Is It Illegal to Feed Deer in Wyoming? What State Law Actually Says
July 6, 2026
If you live near Wyoming’s open range country or a town where mule deer wander through backyards each winter, the urge to set out a little extra feed is understandable. The question of whether doing so is actually legal, though, turns out to be more layered than a simple yes or no.
Wyoming does not have a state law against feeding deer; however, there are laws against hunting deer at a site where “bait” has been placed, regardless of land ownership type. That distinction — between casual feeding and hunting-related baiting — is central to understanding the rules that apply to you. On top of the state framework, a growing number of Wyoming municipalities have added their own prohibitions that carry real financial penalties.
This article walks through the full picture: where local bans apply, what you can and cannot put out, how chronic wasting disease (CWD) shapes the rules, and why wildlife managers discourage deer feeding even in places where it remains technically legal.
Is It Illegal to Feed Deer in Wyoming?
Wyoming does not have a statewide law banning deer feeding, and it is not illegal to feed big game animals on private property under state statute. That makes Wyoming different from states like Michigan or Wisconsin, where statewide feeding restrictions are firmly in place. The absence of a blanket state rule, however, does not mean feeding deer is without consequence in Wyoming.
Many cities across Wyoming have adopted “no deer feeding” laws to help decrease the negative impacts of congregating deer within city limits. If you live inside one of those municipalities, local ordinance governs your situation — not state law. Sundance, Buffalo, Thermopolis, Jackson, Dubois, Cody, Cheyenne, Newcastle, Lander, Laramie, and Rawlins all have laws on the feeding of wildlife. That list covers a wide geographic spread of Wyoming communities, so checking your local ordinances before putting out feed is a necessary first step.
There is also a firm statewide line around hunting. No person shall place any bait for the purpose of taking a big game animal, nor shall any person knowingly take a big game animal by the use of any bait that has been deposited, placed, distributed or scattered in a manner to constitute a lure, attraction or enticement to, on or over the area where any hunter is taking big game animals. This baiting prohibition applies on both public and private land statewide.
Pro Tip: Before putting out any feed for deer, contact your city or county government directly to confirm whether a local wildlife feeding ordinance applies to your address. Ordinances can change, and what was permitted a few years ago may not be today.
Where and When Deer Feeding Is Restricted in Wyoming
The patchwork of local ordinances is where most Wyoming residents will actually encounter a legal restriction on deer feeding. Two well-documented examples illustrate how these local rules work in practice.
In the City of Cody, it is unlawful for any person to place, distribute or allow any device or any fruit, grain, mineral, plant, salt, vegetables, seed or birdseed or other materials outdoors on any public or private property which feeds or attracts deer. The ordinance covers both intentional and inadvertent feeding, and it is the duty of each property owner or occupant to remove any and all food placed on the property in violation of this section. Failure to remove such food within twenty-four hours after written notice from the city, or otherwise continuing to feed deer after receiving notice, constitutes a violation.
In Teton County, which includes the city of Jackson, the feeding of wildlife on your property is strictly prohibited. This includes supplying attractants that are human food, pet food, hay, forage product or supplement, grain, seed, salt licks, birdseed, garbage, or salt licks. Rock Springs takes a similar approach: it is unlawful for any person to intentionally provide supplemental feed for any deer, elk, antelope or other wild herd animal species within the corporate limits of the city.
Seasonal timing matters in some jurisdictions as well. Winter is when deer naturally move closer to residential areas in search of food, and it is precisely when many municipalities enforce their feeding bans most actively. Feeding near cities and towns brings animals to areas where they are more likely to cross roadways where their risk of being struck by vehicles is greater. If you are in a rural, unincorporated area without a local ordinance, the state-level baiting prohibition around hunting still applies year-round.
What You Can and Cannot Feed Deer in Wyoming
Outside of municipalities with feeding bans, Wyoming state law focuses its restrictions on what is considered “bait” in a hunting context rather than on feeding as a general practice. Understanding the boundary between lawful supplemental feeding and illegal baiting is important for both landowners and hunters.
