(A) It is unlawful to night hunt for feral hogs, coyotes, or armadillos in violation of the provisions of this section.

(B)(1) Feral hogs, coyotes, and armadillos may be hunted at night on registered property on which a person has a lawful right to hunt:

(a) with any legal firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow; and

(b) with or without the aid of bait, electronic calls, artificial light, or night vision devices.

(2) It is unlawful to:

(a) hunt feral hogs, coyotes, or armadillos at night with a firearm within three hundred yards of a residence without the permission of the occupant. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to a landowner hunting on his own land or a person taking feral hogs, coyotes, or armadillos pursuant to a department depredation permit; or

(b) shoot or attempt to shoot a feral hog, coyote, or armadillo, at night, from, on, or across any public paved road.

(C) Persons who have been convicted of night hunting for deer, bear, or turkey during the previous five years are not eligible to participate in night hunting for feral hogs, coyotes, or armadillos under the provisions of this section.

(D) A person who violates this section, upon conviction, must:

(1) for a first offense, be fined not more than five hundred dollars, be imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both;

(2) for a second offense within two years from the date of conviction for the first offense, be fined not more than one thousand dollars nor less than four hundred dollars, be imprisoned as provided for a first offense, or both; and

(3) for a third or subsequent offense within two years of the date of conviction for the last previous offense, be fined not more than one thousand five hundred dollars nor less than five hundred dollars, be imprisoned as provided for a first offense, or both.

(E) In addition to any other penalty, any person convicted for a second or subsequent offense under this section within three years of the date of conviction for a first offense may have his privilege to hunt in this State suspended for a period of two years. No hunting license may be issued to an individual while his privilege is suspended, and any license mistakenly issued is invalid.

(F) In order to assess the night hunting program, the person registering the property must report to the department the number of feral hogs, coyotes, and armadillos taken under the provisions of this section within thirty days following the end of the twelve-month registration period, or prior to registering the property again. Properties for which reports have not been submitted will not be registered again until such time that reports are submitted.

HISTORY: 2017 Act No. 88 (S.443), Section 1, eff May 19, 2017.