If you live in Washington and have been putting out corn, apples, or a salt block for the deer wandering through your yard, you need to know that the rules changed — and they changed significantly. What was once a personal choice or a gray area in Washington wildlife law is now a clear statewide prohibition with real financial consequences.
Understanding exactly what is and is not allowed can save you from an unexpected fine and, more importantly, help protect the deer, elk, and moose populations that make Washington’s wild spaces so remarkable. Here is everything you need to know about deer feeding laws in Washington state.
Is It Illegal to Feed Deer in Washington
Per a rule approved by the WDFW director, effective May 17, 2025, it is illegal to feed deer, elk, and moose in Washington, as feeding draws animals together where they can spread disease. This is a statewide rule with no seasonal window or county-by-county exceptions for the general public.
On March 24, 2025, WDFW’s director approved the rule prohibiting feeding deer, elk, and moose in Washington, and the rule went into effect May 17, 2025. The regulation is codified under WAC 220-440-260, which makes it an infraction to place, deposit, distribute, or scatter feed including, but not limited to, grain, hay, minerals, salt, fruit, or other such substances to feed, lure, or attract deer, elk, or moose not lawfully held in captivity.
Washington joins a growing number of states that have moved to restrict or eliminate supplemental deer feeding in response to wildlife disease concerns. If you have been feeding deer in your backyard for years, the law has fundamentally shifted, and the change is permanent — not a temporary emergency measure.
Important Note: This is not a seasonal restriction. The ban applies year-round, statewide, regardless of whether you live in Eastern or Western Washington.
Where and When Deer Feeding Is Restricted in Washington
The prohibitions on baiting and feeding apply statewide. There is no distinction between urban backyards, rural properties, or public lands — the rule covers all of Washington. Similarly, there is no time of year when feeding becomes temporarily legal for private citizens.
Even though CWD has only currently been detected in Eastern Washington, the statewide feeding ban prevents undetected disease outbreaks from spreading between populations. In other words, the geographic reach of the ban was intentionally broader than the current disease footprint to get ahead of potential spread.
There are limited exceptions, but they apply only to specific authorized parties. The director may authorize the feeding of deer, elk, or moose under the following conditions: to prevent damage to private property, to mitigate population loss anticipated by a predicted winter mortality, or to support a WDFW research or management program. These are narrow, director-authorized exceptions — not a general carve-out for landowners or hobbyists.
WDFW is also evaluating its own wildlife feeding practices in areas where elk are fed to reduce human-wildlife conflict in agricultural areas. At WDFW’s Oak Creek, L.T. Murray, and Wenas wildlife areas in south-central Washington, elk and bighorn sheep are fed throughout the winter. In concert with extensive fencing, the feeding program helps keep elk and bighorn sheep off adjacent private property where they may cause damage or contract diseases from domestic animals. These managed programs are conducted under controlled conditions that private citizens cannot replicate.
Agricultural operations receive a specific exemption. The rule does not apply in the completion of agricultural practices such as cultivation, production, and harvest of crops including fruit, vegetables, hay, and grains, or animal husbandry related to the care and feeding of domestic livestock and poultry. If deer happen to access a crop field, that is not a violation — but deliberately placing food out to attract deer is.
What You Can and Cannot Feed Deer in Washington
The short answer is that you cannot feed deer anything in Washington. The law does not distinguish between “good” and “bad” foods — the act of placing food to attract or feed deer is what is prohibited. That said, understanding the specific items listed in the rule helps clarify just how broadly it applies.
Under the new rule, it is illegal to place, distribute, deposit, or scatter feed including, but not limited to, grain, hay, fruits, salt blocks, and more to deer, elk, and moose species in Washington. The phrase “not limited to” is important — the list is illustrative, not exhaustive.
- Grain and corn — prohibited, including deer corn commonly sold at feed stores
- Hay and alfalfa — prohibited when placed to attract or feed deer
- Fruit and vegetables — prohibited, including apples, carrots, and similar items
- Salt and mineral blocks — prohibited, even those marketed specifically for wildlife
- Pelletized deer feed — prohibited for private citizens regardless of formulation
- Bait for hunting — prohibited; baiting deer, elk, or moose while hunting has also been prohibited under new rules adopted by WDFW.