Under Wyoming statute, the baiting prohibition does not apply to normal or accepted agricultural management practices, and it does not prohibit taking big game animals over stored and standing crops, salt, mineral or other feed scattered solely as a result of normal and accepted agricultural practices. Working ranches and farms with crops or livestock feed are generally not in violation when deer happen to access that material.
The Cody ordinance provides a useful reference for what types of materials are treated as potential deer attractants in a municipal setting. Exceptions include planted material growing in gardens or standing crops, naturally growing materials including fruit and vegetables, and stored crops provided the stored crop is not intentionally made available to deer. Bird feeders present a specific challenge: the feeding of birds is permitted where the bird food is made unavailable to deer. Hanging feeders high enough that deer cannot reach them is the standard approach.
When it comes to what deer can actually safely consume, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is direct. The WGFD admonishes people not to feed hay to deer because it can kill them. Instead, deer must be given artificial feed specially formulated for their digestive systems. This applies even in areas where some form of supplemental feeding is not explicitly prohibited by local ordinance.
Important Note: Even if you are in an area without a local feeding ban, putting out hay, corn, bread, or common livestock feed can seriously harm or kill deer. Their digestive systems are not equipped to handle rapid dietary changes. If feeding is your goal, consult the WGFD before selecting any feed product.
| Material | Status in Most Wyoming Municipalities with Bans | Status Under State Hunting/Baiting Law |
|---|---|---|
| Corn, grain, pellets | Prohibited | Prohibited as hunting bait |
| Hay and alfalfa | Prohibited | Prohibited as hunting bait; also harmful to deer |
| Salt or mineral licks | Prohibited | Prohibited as hunting bait |
| Bird seed (accessible to deer) | Prohibited | May constitute bait if used near hunting area |
| Standing crops / garden plants | Generally exempt | Generally exempt under agricultural practices |
| Naturally growing vegetation | Exempt | Exempt |
| Specialized deer feed (formulated) | Prohibited in ban areas | Prohibited as hunting bait; legal otherwise outside ban areas |
Deer Feeding and CWD Regulations in Wyoming
Chronic wasting disease is one of the most pressing wildlife management concerns in Wyoming, and it is directly connected to the debate over deer feeding. CWD is a chronic, fatal disease of the central nervous system in mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and moose. Wyoming has been dealing with CWD longer than almost any other state.
CWD was first identified in free-ranging mule deer in southeastern Wyoming in 1985, followed by elk in 1986. Based on early surveillance data, a small area in southeastern Wyoming containing the Laramie Mountain mule deer herd, South Converse mule deer herd, Goshen Rim mule deer herd, and Laramie Peak elk herd was termed the “core endemic area.” Since those early detections, the disease has spread significantly. CWD is now found across most of the state, with new detections suggesting continued westward spread of the disease.
Feeding deer directly worsens CWD risk because of how the disease spreads. Evidence suggests that CWD is transmitted via saliva, urine, feces, or even infected carcasses. Animals may also be infected through the environment via contamination of feed or pasture with CWD prions, which can persist for many years. When deer congregate at a feeding site, those transmission pathways multiply rapidly.
Disease is a major consideration. Artificial feeding of wildlife generally concentrates the animals in a small area. These conditions are ripe for diseases and parasites to be readily spread from one animal to the next and throughout a whole herd. Wyoming does not currently have a statewide feeding ban tied specifically to CWD the way some other states have enacted, but the WGFD’s position is clear: feeding deer accelerates disease risk, and the department actively discourages it on those grounds. You can review Wyoming’s CWD monitoring and management approach on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s CWD page.
If you hunt deer in Wyoming, CWD regulations add another layer of compliance. Wyoming’s regulations outline requirements for transporting and disposing of all big game carcasses to minimize the possibility of transmission. The department may mandate hunters submit CWD samples from harvested deer, elk, and moose from designated hunt areas within Wyoming to evaluate testing, monitoring, and management actions. For more on how neighboring states manage this disease, see our articles on deer feeding laws in Colorado and deer feeding laws in Minnesota.
