Is It Illegal to Feed Deer in Maryland? What the Law Actually Says
July 29, 2026
Maryland sits in an interesting middle ground when it comes to deer feeding laws. Unlike some states that ban the practice outright, Maryland allows you to feed deer under certain conditions — but those conditions matter a great deal, and the rules shift depending on where you are, what you put out, and whether CWD has been detected nearby.
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are one of Maryland’s most visible and widely distributed wildlife species, appearing in backyards from the Eastern Shore to the western mountains of Allegany County. That familiarity makes the urge to feed them understandable — but it also makes knowing the rules essential before you scatter corn or set out a feeder.
This guide breaks down Maryland’s deer feeding laws by location, explains what the state’s CWD regulations add to the picture, and covers the ecological reasons wildlife managers discourage supplemental feeding even where it remains legal.
Is It Illegal to Feed Deer in Maryland?
The short answer is: it depends on where you are. Baiting and feeding deer are permitted statewide in Maryland, except on state-owned or managed properties. That means if you own private land, you are generally within your legal rights to put out feed for deer — but the moment you step onto public ground, the rules change entirely.
It is illegal to place bait for hunting on state lands. This prohibition extends beyond hunters to anyone placing food or attractants on state-owned or managed properties, including Wildlife Management Areas and state forests.
Maryland does not have a single statewide ban on recreational deer feeding the way some neighboring states do. However, local jurisdictions can go further than the state baseline. Municipalities experiencing deer problems may want to consider imposing restrictions on the feeding of deer, or may want to ban the practice altogether. If you live in a town or county with its own ordinances, check with your local government before setting out a feeder.
Pro Tip: Even if feeding is legal on your private property under state law, your county or municipality may have its own stricter rules. Always verify local ordinances before you set out a feeder.
Where and When Deer Feeding Is Restricted in Maryland
The clearest restriction in Maryland is the public land ban. In Maryland, feeding or otherwise known as baiting deer is only legal on private property. It is illegal to feed or bait deer on public land in Maryland. This covers Wildlife Management Areas, state forests, Chesapeake Forest Lands, and any other state-controlled property.
On service-controlled lands and waters, a person may not hunt, shoot, or kill or attempt to hunt, shoot, or kill any game birds or game mammals with the aid of bait. The regulation defines bait broadly, including “fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay, corn, wheat, other feed, salt, or other mineral-based attractant intentionally placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered so as to serve as an attraction or enticement to forest game birds or mammals.”
There is no specific seasonal window during which feeding becomes legal on public land — the prohibition applies year-round. On private land, no seasonal restriction on casual feeding exists at the state level, though hunters using bait must be aware of how baiting rules interact with hunting seasons.
One important carve-out: normal agricultural practices and operations are exempted from this ban, including the planting and harvesting of crops and operations associated with livestock care. The normal feeding of songbirds remains legal. Putting out a bird feeder does not violate Maryland’s deer feeding rules, even if deer occasionally visit it.
Important Note: If you hunt deer on private land in Maryland, placing bait to aid in the harvest of deer is a separate legal question from casual wildlife feeding. Always check current Maryland DNR hunting regulations before using any attractant during hunting season.
What You Can and Cannot Feed Deer in Maryland
Maryland law does not publish a state-approved list of “acceptable” deer foods the way some states do. Instead, the rules focus on where feeding occurs rather than precisely what is offered. That said, understanding what wildlife managers consider harmful — versus what hunters and wildlife watchers commonly use — helps you make informed decisions.
On private land where feeding is permitted, common offerings include:
- Shelled corn (plain or flavored varieties)
- Mineral and salt blocks
- Commercial deer feed and protein supplements
- Natural foods such as fruits, apples, and acorns
Most people put plain shelled corn in their feeder. You can also get flavored corn, including apple flavored corn, as well as acorn flavored and molasses varieties. Mineral blocks and liquid attractants are also widely used by hunters and wildlife observers on private property.
What you should avoid anywhere in Maryland — public or private — is placing food in a way that creates an unnaturally dense congregation of deer. This practice can lead to an increase in the overall health of adult deer temporarily, can contribute to an unnaturally high concentration of deer, and can lead to increased deer damage problems. Concentrating deer may facilitate the spread of diseases between deer, cause the depletion of habitat, and may impact forest regeneration.
Processed human foods, bread, and kitchen scraps are never appropriate for deer. These items do not match a deer’s digestive needs and can cause serious nutritional harm, particularly during winter when a deer’s gut bacteria are adapted to a browse-heavy diet.
Deer Feeding and CWD Regulations in Maryland
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a serious concern in Maryland and directly shapes how wildlife managers think about deer feeding. CWD is a disease of the brain and nervous system in the deer family (Cervidae). It has been found in free-ranging elk, moose, mule deer, reindeer, and white-tailed deer. This malady is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy and attacks the brain of cervids, producing small lesions that eventually result in death.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has tested 15,706 deer for CWD since 2002, and it was first detected in November 2010. The first infected deer was harvested by a hunter in Allegany County and was most likely part of an outbreak discovered nearby in Hampshire County, West Virginia, in 2005. To date, 285 infected deer have been detected in Allegany, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Washington counties.