Pro Tip: Planting native shrubs, berry-producing plants, and browse species on your property is a legal and ecologically sound way to support local deer without violating the feeding ban. WDFW’s Habitat at Home program offers guidance on exactly this approach.
One of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the rule involves indirect feeding. Under the new rule, it is also illegal to feed any other Washington wildlife if doing so causes deer, elk, or moose to congregate in the area — even if you aren’t intending to feed them. This means a bird feeder can become a legal problem if deer are regularly attracted to it.
This includes bird feeders that might attract deer, elk, or moose, and WDFW advises removing bird feeders or other items that might attract these animals to prevent the potential spread of CWD and other diseases. If you enjoy feeding songbirds, you may need to assess whether your setup is drawing in deer. You can learn more about different types of bird feeders and consider whether your current feeder style and placement is likely to attract deer.
Scent-based hunting attractants are also off the table. Baiting deer, elk, and moose in Washington is banned statewide, and using scent lures derived from cervid urine or glandular materials is also prohibited.
Deer Feeding and CWD Regulations in Washington
The feeding ban did not emerge in a vacuum. It is a direct response to the arrival of Chronic Wasting Disease in Washington — a development that changed how state wildlife managers think about deer congregation and disease transmission.
In 2024, CWD was first detected in a white-tailed deer in Spokane County. Additional cases of CWD were found in Spokane County, and one case was found in Pend Oreille County during the hunting season in 2024. Washington had been one of the last western states without a confirmed CWD case, and the detection triggered an immediate regulatory response. You can read more about the deer hunting season in Washington and how CWD rules affect hunters specifically.
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurologic illness of cervids, which include deer, elk, moose, and caribou. CWD is caused by an infectious prion protein and transmitted from animal to animal through feces, saliva, urine, or through contaminated environments. Unlike bacterial or viral diseases, prion diseases cannot be treated or vaccinated against.
In the case of CWD, disease-causing prions are also spread through the environment. A sick animal at a feeding site may deposit prions in the environment that are spread to a different animal visiting the feed site later. This environmental persistence is what makes feeding sites particularly dangerous — the risk does not disappear when the deer leave.
As of August 2025, CWD has been reported in animals in at least 36 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. Washington’s experience mirrors what other states have gone through, and WDFW has studied those outcomes carefully. WDFW research biologist Melia DeVivo has stated that CWD is the “most important disease threatening North American cervids,” and that because it’s caused by prions, animals don’t have an immune response to the condition.
Key Insight: CWD prions can persist in soil and water at a feeding site for years after an infected animal visited. Removing a feeder does not immediately eliminate the contamination risk at that location.
The feeding ban is just one component of Washington’s broader CWD management framework. Anyone who salvages a deer or elk in WDFW’s Eastern Region must submit the whole head with at least three inches of the neck attached or extracted retropharyngeal lymph nodes to WDFW for CWD sampling within five days. Mandatory reporting of hunting activity is also required if you harvest a deer, elk, or moose in WDFW’s Eastern Region (100 series GMUs).
Transport restrictions are also in place. If you harvest or salvage deer, elk, moose, or caribou outside of Washington, there are rules under WAC 220-413-030 regulating how you can bring your meat and trophies home — you cannot bring whole carcasses into Washington. Understanding the types of deer in North America and their overlapping ranges can help put Washington’s cross-border transport rules in context.
Washington’s deer population includes several species and subspecies, including different types of deer found across varying terrain. Each is susceptible to CWD, which is why the regulations apply broadly across all cervid species rather than targeting a single population. For a broader look at deer diversity, see the types of deer found across the US.
Penalties for Illegally Feeding Deer in Washington
Violating the deer feeding ban in Washington carries a concrete financial penalty. In Washington state, feeding deer, elk, or moose is punishable by an infraction and a fine of $179, according to Chase Gunnell, communications manager for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Fines from infractions are issued through the county court system, similar to a traffic ticket. This means the citation process is relatively straightforward — you receive a notice, and the fine is processed through your county’s court system without necessarily requiring a court appearance.
