PRINTER'S NO. 53
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
77
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY ALLOWAY, BROWNE AND SCARNATI, JANUARY 14, 2015
REFERRED TO GAME AND FISHERIES, JANUARY 14, 2015
AN ACT
Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in special licenses and permits, further providing
for dog training areas.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 2941 of Title 34 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
ยง 2941. Dog training areas.
(a) Establishment.--Upon the application of 20 or more
citizens of this Commonwealth, the commission may issue a permit
to the applicants authorizing the establishment and maintenance,
on land owned by them or over which they have legal control, of
a special dog training area where dogs may be trained at any
time during the entire year and field trials may be conducted
without the necessity of securing a field trial permit. No such
dog training area shall be less than [100] 50 acres nor more
than 250 acres. Permits shall not be issued for more than ten
special dog training areas in any one county. Persons training
dogs in established dog training areas shall not be required to
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have a hunting or furtaking license.
(b) Training periods.--At any time during the year,
permittees or guests may train their dogs or the dogs of other
persons on the designated dog training area.
(c) Hunting and furtaking restrictions.--[Neither the
permittees nor any other person shall at any time hunt or take
furbearers within the confines of the dog training area. The
permittees, or any person authorized by them, may hunt or trap
unprotected game or wildlife for the purpose of population
control. A permit must be secured from the director permitting
the removal of any protected game or wildlife.] Hunting or
trapping of a furbearer or other protected game animal by the
permittee or any other person authorized in writing by the
permittee may occur during seasons established by the
commission.
(d) Big game hunting may be permitted.--Hunting of big game
may be permitted on dog training areas during seasons fixed by
the commission. [Action of the permittees to permit big game
hunting shall be conspicuously posted in the vicinity of the
area at least two weeks prior to any such season.] A person may
not hunt big game on a dog training area without permission from
the permittee, unless the area is conspicuously posted open to
the public for big game hunting.
(e) Marking boundary.--[The boundary line of a special dog
training area shall be plainly and conspicuously posted prior to
October 1 of each year with legible notices at least 10 by 12
inches in size, placed in such a manner that any intruder is
warned of the purpose of the area and bearing such information
as the commission may require.] A roadway, vehicle entrance or
pedestrian pathway entering or bordering a dog training area
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must be posted prior to October 1 of each year with either a
legible notice to warn a trespasser of the purpose of the area
or by legible no trespassing signs endorsed by the permittee.
The endorsement must note the purpose of the area.
(f) Unlawful acts.--It is unlawful to:
(1) Permit, or through negligence permit, dogs to
disturb game or wildlife on a dog training area contrary to
the provisions of this section.
(2) Trap for any game or wildlife on a dog training area
without [a permit] written permission from the permittees.
(3) Willfully, negligently or maliciously cut, remove,
cover up, deface or otherwise mutilate, injure or destroy any
special dog training area boundary fence or wire or poster
placed in accordance with the provisions of this section[.]
or willfully, negligently or maliciously destroy, vandalize
or remove any equipment, vegetation, buildings or other
facilities within the dog training area.
(3.1) Willfully, negligently or maliciously kill, maim,
injure or interfere with a dog engaged in training or field
trials within a permitted dog training area or willfully,
negligently or maliciously interfere with a person training
dogs or participating in field trial events or lawfully
engaged in hunting or trapping within a permitted dog
training area.
(3.2) Enter onto a posted dog training area without the
written permission of the permittee for any purpose.
(4) Violate any other provision of this section.
(g) Penalty.--A violation of this section is a summary
offense of the fifth degree.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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