SB 326

This bill increases the wild animal protection surcharge that a court may

impose when a person unlawfully hunts, snares, possesses, or controls a deer with

large antlers.

Under current law, if a court imposes a fine or forfeiture for the unlawful killing,

wounding, catching, taking, trapping, or possession of certain wild animals, the

court may impose a wild animal protection surcharge. The statute specifies the

amount of the surcharge allowed for each type of wild animal.

This bill allows a court to impose a higher wild animal protection surcharge

when it imposes a fine or forfeiture for the unlawful hunting, snaring, possession, or

control of a deer with antlers of a certain size. The bill requires the Department of

Natural Resources to establish a method for measuring antler size, and specifies the

amount of the surcharge for different sizes of antlers. If both a regular and a higher

wild animal protection surcharge are allowed, the bill requires a court to impose the

higher surcharge.