Penalties for Illegally Feeding Deer in Wyoming
The penalties you could face for illegally feeding deer in Wyoming depend on whether the violation falls under a local municipal ordinance or a state-level hunting and baiting statute. The two carry very different consequences.
At the local level, Teton County provides one of the clearest examples of enforcement. Feeding wildlife is against Teton County regulation, and you can get fined up to $750 a day. That daily accumulation means even a short period of non-compliance after a written notice could result in a significant financial penalty. Cody’s ordinance similarly requires removal within 24 hours of written notice, with continued violations constituting a separate offense.
At the state level, violations involving baiting for hunting purposes carry more serious consequences. Violation of the baiting statute constitutes a high misdemeanor punishable as provided in Wyoming statute 23-6-202(a)(ii). According to Wyoming law, a high misdemeanor carries fines up to $10,000, jail time up to twelve months, revocation of hunting license for the remainder of the year, and suspension for up to six years.
- Municipal feeding violation (e.g., Teton County): Fines up to $750 per day after written notice
- Municipal feeding violation (e.g., Cody): Violation triggered 24 hours after written notice; ongoing fines apply
- State baiting violation (hunting context): High misdemeanor — fines up to $10,000, up to 12 months in jail, hunting license revocation and suspension up to 6 years
- Failure to submit mandatory CWD samples: Constitutes a violation of Game and Fish Commission regulations
It is worth noting that penalties for deer-related violations in other states can look quite different. See how Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio approach enforcement for comparison.
Why Feeding Deer Is Discouraged Even Where It’s Legal in Wyoming
Even in rural Wyoming locations where no municipal ban applies and no hunting is involved, the WGFD and conservation organizations strongly advise against feeding deer. The reasons go beyond legal compliance and touch on the basic biology and behavior of the animals you are trying to help.
The digestive risk is the most immediate concern. A rapid transition from high-fiber woody browse to high-carb/protein human-provided foods — like hay, corn, livestock feed, birdseed, or basically anything from a store — can disrupt a deer’s stomach and kill it. Feeding can lead to conditions in ruminants called acidosis and enterotoxemia, which will kill a mule deer in 24 to 72 hours. Symptoms include convulsions, diarrhea, and weakness. The animal may appear healthy while eating and then die hours later out of sight.
Behavioral disruption is another documented problem. If a deer is conditioned to remain near a feeding site, it might not migrate from its winter range to its summer range. Over the long term, this compromises the population as a whole. Fed deer also tend to lose their fear of people, which can negatively affect survival. And when food is concentrated, deer compete and exclude smaller and weaker deer, inadvertently leading to starvation.
Urban conflict is a third factor. When feeding occurs in cities or towns, it can draw more deer together, which increases the risk of disease transmission, parasites, and, in some areas, the presence of predators. Deer near urban centers are also more likely to get into conflicts with pets and other domestic animals. What starts as a well-meaning gesture can end with a deer being struck by a car or euthanized by Game and Fish personnel after becoming habituated to human contact.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has consistently maintained that Wyoming residents are fortunate to live in such close proximity to wildlife, but along with that comes the responsibility of learning how to properly coexist with them — including resisting the urge to “help” wildlife through the winter by feeding them.
If you want to support local deer populations, the most effective approach is to preserve or restore native vegetation on your property, advocate for wildlife-friendly land management, and report sick or injured deer to the WGFD rather than attempting to supplement their diet. Residents in other states navigating similar questions can find state-specific guidance in our articles on Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Texas, and Georgia.
Key Insight: Wyoming’s mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) have microorganisms in their digestive systems that shift seasonally to process natural winter forage — primarily woody browse. Introducing human-provided foods disrupts this adaptation and can be fatal, even when the animal appears to be eating eagerly.
The bottom line for Wyoming residents is straightforward: check your local ordinances first, never bait for hunting purposes anywhere in the state, and recognize that even where feeding is technically permitted, the biology and disease ecology of Wyoming’s deer make it a practice best avoided.