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23LSO-0696
ORIGINAL Senate
ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0178
ENROLLED ACT NO. 46,
SENATE
SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2023 General Session
AN ACT relating to game and fish; providing for mountain lion pursuit seasons; providing for a special management permit for a mountain lion pursuit as specified; specifying the use of dogs to hunt, kill or pursue mountain lions; providing a penalty; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1.
W.S. 23
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302(a) by creating a new paragraph (xxxiii), 23
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307 by creating a new subsection (c), 23
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102(d) and 23
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109(a) are amended to read:
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302.
Powers and duties.
(a)
The commission is directed and empowered:
(xxxiii)
To consider establishing and regulating resident mountain lion pursuit seasons. In any areas of the state where mountain lion hunting has been authorized and during a mountain lion pursuit season, a resident may use dogs to pursue a mountain lion but no mountain lion shall be killed.
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307.
Special management permit.
(c)
The commission may by rule require the purchase of a special management permit by any person participating in resident mountain lion pursuit seasons.
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102.
Taking certain game animals without license or during a closed season prohibited.
(d)
Any person who knowingly takes any antlered elk, antlered deer, antlered moose, horned antelope, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, mountain lion, grizzly bear or black bear without the proper license or during a closed season
and any person who knowingly kills a mountain lion during a mountain lion pursuit season,
except as otherwise permitted by this act
,
is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or both.
A third or subsequent conviction within ten (10) years for a violation of this subsection shall constitute a felony punishable by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, or both. For the purposes of determining whether a violation of this subsection is a felony, convictions resulting from the same occurrence shall be considered a single conviction even if the result of the occurrence is more than one (1) misdemeanor conviction. The provisions of W.S. 6
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101(a) shall not apply to convictions under this section.
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109.
Use of dogs; dogs injuring big or trophy game animals may be killed; citation of owners of dogs harassing game animals; penalties; leashed dogs for tracking.
(a)
No person shall use any dog to hunt, run or harass any big or trophy game animal, protected animal or furbearing animal except as otherwise provided by this act. The commission shall regulate the use of dogs to take mountain lions and bobcats by residents and nonresidents during hunting or trapping seasons.
The commission shall regulate the use of dogs to pursue mountain lions by residents during hunting or trapping seasons.
Section 2.
The game and fish commission shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement the provisions of this act on or before July 1, 2023.
Section 3
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(a)
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective July 1, 2023
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(b)
Sections 2 and 3 of this act are effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk
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