human-wildlife conflict and the spread of disease. Practically, residents in bear country are advised to secure garbage, pet food, and other attractants. While the county itself has no dedicated wildlife-feeding ordinance, conditions that draw and concentrate nuisance wildlife could in some cases be addressed through general county nuisance or sanitation provisions, but the core legal prohibition on feeding big game is state law, not a county rule.