HB322 Summary

• Allows voluntary feeding of game using spincast, broadcast, or container feeders year-round, superseding the existing 10-day removal requirement before hunting.

• Requires hunters to obtain annual permits ($20 per feeder) from county license officials, with $5 issuance fees retained by counties and $20 permit fees deposited into the state Game and Fish Fund.

• Imposes mandatory conditions for feeder use including 15% minimum protein content, 500-foot distance from public roads, 300-foot distance from property lines, location within 200 yards of a 1-acre wildlife food plot, and hunters must be 100+ yards from feeder during hunting.

• Restricts harvested male whitetail deer to a minimum of three one-inch points above the hairline, with exemptions for hunters under age 16 and licensed handicapped hunters.

• Establishes violations as misdemeanors with fines between $300-$500 per violation and allows the State Veterinarian to suspend the feeding program during disease outbreaks.