More recently, as of April 2026, during white-tailed deer reduction operations at Catoctin Mountain Park, two deer tested positive for CWD. This was the first CWD-positive detection at Catoctin Mountain Park. The disease continues to expand its footprint in Maryland.
The Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area (CWDMA) in Maryland covers Allegany, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Washington counties to help monitor and manage CWD in deer populations. If you live or hunt in one of these counties, you face additional regulatory scrutiny around deer carcass transport and should stay current with Maryland’s CWD regulations on eRegulations.
Feeding concentrates deer at a single point, which is precisely what CWD surveillance officials want to avoid. The primary objective in the management of CWD is to prevent its spread into new areas. One possible mode of disease transmission is by the movement and disposal of infected carcasses. Nose-to-nose contact at a feeder is another recognized transmission pathway, making supplemental feeding a genuine disease-spread risk even on private land within the CWDMA.
Key Insight: Maryland is considered a CWD-positive state. Hunters transporting deer carcasses out of Maryland must comply with the specific carcass importation rules of neighboring states including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
For comparison, states like Michigan and Wisconsin have enacted far stricter feeding bans specifically in response to CWD, serving as a preview of what Maryland could adopt if the disease continues spreading.
Penalties for Illegally Feeding Deer in Maryland
Violating Maryland’s deer feeding and baiting rules on state-controlled lands is a criminal offense under the Natural Resources Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Penalties vary depending on the nature of the violation.
For baiting violations on state lands tied to hunting activity, the consequences can include loss of hunting privileges in addition to fines. If a person is convicted of violating any provision of Natural Resources Article, Title 10, and the violation causes or results in the injury, death, or destruction of any wildlife, a court may order the person convicted to pay restitution to the State for the resource value of the wildlife.
The table below summarizes the general penalty framework for deer-related violations in Maryland:
| Violation Type | Applies To | Potential Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Baiting / feeding on state lands | All persons | Criminal charge under Natural Resources Article, Title 10; fines |
| Hunting over bait on state lands | Hunters | Fines, license suspension, possible hunting privilege revocation |
| Illegal possession / captivity of deer | All persons | Criminal charge; removing a fawn from the wild and holding them in captivity is against the law in Maryland |
| Deer poaching (antlerless deer) | Hunters | Restitution of not less than $300 but not exceeding $500 per antlerless white-tailed deer |
Local ordinances may impose separate civil fines on top of state penalties. If your municipality has banned deer feeding outright, a violation there is handled at the local level and can result in additional fines independent of any state charge.
The Maryland DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service enforces these rules. If you see someone illegally feeding or baiting deer on public land, you can report it to the DNR or the USDA wildlife hotline at 1-877-463-6497.
Why Feeding Deer Is Discouraged Even Where It’s Legal in Maryland
Maryland’s DNR actively discourages supplemental deer feeding even on private land where no law prohibits it. The reasons go well beyond CWD and touch on basic wildlife ecology, public safety, and the long-term health of deer populations across the state.
Disease transmission. Concentrating deer may facilitate the spread of diseases between deer, cause the depletion of habitat, and may impact forest regeneration. Beyond CWD, deer crowded at feeders can more easily transmit bacterial infections, respiratory illnesses, and parasites.
Lyme disease risk. Deer concentrated at feeding sites may also increase the risk of people contracting Lyme disease. Deer ticks travel on deer, and a feeding station that draws dozens of animals to one corner of your yard concentrates tick activity in that same area.
Human safety. In suburban and urban areas, feeding deer may also lead to an increase in vehicle strikes near the feeding area. Feeding deer can decrease their fear of humans, which may lead to dangerous deer-human interactions. A deer that associates your yard with food will return repeatedly and may become aggressive, particularly during the rut.
Dependency and nutritional harm. Deer that rely on a feeder can suffer when that supply disappears — due to weather, travel, or a neighbor’s decision to stop. Sudden dietary changes from artificial feed to natural browse can also disrupt gut flora and cause a condition called acidosis, which can be fatal.
Habitat pressure. Supplemental feeding is sometimes proposed as a method to decrease deer browsing damage. The concept is to feed deer on a year-round basis or provide an alternative planting or lure crop in an area that will attract deer away from the area where they are causing damage. This practice may have undesirable outcomes, including leading to an unnaturally high concentration of deer and increased deer damage problems.
If you enjoy watching deer on your property, the Maryland DNR recommends planting native browse species, maintaining natural habitat features, and observing from a distance rather than creating a feeding dependency. States with stricter feeding laws — including Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York — have arrived at those rules largely because of the same concerns Maryland wildlife managers raise.
You can also review how other states handle this issue: see our breakdowns for Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Georgia, and Texas for comparison.
The bottom line in Maryland: feeding deer on your own private land is legal under state law, but it carries real ecological and public health costs. Staying informed through the Maryland DNR’s official guidance and checking for any local ordinances in your county or municipality is the responsible first step before you put anything out.