SENATE, No. 1335

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED JUNE 20, 1996

By Senators CAFIERO and HAINES

An Act concerning permits issued to control crop damage caused by deer and supplementing Title 23 of the Revised Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or provision of the State Fish and Game Code to the contrary, whenever a permit is issued by the State to a person to kill deer causing crop damage, it shall be lawful for the permittee or authorized agent thereof, for the purposes authorized by the permit and only while on the land or lands owned or leased by that person and for which the permit is issued, to:

    a.    Kill either sex deer at any time of day or night;

    b.    Discharge a firearm from a motor vehicle or any other kind of vehicle;

    c.    Transport, possess, have in the permittee's or agent's control, or keep firearms uncased, loaded, and outside the trunk while in or on a motor vehicle or any other kind of vehicle;

    d.    Utilize an illuminating device or devices, including but not limited to a spotlight, flashlight, floodlight, or headlight, whether portable or fixed to a motor vehicle or any other kind of vehicle, to locate and stun deer; and

    e.    Be assisted by the use of a driver for the motor vehicle or other kind of vehicle, and by a person or persons operating the illuminating device or devices, none of whom shall be required to possess a firearms purchaser identification card while providing such assistance.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would provide that whenever a permit is issued by the State to a person to kill deer causing crop damage, it shall be lawful for the permittee or authorized agent thereof, for the purposes authorized by the permit and only while on the land or lands owned or leased by that person and for which the permit is issued, to:

    (1)  Kill either sex deer at any time of day or night;

    (2)  Discharge a firearm from a motor vehicle or any other kind of vehicle;

    (3)  Transport, possess, have in the permittee's or agent's control, or keep firearms uncased, loaded, and outside the trunk while in or on a motor vehicle or any other kind of vehicle;

    (4)  Utilize an illuminating device or devices, including but not limited to a spotlight, flashlight, floodlight, or headlight, whether portable or fixed to a motor vehicle or any other kind of vehicle, to locate and stun deer; and

    (5)  Be assisted by the use of a driver for the motor vehicle or other kind of vehicle, and by a person or persons operating the illuminating device or devices, none of whom shall be required to possess a firearms purchaser identification card while providing such assistance.

    This bill is necessary to help farmers effectively control massive crop damage caused by the very large deer population throughout the State. Current regulations impose too many restrictive conditions upon the use of special deer permits issued to farmers, thus significantly inhibiting their ability to achieve the desired goal of saving their crops from destruction and preventing the serious economic losses that result therefrom. This bill would make it easier for farmers to protect their farms from deer damage by removing some of the permit conditions currently imposed.

Removes certain conditions imposed on permits to kill deer causing crop damage.