Can I feed wild animals in Czechia?
No — leave the feeding of forest game to the gamekeepers. Under the Game Management Act, supplementary feeding belongs to the hunting-ground user, who has the plan, the feeding stations and the right fodder. Wild feeding harms the animals (bread seriously hurts deer), changes their behaviour and above all draws wild boars into towns — which is why municipalities and hunters fight it hard. In cities a second layer applies: anti-pigeon-feeding decrees. Prague fines on the spot and up to CZK 30,000 in proceedings, Česká Lípa up to CZK 20,000, and such decrees keep spreading. The principle is simple: wild animals should stay wild — a rescue station helps a distressed one, a bread roll does not.
📋 The rules
- Game feeding: the hunting-ground user (licensed hunters) by plan
- Wild feeding harms game and attracts boars into built-up areas
- Pigeon feeding in public spaces: banned by city decrees
- Fines: Prague on-the-spot + up to CZK 30,000; other cities similar
- Injured animals: call a rescue station, don't feed
🔓 Exceptions
- Bird feeders in your own garden: fine (in winter, with proper feed)
- Waterfowl feeding is often restricted too — bread always harms swans
- Injured animals: call a rescue station or the hunting guard — do not feed or handle them
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Breaching a municipal feeding decree: an on-the-spot fine, and in proceedings up to CZK 30,000 in Prague or up to CZK 20,000 in Česká Lípa — each city sets its own bands. The consequence can cost more than the fine: feeding that lures wild boars into built-up areas creates liability for the damage they do to gardens and property. And then there is the bill nobody issues: fed game loses its shyness, drifts towards roads and streets, and ends up under wheels. Bread meanwhile directly harms deer and waterfowl — here, good intentions are the worst adviser.
📎 Official sources
- Prague 4 · Pigeon feeding fined up to CZK 30,000 (CS) →
- iROZHLAS · City pigeon-feeding bans (CS) →
- CNN Prima · Česká Lípa: fines to 20,000 (CS) →
❓ Frequently asked
Why can't I feed deer in winter?
The wrong feed, bread above all, seriously harms deer, and feeding shifts game behaviour and distribution. In hard times the hunting-ground user feeds proper fodder at stations, under a plan — not a passer-by with a bag.
May I keep a bird feeder?
Yes — a feeder in your own garden is fine, in winter and with suitable feed such as sunflower seeds or suet. Bread does not belong in it, and keep the feeder clean or it turns into a source of infection.
What does pigeon feeding cost?
In Prague an on-the-spot fine and up to CZK 30,000 in proceedings; in Česká Lípa up to CZK 20,000. More and more towns are adopting similar decrees, so it pays to check the one where you live.
I found an injured deer. Now what?
Don't feed it and don't handle it — a frightened animal will injure itself and you. Call an animal rescue station or the hunting guard, and until they arrive just watch the animal from a distance.
Why is bread bad for ducks?
It causes wing deformities in waterfowl and, in excess, rots in the water and fouls it for fish too. If you must feed ducks, give them grain and only sparingly — and never where a decree forbids it.
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