Pierce County Code has no ordinance specifically prohibiting the feeding of wildlife in the unincorporated county. Feeding that attracts pests or creates a health or safety problem can still be addressed as a public nuisance, and Washington state wildlife rules discourage feeding deer and other game.
A search of the Pierce County Code returns no chapter or section that bans or specifically regulates feeding wild animals (deer, raccoons, coyotes, waterfowl, etc.) in the unincorporated county. There is likewise no rodent-attractant feeding ordinance in the code. That said, feeding is not consequence-free. If feeding wildlife draws rats or other vermin, creates offensive odors, or otherwise becomes a condition that 'unreasonably annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others,' it can be abated under the county's public-nuisance provisions in PCC Chapter 8.08. Separately, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife discourages feeding deer, elk, and other game statewide because it spreads disease and creates dangerous human-wildlife conflicts, and it is unlawful under state rule
There is no Pierce County penalty for feeding wildlife by itself. Enforcement arises only if the feeding creates a public nuisance — attracting rats or pests, odor, or health risks — which can be abated under PCC Chapter 8.08, with
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See how Pierce County's wildlife feeding rules stack up against other locations.
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