House Bill 979

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-95, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ADD FORWARD-LOOKING INFRARED (FLIR) AND THERMAL IMAGING DEVICES TO THE PROHIBITED MEANS OF TAKING GAME AT NIGHT; TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO HUNTS, TAKES OR KILLS ANY ANIMAL DURING LEGAL HUNTING HOURS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SEARCHES FOR AND/OR RECOVERS SUCH MORTALLY WOUNDED ANIMAL WITH THE AID OF A LIGHT OR LIGHTING DEVICE, IS NOT IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION; TO CLARIFY THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE USE OF TRACKING DOGS FOR THE RETRIEVAL OF WHITE-TAILED DEER SHOT AND WOUNDED DURING LEGAL HUNTING HOURS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 49-7-95, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

49-7-95. (1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, any person who hunts or takes or kills any deer at night by headlighting, by any lighting device * * * or, light amplifying device, "forward-looking infrared (FLIR)" or thermal imaging device, shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a Class I violation and shall be punished as provided in Section 49-7-141.

(b) For any person to be charged with a violation of this subsection, that person must have been observed committing an overt act consistent with the hunting of deer at night with the aid of a light, lighting device * * * or, light amplifying device, "forward-looking infrared (FLIR)" or thermal imaging device. Such observation of an overt act may include, but shall not be limited to, witnessing the discharge of a weapon capable of killing a deer, hearing the report of a firearm being fired, seeing the person in possession of a recently killed deer which could not have been killed during legal hunting hours, or witnessing the person committing any acts consistent with headlighting deer in violation of this subsection.

(c) A person who hunts, takes or kills any animal during legal hunting hours, and subsequently searches for and/or recovers such mortally wounded animal with the aid of a light or lighting device, is not in violation of this section.

(2) (a) Violators of subsection (1), twenty-one (21) years old or older, upon conviction, shall also forfeit all hunting, trapping and fishing privileges for a period of not less than three (3) consecutive years from the date of conviction and shall attend such courses prescribed by the commission. A violator shall pay a reinstatement fee of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) to have his privileges restored.

(b) A person twenty-one (21) years old, or older, convicted of a first violation of subsection (1) may petition the commission to have his privileges restored after one (1) year from the date of his conviction. The commission may prescribe conditions on the restoration of privileges for a first-time offender, and the first-time offender shall pay a reinstatement fee of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00).

(c) A violator of subsection (1) under the age of twenty-one (21), upon conviction, shall forfeit all hunting, trapping and fishing privileges for one (1) year from the date of conviction, and shall attend courses prescribed by the commission. A violator under the age of twenty-one (21) may petition the commission to have his privileges restored after he has paid his penalty. The violator shall pay a reinstatement fee of Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) to have his privileges restored.

(d) A person under the age of twenty-one (21) convicted of a second or subsequent violation of subsection (1) shall forfeit all hunting, trapping and fishing privileges for a period of not less than three (3) consecutive years from the date of conviction and shall attend courses prescribed by the commission. The person shall pay a reinstatement fee of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) to have his privileges restored.

(e) A person who is appealing from a violation of subsection (1) shall have his hunting privileges suspended or revoked as provided in Section 49-7-27.

(3) This section shall not apply to any deer killed in an accident with any motor vehicle.

(4) Anyone found guilty of violating this section who shoots or kills any livestock shall be punished as provided in Section 97-41-15, in addition to the penalties provided in this section.

(5) It shall be unlawful for a person to shine a light from a public road or right-of-way, or on the property of another, at night, from one-half (1/2) hour after sunset to one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise. This section shall not apply: (a) to the normal use of headlights of a vehicle traveling on a public road or right-of-way; (b) to law enforcement, emergency or utility personnel in the performance of their official duties; (c) to landowners, agricultural or hunting leaseholders or their designated agents with written authorization from the landowner or agricultural leaseholder, and upon lands owned or leased by the landowner, leaseholder or agent; (d) to persons lawfully hunting, fishing or trapping; or (e) a landowner, agricultural leaseholder or a designated agent in the act of searching for or retrieving escaped livestock or pets. Any person convicted under this provision shall be guilty of harassment of wildlife and shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than sixty (60) days nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(6) It shall not be unlawful for any licensed or exempt hunter or tracker to track or pursue a deer that was lawfully shot and wounded during legal hunting hours, into the night after legal hunting hours, and to dispatch the deer if the deer is found and is still alive. A licensed or exempt hunter or tracker tracking or pursuing a wounded white-tailed deer into the nighttime hours may use reasonable means to assist the pursuit, including, but not limited to, lights and blood-trailing/tracking dogs. If tracking/blood-trailing dogs are used, no more than two (2) dogs may be used. If the animal being tracked is discovered to still be alive, but wounded, the hunter or tracker may dispatch the animal by using a handgun with a barrel no longer than six (6) inches and chambered in a caliber no larger than .45 caliber. For the purposes of this section, a "licensed hunter" or "licensed tracker" shall mean a hunter or tracker with the proper license for hunting white-tailed deer.

Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as allowing any individual to trespass upon the lands of another while in pursuit of an injured or wounded white-tailed deer animal.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.