Washtenaw County has no wildlife-feeding ordinance, but a statewide ban prohibits feeding and baiting deer and elk throughout the Lower Peninsula, which includes Washtenaw County, to control chronic wasting disease.
The county itself does not regulate backyard wildlife feeding. The controlling rule is the Michigan Department of Natural Resources ban on deer and elk feeding and baiting across the Lower Peninsula, in effect since 2018 to slow chronic wasting disease. Washtenaw County is inside the ban zone and, as of 2025, is among the counties where CWD has been found in wild deer. 'Deer and elk feeding' covers depositing or tending feed in areas frequented by wild deer, whether for hunting bait or recreational viewing, so putting corn or food out for deer is prohibited. Cities may add nuisance rules for feeding other wildlife.
Illegally feeding or baiting deer in the Lower Peninsula is a 90-day misdemeanor with a fine between $50 and $500 under DNR enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washtenaw County, MI
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See how Washtenaw County's wildlife feeding rules stack up against other locations.
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