GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1997 SESSION

 

 

S.L. 1997-103

HOUSE BILL 629

 

 

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT HUNTING FROM THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND TO MODIFY THE LAW LIMITING THE USE OF CENTER-FIRE RIFLES IN HARNETT COUNTY.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  It is unlawful to hunt, take, or kill, with a firearm or other deadly weapon, or to attempt to hunt, take, or kill, with a firearm or other deadly weapon, any wild animal or wild bird on, from, or across the right-of-way of any public road, street, highway, or thoroughfare.

Section 2.  It is unlawful to discharge a firearm from, onto, across, or down the right-of-way of any public road, street, highway, or thoroughfare.

Section 3.  Section 1 of Chapter 791 of the 1983 Session Laws reads as rewritten:

"Section 1.  It is unlawful to use a center-fire rifle in hunting on the land of another or from any road or right-of-way adjoining the land of another without the written permission of the owner or lessee of that land.  The written permission shall be dated, it shall be effective for only 12 months after it is granted, it shall not be transferable, and it shall be carried on the person of anyone using a center-fire rifle to hunt."

Section 4.  Nothing in this act prohibits a person from entering upon the right-of-way of a public road, street, highway, or thoroughfare for the sole purpose of retrieving hunting dogs or retrieving game that has fallen onto the right-of-way as a result of the person's hunting activity.

Section 5.  Violation of Section 1 or 2 of this act is a Class 3 misdemeanor.

Section 6.  This act is enforceable by law enforcement officers of the Wildlife Resources Commission, by sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, by officers of the Highway Patrol, and by other peace officers with general subject matter jurisdiction.

Section 7.  This act applies only to Harnett County.

Section 8.  This act becomes effective October 1, 1997.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 27th day of May, 1997.

s/   Dennis A. Wicker

President of the Senate

 

s/   Harold J. Brubaker

Speaker of the House of Representatives