MS HB1539

Requires the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to develop and implement a mandatory harvest reporting program for white-tailed deer and wild turkey to collect data for wildlife conservation policy.

Mandates the harvest reporting program be a physical tagging program designed to be simple for sportsmen to use and promote compliance and accurate reporting.

Classifies violations of the harvest reporting program as Class II violations with administrative fees of $100-$500 for first offenses and $500-$1,000 for subsequent offenses.

Requires the department to provide annual reports on the harvest reporting program to the Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Takes effect July 1, 2020.