HB 161 Summary

• Classifies 21 specific fish and game violations as infractions, including bait fish use, chumming, ice fishing hole size violations, hunting without required stamps/permits, and various fishing rule violations.

• Sets infraction penalties at $72 for general violations and $250 for more serious infractions involving hunting permits (muzzleloader, archery) and game bird hunting requirements.

• Adds reimbursable damage assessments for trophy big game animals (ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 per animal) with amounts doubling for each additional animal of the same category taken within 12 months.

• Makes technical corrections to code references in sections related to wildlife violations, penalties, license revocation, and unlawful hunting methods.

• Maintains existing misdemeanor and felony penalties with minimum fines per animal/fish/bird and authorizes license revocation for specified violations, including mandatory revocation for flagrant violations.