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

Merced County's animal code (Chapter 7.04) focuses on domesticated animals, dangerous animals, and wild-animal keeping permits; none of the County sources reviewed for this summary establishes a general prohibition on feeding wildlife such as birds, squirrels, or feral cats. That said, attracting wildlife can create nuisance and rabies-exposure concerns, and the County's animal control manager may use live traps for nuisance animals (Section 7.04.190(M)). At the state level, the California Fish and Game Commission's Title 14 CCR Section 251.3 prohibits the intentional feeding of big game mammals (including deer, elk, bears, and wild pigs); feeding these animals can draw predators and is enforced by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Feeding can also indirectly violate other rules — for example, allowing feed to attract rodents or create unsanitary conditions may trigger nuisance enforcement. If you are dealing with persistent wildlife or coyote issues in unincorporated Merced County, contact Merced County Animal Services and, for protected or big-game species, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.