NC H49

Property owners or lessees of agricultural land may take wildlife without a permit or license, but daily and season bag limits apply unless they obtain a depredation permit.

Wildlife Resources Commission staff must study deer populations and estimate the number of deer that can reasonably be taken when a property owner or lessee requests a depredation permit for deer.

Property owners and lessees must notify the Wildlife Resources Commission within 24 hours of taking wildlife on their property using electronic mail or an Internet-based reporting process.

Imposes a duty to avoid wanton waste on property owners and lessees taking deer, defined as killing or crippling a deer without making reasonable effort to retrieve and properly dispose of it.

"Properly dispose" of deer includes donations of venison to food banks and nonprofit organizations but excludes sales; act becomes effective October 1, 2019.