SB381 Summary

• Requires Commissioner of Conservation to provide a report detailing all citations and warnings issued by game wardens to the Legislature, with reports made public record and structured to cite the law violated and county where violation occurred.

• Establishes no-fee annual registration requirement for "hunt masters" (individuals owning or controlling dogs used for deer hunting) with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; violators subject to $500 Class C misdemeanor fine.

• Mandates hunting dogs wear collars or tags displaying owner's name, phone number, and Conservation Identification Number; unrestrained dogs pursuing deer must be equipped with remote tracking and behavior correction devices, requiring GPS or telemetry tracking by July 1, 2023; violations result in escalating fines from $100 to $1,000.

• Prohibits individuals from knowingly or negligently casting hunting dogs onto private property without landowner permission; first offense results in warning, with subsequent offenses triggering Class C or Class B misdemeanor charges and fines ranging from $250 to $1,000, and potential three-year hunting license revocation.

• Allows deer hunting with dogs statewide except in counties where it was prohibited as of January 1, 2020; permits system closures abolished by November 1, 2021, and closed counties reopened by January 1, 2024; permits hunting on wildlife management areas and national forests unless otherwise regulated.