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Oneida County, WI Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Prohibited
Feeding or baiting any wild animal
Where
Inside boundary of a County campground
Also banned
Hunting, trapping, killing wildlife in campground
Forfeiture
$100.00 ($249.00 with costs)
Not covered
Private land; countywide DNR baiting rules apply instead

Summary

Feeding or baiting any wild animal inside the boundary of an Oneida County-owned campground is unlawful under General Code § 14.18(4)(e)2, a flat prohibition with no permit exception. The same subsection also bars hunting, trapping or killing wildlife within a campground, and a citation carries a $100.00 forfeiture, $249.00 with costs.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Oneida County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

It is unlawful to feed or bait any wild animals within the boundary of a campground.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4929683; v20 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).

Full Breakdown

18(4)(e), the Hunting and Trapping Regulations that apply within Oneida County's own campgrounds on County Forest land, contains two flat prohibitions. Paragraph 1 makes it unlawful to take, catch, kill, hunt, trap, pursue or otherwise capture any wild animal or bird inside a campground's boundary. Paragraph 2, grouped with paragraph 1 on the County's own violation schedule, separately makes it unlawful to feed or bait any wild animal within that same campground boundary. Neither paragraph carries an exception for licensed hunters, wildlife photographers or campers trying to attract birds to a feeder.

This is a location-specific rule reaching only the boundary of a County-owned campground; it is not a countywide feeding ban, and it does not reach deer-baiting or feeding rules on private land or other County forest land outside a campground, which instead fall under the Wisconsin DNR's statewide baiting and feeding regulations. 04(4)(a)4. 635 are added.

Violations & Fines

A § 14.18(4)(e)2 citation for feeding or baiting wildlife in a campground carries a $100.00 forfeiture, rising to $249.00 with costs, per the Addendum A schedule under § 25.04(4)(c). The County Forest Administrator, Assistant Forest Administrator, County Forester or Sheriff's Department may issue the citation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put out a bird feeder at my campsite?
No. Section 14.18(4)(e)2 makes it unlawful to feed or bait any wild animal within the boundary of an Oneida County-owned campground, and the text draws no distinction between deer baiting and a backyard-style bird feeder.
Does this rule apply outside campgrounds too?
No. It reaches only the boundary of a designated Oneida County Forest campground. Feeding or baiting wildlife elsewhere in the county, including on private land or other County forest property, is instead governed by Wisconsin DNR statewide rules, not this county code section.
What's the penalty for feeding wildlife at a campsite?
The County's Addendum A schedule lists a $100.00 forfeiture for a § 14.18(4)(e)2 citation, which rises to $249.00 once court costs and statutory assessments are added, the same amount charged for the companion ban on hunting or trapping wildlife in a campground.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Oneida County

All Oneida County rules

Compare Oneida County to another location·View the Wisconsin animal ordinances overview

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