Ocean County, NJ Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

New Jersey prohibits feeding deer on state wildlife management areas and regulates deer feeding under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.24. Many Ocean County municipalities have added local bans to address tick-borne illness (Lyme, babesiosis) and deer-vehicle collisions, which are common on Route 9, Route 70, Route 72, and the Parkway corridor. Middletown-style ordinances adopted in shore-area municipalities typically ban intentional feeding of deer, foxes, coyotes, and raccoons. Feeding of gulls, ducks, and geese is commonly banned at Ocean County parks (per Ocean County Parks and Recreation rules) and on beaches — gull-feeding specifically in Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant Beach, and along the LBI boardwalks creates nuisance and sanitary problems. Black bears, formerly rare, have increased presence in northern Ocean County (Jackson, Manchester, Plumsted) — NJDEP BearWise guidelines strongly encourage securing garbage. Outdoor pet food left unattended constitutes unintentional feeding and is typically a violation. Managed feral cat TNR colonies may have separate local exemptions.