House Bill 623

(COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-33, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY CERTAIN PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE HUNTING OR KILLING OF DEER WITH THE AID OF BAIT; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE, FISHERIES AND PARKS AND MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY TO ESTABLISH A BEST PRACTICE PROCEDURE FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING OF WILDLIFE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 49-7-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

49-7-33. (1) It is unlawful to hunt, trap or kill any wild bird or wild animal of any kind with the aid of bait, recordings of bird or animal calls, or electrically amplified imitations of calls of any kind, except a person:

(a) May use electrically amplified sound devices for hunting coyote and crow;

(b) May use liquid scents for any animal or bird; and

(c) May use lures for trapping furbearing animals, beaver, coyote, fox and nutria according to regulations adopted by the commission; and

(d) May hunt deer with the aid of bait if the bait is not within the hunter's immediate line of sight. Unless a person is openly and visibly hunting deer with the aid of bait within his immediate line of sight, law enforcement officers of the department may not issue a citation or fine any person.

(2) The commission, in its discretion, may relax the restrictions regarding the use of lures or sound devices if a condition arises or exists, as decided by the State Board of Health or county board of health, that may endanger persons or livestock in a certain community, county or area.

(3) A person may use bait to trap wild hogs as defined in Section 49-7-140 during the period between the end of Spring turkey season and the beginning of deer season with bow and arrow.

SECTION 2. The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, in cooperation with Mississippi State University, shall establish a best practice procedure for the supplemental feeding of wildlife and provide a report of its findings, conclusions and recommendation to the committees on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks of the House and Senate by November 1, 2007.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2007.