GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1989 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 642

SENATE BILL 486

 

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION TO SCHEDULE MANAGED HUNTS FOR GAME BIRDS.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 113-264(d) reads as rewritten:

"(d)      The Wildlife Resources Commission may schedule managed hunts for any species of big game wildlife to be held on game lands. Participants in such hunts shall be selected at random by computer from properly licensed applicants. A nonrefundable fee of five dollars ($5.00) will be required of each applicant to defray the cost of processing the applications."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 113-291.2(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      In accordance with the supply of wildlife and other factors it determines to be of public importance, the Wildlife Resources Commission may fix seasons and bag limits upon the wild animals and wild birds authorized to be taken that it deems necessary or desirable in the interests of the conservation of wildlife resources. The authority to fix seasons includes the closing of seasons completely when necessary and fixing the hours of hunting. The authority to fix bag limits includes the setting of season and possession limits. Different seasons and bag limits may be set in differing areas; early or extended seasons and different or unlimited bag limits may be authorized on controlled shooting preserves, game lands, and public hunting grounds; and special or extended seasons may be fixed for those engaging in falconry, using primitive weapons, or taking wildlife under other special conditions. Unless modified by rules of the Wildlife Resources Commission, the seasons, shooting hours, bag limits, and possession limits fixed by the United States Department of Interior or any successor agency for migratory game birds in North Carolina must be followed, and a violation of the applicable federal rules is hereby made unlawful. When the applicable federal rules require that the State limit participation in seasons and/or bag limits for migratory game birds, the Wildlife Resources Commission may schedule managed hunts for migratory game birds. Participants in such hunts shall be selected at random by computer from properly licensed applicants.  A nonrefundable fee of five dollars ($5.00) shall be required of each applicant to defray the cost of processing the applications.

Where there is a muzzle-loading firearm season for deer, with a bag limit of five or more, one antlerless deer may be taken.  Dogs may not be used for hunting deer during such season."

Sec. 3.  G.S. 103-2 reads as rewritten:

"§ 103-2.  Hunting on Sunday.

If any person shall, except in defense of his own property, hunt on Sunday, having with him a shotgun, rifle, or pistol, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and pay a fine not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00) or [be] imprisoned not exceeding 30 days.  Provided, that the provisions hereof shall not be applicable to military reservations, the jurisdiction of which is exclusively in the federal government. government, or to field trials authorized by the Wildlife Resources Commission.  Wildlife protectors are granted authority to enforce the provisions of this section."

Sec. 4.  This act is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of July, 1989.