However, enforcement is not purely punitive in its initial approach. Fish and Wildlife police officers in Washington have some discretion when dealing with offenders and typically focus first on education, including expert advice to avoid unlawfully feeding wildlife. If you are found to be feeding deer, an officer may issue a warning and explain the law before escalating to a formal citation — but that is at the officer’s discretion, not a guarantee.
| Violation | Classification | Penalty | Processed Through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feeding deer, elk, or moose | Infraction (WAC 220-440-260) | $179 fine | County court system |
| Indirect feeding that causes cervid congregation | Infraction | $179 fine | County court system |
| Baiting for hunting purposes | Infraction (WAC 220-414-030) | $179 fine | County court system |
The $179 fine may seem modest, but repeat violations or cases involving large-scale feeding operations could attract greater scrutiny. WDFW officers have the authority to document ongoing violations, and patterns of non-compliance are taken more seriously than isolated incidents.
It is also worth noting that the indirect feeding provision — where your bird feeder or compost pile draws deer — falls under the same infraction framework. Ignorance of the rule is not a formal legal defense, so it is worth auditing your property now rather than waiting for an officer to knock on your door.
Why Feeding Deer Is Discouraged Even Where It’s Legal in Washington
Even setting the legal question aside, wildlife biologists have long maintained that supplemental feeding harms rather than helps wild deer populations. The law simply made official what science has been saying for years.
The most immediate biological problem is digestive. The digestive systems of free-ranging moose, elk, and deer do not digest non-natural feed properly. Fruit and grains are not a large part of their natural diet and can be extremely difficult for them to digest. They must use different gut microbes to break down corn and apples compared to what they use to digest their more fibrous natural foods, and this mismatch in gut microbes can result in animals starving because they are unable to absorb the nutrients they need.
Deer, elk, and moose can even die from rumen acidosis, a metabolic disorder that occurs when an animal with a rumen rapidly transitions from eating normal forage to consuming high volumes of fruit or grain. This is a well-documented cause of death in deer that have been fed by well-meaning people — particularly during winter months when the switch from fibrous browse to grain is most dramatic.
Common Mistake: Many people assume that putting out food in winter “saves” struggling deer. In reality, a rapid diet shift to grain or fruit can cause rumen acidosis, which is potentially fatal. Deer’s digestive systems need weeks to adjust to any new food source.
Beyond digestion, supplemental feeding creates a cascade of secondary problems. Feeding can draw animals across well-traveled roads where they are more likely to present a safety hazard and be hit by cars. Deer and elk drawn to artificial feed can also damage nearby agricultural areas, trees, or landscaping, especially if the artificial feed supply is not maintained. Concentrating deer and elk at feeders can also make the animals more vulnerable to predation, poaching, and disease.
Habituation to humans is another documented concern. Deer fed by humans may lose their fear of humans and become aggressive, increasing the potential for property damage and vehicle collisions. A deer that associates your yard with food will keep returning — and may eventually become bold enough to cause problems for neighbors or passersby. Understanding the natural predators of deer helps illustrate why maintaining natural wariness in deer is important for their survival.
From a population health standpoint, the feeding rule helps reduce the unnatural concentration and congregation of deer, elk, and moose that occurs when they are fed by people, and CWD and other diseases have been shown to spread when deer, elk, or moose congregate. Feeding sites function as disease amplifiers, not sanctuaries.
If you want to support local deer and wildlife without running afoul of the law, WDFW offers constructive alternatives. WDFW encourages residents to support wildlife in ways other than feeding them, such as participating in their Habitat at Home program, learning about local biodiversity, and by connecting with nature around and outside their homes. Planting native vegetation, maintaining brush cover, and reducing disturbance during critical seasons are all ways to genuinely benefit the deer in your area. For broader context on deer biology and behavior across different regions, exploring deer species found across the US or the predators of white-tailed deer can deepen your understanding of what these animals actually need to thrive.
Another way to help wild animals in winter is to avoid disturbing them. Animals must conserve their energy to survive winter conditions, and human disturbance causes them to move about. Keeping dogs confined and slowing down when traveling through deer and elk habitat are practical steps anyone can take. These actions cost nothing and carry no legal risk — unlike leaving out a bucket of corn.