| PRINTER'S NO. 1348 |
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. | 1068 | Session of 2013 |
INTRODUCED BY ALLOWAY, KASUNIC, SOLOBAY, WAUGH, FOLMER, BRUBAKER, BROWNE AND SCARNATI, AUGUST 12, 2013
REFERRED TO GAME AND FISHERIES, AUGUST 12, 2013
AN ACT
1Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2Statutes, further providing for dog training areas.
3The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4hereby enacts as follows:
5Section 1. Section 2941 of Title 34 of the Pennsylvania
6Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
7§ 2941. Dog training areas.
8(a) Establishment.--Upon the application of 20 or more
9citizens of this Commonwealth, the commission may issue a permit
10to the applicants authorizing the establishment and maintenance,
11on land owned by them or over which they have legal control, of
12a special dog training area where dogs may be trained at any
13time during the entire year and field trials may be conducted
14without the necessity of securing a field trial permit. No such
15dog training area shall be less than [100] 50 acres nor more
16than 250 acres. Permits shall not be issued for more than ten
17special dog training areas in any one county. Persons training
18dogs in established dog training areas shall not be required to
1have a hunting or furtaking license.
2(b) Training periods.--At any time during the year,
3permittees or guests may train their dogs or the dogs of other
4persons on the designated dog training area.
5(c) Hunting and furtaking restrictions.--[Neither the
6permittees nor any other person shall at any time hunt or take
7furbearers within the confines of the dog training area. The
8permittees, or any person authorized by them, may hunt or trap
9unprotected game or wildlife for the purpose of population
10control. A permit must be secured from the director permitting
11the removal of any protected game or wildlife.] Hunting or
12trapping of a furbearer or other protected game animal by the
13permittee or any other person authorized in writing by the
14permittee may occur during seasons established by the
15commission.
16(d) Big game hunting may be permitted.--Hunting of big game
17may be permitted on dog training areas during seasons fixed by
18the commission. [Action of the permittees to permit big game
19hunting shall be conspicuously posted in the vicinity of the
20area at least two weeks prior to any such season.] A person may
21not hunt big game on a dog training area without permission from
22the permittee, unless the area is conspicuously posted open to
23the public for big game hunting.
24(e) Marking boundary.--[The boundary line of a special dog
25training area shall be plainly and conspicuously posted prior to
26October 1 of each year with legible notices at least 10 by 12
27inches in size, placed in such a manner that any intruder is
28warned of the purpose of the area and bearing such information
29as the commission may require.] A roadway, vehicle entrance or
30pedestrian pathway entering or bordering a dog training area
1must be posted prior to October 1 of each year with either a
2legible notice to warn a trespasser of the purpose of the area
3or by legible no trespassing signs endorsed by the permittee.
4The endorsement must note the purpose of the area.
5(f) Unlawful acts.--It is unlawful to:
6(1) Permit, or through negligence permit, dogs to
7disturb game or wildlife on a dog training area contrary to
8the provisions of this section.
9(2) Trap for any game or wildlife on a dog training area
10without [a permit] written permission from the permittees.
11(3) Willfully, negligently or maliciously cut, remove,
12cover up, deface or otherwise mutilate, injure or destroy any
13special dog training area boundary fence or wire or poster
14placed in accordance with the provisions of this section[.]
15or to willfully, negligently or maliciously destroy,
16vandalize or remove any equipment, vegetation, buildings or
17other facilities within the dog training area.
18(3.1) Willfully, negligently or maliciously kill, maim,
19injure or interfere with a dog engaged in training or field
20trials within a permitted dog training area or to willfully,
21negligently or maliciously interfere with a person training
22dogs or participating in field trial events or lawfully
23engaged in hunting or trapping within a permitted dog
24training area.
25(3.2) Enter onto a posted dog training area without the
26written permission of the permittee for any purpose.
27(4) Violate any other provision of this section.
28(g) Penalty.--A violation of this section is a summary
29offense of the fifth degree.
30Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.