ARS 13-2927: Unlawful feeding of wildlife

What the State Must Prove Under § 13-2927

A. A person commits unlawful feeding of wildlife by intentionally, knowingly or recklessly feeding, attracting or otherwise enticing wildlife into an area, except for:

1. Persons lawfully taking or holding wildlife pursuant to title 17 or pursuant to rules or orders of the Arizona game and fish commission.
2. Public employees or authorized agents acting within the scope of their authority for public safety or for wildlife management purposes.
3. Normal agricultural or livestock operational practices.
4. Tree squirrels or birds.

The State must prove every element of the paragraph it actually charged, beyond a reasonable doubt. Which paragraph appears on the complaint decides what the case is about, and it is the first thing to check.

Penalties for a § 13-2927 Conviction

Felony ranges are set by A.R.S. § 13-702(D) and apply to a first felony conviction that is not dangerous and not repetitive. A dangerous offense (§ 13-704), a repetitive offense (§ 13-703) or a dangerous crime against children (§ 13-705) carries a longer range, and some carry mandatory prison with no probation. Misdemeanor maximums come from §§ 13-707 and 13-802; surcharges are added on top of every fine.

Full Text of A.R.S. § 13-2927

Source: Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2927, Arizona Legislative Council revision of 09/19/25. Read the official text on azleg.gov. Statutes change; verify the current version before relying on it.

Related Statutes in Chapter 29 — Offenses Against Public Order

• A.R.S. § 13-2926 — Abandonment or concealment of a dead body
• A.R.S. § 13-2928 — Unlawful stopping to hire and pick up passengers for work
• A.R.S. § 13-2929 — Unlawful transporting, moving, concealing, harboring or shielding of unlawful aliens
• A.R.S. § 13-2924 — Unlawful solicitation of tort victims
• A.R.S. § 13-2930 — Unlawful funeral or burial protest activities
• A.R.S. § 13-2923 — Stalking
• A.R.S. § 13-2922 — Interference with transmissions on public safety land mobile radio frequencies
• A.R.S. § 13-2921 — Harassment

How Tamou Law Group Defends § 13-2927 Cases

A § 13-2927 case is decided by the paragraph the State charged, not by the statute as a whole. We start with the charging document and the disclosure, identify which subsection the prosecutor has to prove, and test whether the evidence actually reaches every element of it. Where the class turns on a fact such as value, an alleged injury, a prior conviction or the identity of the person involved, that fact is frequently the difference between a petty offense and something far less serious, and it is where these cases are won.

We handle unlawful feeding of wildlife cases across Maricopa County and statewide, from our Scottsdale and Phoenix offices. Call 623-321-4699 any time, or read the statute in full above before you speak to anyone about the case.