PRINTER'S NO. 3571
No. 2645 Session of 1982
INTRODUCED BY PRATT, DOMBROWSKI, STEIGHNER AND VAN HORNE,
SEPTEMBER 14, 1982
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GAME AND FISHERIES, SEPTEMBER 14, 1982
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," further providing for the use of
5 semi-automatic rifles.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 704, act of June 3,
9 1937 (P.L.1225, No.316), known as "The Game Law," amended March
10 22, 1974 (P.L.201, No.41), is amended to read:
11 Section 704. Unlawful Methods of Hunting.--(a) Unlawful
12 Methods and Devices. It is unlawful for any person to shoot at
13 or to shoot for any wild bird or wild animal unless it is
14 plainly visible to him, or to dig, cut, or smoke or in any other
15 manner take any live wild bird or wild animal, other than a
16 predator, out of its den or place of refuge, except that
17 woodchucks may be dug out of their dens in cultivated fields,
18 under the conditions stipulated in the preceding section.
19 Except as otherwise provided, it is unlawful to hunt for,
1 catch, take, kill, or wound, or attempt to catch, take, kill, or
2 wound any wild bird or wild animal of any kind through the use
3 of, (a) what is commonly known as an automatic gun or an
4 automatic firearm of any kind, except that semi-automatic
5 shotguns may be used for hunting and killing small game, nongame
6 birds, predators, and unprotected birds; and except that a semi-
7 automatic shotgun may be used for hunting and killing big game
8 by a person having suffered an amputation of one or both hands
9 or by a person who is a paraplegic or a quadriplegic if the
10 shotgun has been limited to a three-shell capacity in magazine
11 and chamber combined by a plug in such a manner that the plug
12 cannot be removed without disassembling the gun; (b) or a
13 magazine shotgun to hunt for any bird or animal, other than big
14 game, unless it has been limited to three-shell capacity in
15 magazine and chamber combined by a plug in such a manner that
16 the plug cannot be removed without disassembling the gun, or a
17 swivel gun or an air-rifle, or the apparatus known as a
18 silencer; (c) or from an automobile or vehicle or boat or craft
19 of any kind, propelled by any mechanical power; (d) or to set,
20 lay or prepare for use or to use any bait, hay, grain or other
21 food, or any trap, snare, set-gun, net, bird-lime, deer-lick,
22 pit-fall, turkey blind or turkey pen; the term "set-gun" as
23 herein used meaning any contrivance, device, or firearm capable
24 of discharging, or projecting, a deadly charge or missile, which
25 is set to operate in the absence of the owner; (e) or to make
26 use of, or take advantage of, any artificial light, battery, or
27 other contrivance or device, except that artificial lights such
28 as are ordinarily carried in the hand or on the person, may be
29 used for the purpose of taking raccoons, opossums, skunks and
30 foxes; (f) or to make use of any method or device not
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1 specifically permitted by this act, for the purpose of catching,
2 taking, wounding, or killing wild birds or wild animals.
3 * * *
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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