PRINTER'S NO. 666
No. 588 Session of 1985
INTRODUCED BY LETTERMAN, GEIST, DIETZ, CIMINI, STABACK,
PHILLIPS, GRUITZA AND GRUPPO, MARCH 20, 1985
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, MARCH 20, 1985
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," prohibiting the killing of a bear
5 in open season which weighs less than 125 pounds and does not
6 have a fully developed pair of tusks.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 501(g) of the act of June 3, 1937
10 (P.L.1225, No.316), known as The Game Law, added June 24, 1981
11 (P.L.111, No.37), is amended to read:
12 Section 501. Open Seasons.--* * *
13 (g) Bear Hunting Season and Licensing Requirements.
14 (1) When the commission, by resolution, declares an open
15 season for hunting and taking bear, it shall be unlawful for any
16 person other than persons excepted under section 317, to hunt
17 for, take, kill or wound or attempt to take, kill or wound bear,
18 or to aid or assist any person in any manner to hunt for, take,
19 kill or wound bear without first having legally obtained a
1 current resident or nonresident hunter's license as defined in
2 this act and in addition thereto, a current bear hunting license
3 which shall be obtained from the commission at a fee of five
4 dollars ($5) for a resident and fifteen dollars ($15) for a
5 nonresident. The license shall be in such form as the commission
6 shall determine and shall be displayed while hunting bear by the
7 lawful holder of such license in such manner as the commission
8 shall prescribe. Before the bear license shall be legal for use
9 in hunting, the lawful holder of such license shall sign his
10 first name, middle initial and last name in ink across the face
11 of the license.
12 (2) When the commission declares an open season for hunting
13 and taking bear, in addition to the statutory requirements of
14 this section, the commission, in order to properly manage the
15 resource, shall have authority to adopt any rules and
16 regulations deemed necessary to regulate the hunting, taking,
17 killing, possession or transportation of such species. Such
18 rules and regulations may include but not be limited to the
19 establishment of bear management units, limit the number of
20 hunters who may hunt for bear in such management units, regulate
21 the number of bear licenses which may be issued and prescribe
22 the method and procedure for making application for such license
23 and the issuance thereof. The number of bear licenses which
24 shall be made available to nonresidents of the Commonwealth
25 shall not exceed three percent (3%) of the total number of bear
26 licenses to be issued as determined by the commission.
27 (3) Each person killing a bear of any description during any
28 open bear season shall, within twenty-four hours from time of
29 killing, deliver the bear to a bear check station designated by
30 the commission for examination. Each person delivering such bear
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1 to a designated bear check station shall furnish to officers of
2 the commission information concerning the killing of such bear.
3 Following examination of the bear, the officer of the commission
4 shall attach a metal tag supplied by the commission to the head
5 of each legally killed bear. Such metal tag shall remain
6 permanently attached to the head of the bear or until it has
7 been mounted or tanned.
8 (4) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt for, take,
9 kill, wound, possess, conceal, transport or attempt to take,
10 kill or wound, or to aid or assist any person in any manner to
11 hunt for, take, kill, wound, possess, conceal or transport any
12 bear contrary to the provisions of this subsection or rules and
13 regulations adopted by the commission. It shall be unlawful to
14 kill a bear weighing less than one hundred twenty-five (125)
15 pounds unless it has a fully developed pair of tusks. It shall
16 be unlawful for any person to lend a bear license to another
17 person or for any person to use a bear license issued to another
18 person, or to alter a bear license in any manner. It shall be
19 unlawful for any person killing a bear of any description to
20 fail to deliver such bear to a designated bear check station as
21 herein required, or for any person to remove the metal tag
22 attached to any bear by an officer of the commission contrary to
23 the provisions of this article.
24 (5) Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of
25 this subsection or any rules and regulations adopted by the
26 commission shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay the
27 penalties prescribed in section 506.
28 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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