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

Published Sutter County materials did not include a dedicated ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wildlife in the unincorporated area, so the issue is addressed indirectly through nuisance rules and through California state wildlife law. The county's animal regulations focus on keeping properties free of conditions that attract animals and create nuisances; accumulations of food, litter, and garbage that draw rodents, raccoons, or other wildlife can support a nuisance determination, and Sutter Animal Services Authority responds to nuisance-animal complaints. At the state level, California Department of Fish and Wildlife rules make it unlawful to feed certain big-game and predatory wildlife, such as deer and bears, because intentional feeding habituates animals and creates public-safety and ecological problems. As an agricultural county, Sutter County also has crop-protection and depredation interests that the agricultural commissioner and CDFW handle. Residents who feed birds or maintain feeders should do so in a way that does not create rodent infestations, odor, or attractant problems for neighbors, since those conditions can be cited as nuisances. For specific wildlife conflicts, including coyotes, deer, or other wild animals, residents should contact CDFW or the county; for nuisance conditions on neighboring property, Sutter Animal Services Authority and county code enforcement are the contacts.