Restrictions on feeding wildlife

RESTRICTIONS ON FEEDING WILDLIFE

Kentucky law (301 KAR 2:015) prohibits feeding of wildlife in certain instances to help protect and conserve populations of native species, which provide important ecological, social, and economic benefits to the Commonwealth. These include restrictions that are 1) statewide or 2) area-specific, as described below. Restrictions on feeding/baiting help reduce impacts from disease and unnaturally high predator concentrations, particularly when wildlife are young and more susceptible to these threats.

Statewide Prohibition on Recreational Feeding of Wildlife: March 1 - July 31

	Approved Methods
Plantings (such as food plots planted for forages, grains or legumes) for wildlife and normal agricultural practices are permissible statewide. Salt and mineral licks for wildlife are permissible statewide. Bird feeders within the curtilage of the home (immediate yard) are permissible statewide. Fish may be fed year-round (in private ponds).

Year-round Wildlife Feeding Exemptions:

In public areas not open to hunting or trapping, unless otherwise prohibited by statute, administrative regulation, or municipal ordinance.
Within the curtilage of the home.
In a Zoo or facility that lawfully keeps or exhibits wildlife for rehabilitation, rescue or public viewing.

Statewide Prohibition on Feeding of Wildlife: March 1 - July 31

Wildlife shall not be fed statewide in Kentucky from March 1 through July 31 except as follows per 301 KAR 2:015, where “feeding”:

(a) Means willingly, wantonly, or knowingly depositing, distributing, or scattering of shelled, shucked, or unshucked corn, millet, milo, safflower seed, sunflower seed, thistle, wheat, or other grain or any manufactured feed or food product to be consumed by wildlife; and

(b) Does not mean the establishment and maintenance of plantings for wildlife, foods found scattered solely as the result of normal agricultural planting practices or harvesting practices, foods available to wildlife through normal agricultural practices of livestock feeding if the areas are occupied by livestock actively consuming the feed on a daily basis, or standing farm crops under normal agricultural practices.

Plantings (such as food plots planted to forages, grains or legumes) for wildlife and normal agricultural practices are permissible statewide.

Salt and mineral licks for wildlife are permissible statewide except in the CWD Surveillance Zone counties (see below).

Bird feeders within the curtilage of the home (immediate yard) are permissible statewide.

Fish may be fed year-round (in private ponds).

Hunting & Trapping
(2023-24)

Deer Baiting and Feeding Restrictions in the CWD Surveillance Zone

For regulations and restrictions on feeding in the CWD Surveillance Zone, visit our CWD Surveillance Zone webpage.

Restrictions on feeding wildlife