Bill > HB4184

This bill establishes criminal penalties for the illegal taking of deer, specifically addressing violations such as taking a deer outside of the designated open season or illegally taking a deer using an artificial light. Penalties for these offenses include fines ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, potential jail time of up to one year, or both. Repeat offenders face even steeper fines and a five-year loss of hunting privileges. Furthermore, if an illegal deer taking occurs in the presence of a minor, all fines and penalties are doubled, and any damages to property, crops, or even robotic deer will also result in doubled fines or restitution to the landowner, or both. This legislation aims to deter poaching and protect the state's deer population by imposing significant consequences for these illegal activities.