2942 - Special retriever training areas.
§ 2942. Special retriever training areas. (a) Establishment.--Upon application of any club or organization having 20 or more members or upon the application of 20 or more citizens of this Commonwealth, the commission may issue a permit to the applicants authorizing the establishment and maintenance, on land owned by them or over which they have legal control, of a special retriever dog training area where dogs may be trained at any time during the entire year. No dog training area shall be of less than ten acres nor more than 50 acres. No retriever dog training area shall be established within the boundary of a regulated hunting ground. (b) Releasing tagged birds.--The permittee may release domestically produced and properly marked ringneck pheasants, bobwhite quail or mallard ducks which may be shot and retrieved with retriever dogs. The released birds shall be individually tagged prior to release with metal tags supplied by the commission, at a reasonable fee, and bearing such information as the commission shall prescribe. (c) Shooting untagged birds.--Any untagged birds which are shot or injured shall immediately be delivered to an officer of the commission for disposition along with the sum of $50 for each untagged bird killed. This money shall be deposited in the Game Fund. (d) Fees and charges.--The permittee shall not impose or accept a fee or charge for the use of the area. The fee for any birds furnished to members or guests shall not be greater than the actual cost for acquiring or raising the bird. (e) Hunter's license not required.--Every person participating in dog training or shooting birds under this section shall not be required to possess a resident or nonresident hunter's license. (f) Training periods.--The permittee may at any time during the entire year train his own dog or the dogs of other persons on the training area or permit others to do so under such conditions as shall be mutually agreed upon. (g) Hunting and furtaking restrictions.--Neither the permittee nor any other person shall at any time hunt or take furbearers within the confines of the training area. This limitation shall not apply while training dogs. The permittees or any person authorized by them may hunt or trap unprotected game or wildlife at any time and furbearers in season for the purpose of controlling the game or wildlife on the area and may permit the public to hunt bear and deer on the area during seasons fixed by the commission. (h) Marking boundary.--The boundary line of a special retriever dog training area shall be plainly and conspicuously posted prior to October 1 of each year with legible notices as prescribed by the commission. (i) Unlawful acts.--It is unlawful to violate any of the provisions of this section. (j) Penalty.--A violation of this section is a summary offense of the fifth degree.