PRINTER'S NO. 3404
No. 2562 Session of 1978
INTRODUCED BY LIVENGOOD AND LETTERMAN, JUNE 13, 1978
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, JUNE 13, 1978
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1225, No.316), entitled
2 "An act concerning game and other wild birds and wild
3 animals; and amending, revising, consolidating, and changing
4 the law relating thereto," extending to owners and trainers
5 of raccoon hounds the same privileges granted to owners and
6 trainers of fox hounds during the closed training season.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 719, act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1225,
10 No.316), known as "The Game Law," amended August 1, 1963
11 (P.L.443, No.234), is amended to read:
12 Section 719. Training of Dogs on Certain Game; Exception for
13 Fox Hunting.--Except as otherwise provided in this act, or in
14 defense of person or property, it is unlawful for the owner of
15 any dog or a dog under his control, to permit such dog to chase,
16 pursue, or follow upon the track of any wild bird or wild animal
17 either day or night, between the first day of April and the
18 thirty-first day of July next following: Provided, however, That
19 the commission, upon receipt of a petition for fox hunting or
20 for raccoon hunting signed by two hundred and fifty (250) or
1 more residents of a county, who held hunting licenses of the
2 previous year, or who are farmers or sheep raisers, whether
3 licensed to hunt or not, shall by resolution, notice of which
4 shall be published as required by this act, designate any
5 county, or part thereof, in which hunting foxes or hunting
6 raccoons with dogs at any time, either day or night, shall be
7 lawful throughout the entire year and each year thereafter,
8 except for such sixty-day period as the commission may
9 designate, when complying with the provisions of this act
10 relative to hunting licenses or permits. Whenever it shall be
11 determined by license holders of the previous year or farmers or
12 sheep raisers whether licensed to hunt or not that a change is
13 desirable in the closed period for fox hunting or raccoon
14 hunting, then such change shall be accomplished by petition to
15 the commission as provided above.
16 During the hours from sunrise to nine o'clock postmeridian,
17 eastern standard time, dogs, when accompanied by and under
18 control of their owner or handler, may be trained upon any game
19 in this Commonwealth, except elk, deer, or bear, or wild turkey,
20 from the first day of August to the thirty-first day of March
21 next following, unless said period be further restricted by
22 resolution of the commission, so long as no firearms usually
23 raised at arm's length and fired from the shoulder are carried
24 and no injury is inflicted upon said animals or birds, except
25 that during the foregoing period, and under the conditions
26 stipulated, it shall be lawful to train dogs upon raccoons from
27 sunrise to midnight, eastern standard time: Provided, however,
28 (a) That it shall be unlawful to train dogs on Sunday, unless
29 the consent of the owner of the land where such training is
30 being done has first been secured, but no such consent shall be
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1 required in the case of State and National forest lands, and (b)
2 that the commission may by resolution change the daily hours
3 designated in this section to make adjustment for time changes
4 or time designations established by Federal law or any
5 regulations promulgated under Federal law.
6 "Under control" is hereby defined to mean within call except
7 when actually on a trail or track of legal game.
8 Any person who shall train a dog or dogs, or permit a dog or
9 dogs under his control, to pursue or follow upon the track of
10 any small game, or other bird or animal, except elk, deer or
11 bear, contrary to the foregoing provisions, shall, upon
12 conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of ten dollars and costs
13 of prosecution for each offense.
14 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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