An Act to revise residency requirements for the hunter mentoring program.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:
Section 1. That § 41-6-81 be AMENDED.
41-6-81. Hunter mentoring program--Requirements--Promulgation of rules.
Notwithstanding any provisions of
Title
title 41 to the
contrary, a child who is a
resident of this state and less
than sixteen years of age is not required to possess a hunting
license in order to hunt, if
the :
(1) The
child is
accompanied by a hunting mentor.
A hunting mentor may be the
who is:
(a) The
child's parent or guardian;
or
any
(b) Any other competent adult who has the written consent of the child's parent or guardian; and
(2) The child or the hunting mentor is a resident of this state.
The hunting mentor shall
be unarmed, except as otherwise provided in this section, shall
have successfully completed a hunter safety or hunter education
course that meets the requirements of chapter 41-7,
and.
If the
mentored hunt is for small game or waterfowl, the hunting mentor
shall possess
a valid
the mentor's appropriate
small game or waterfowl hunting license
for the game being hunted. To serve as a hunting mentor for.
If the mentored hunt is for
big game, the hunting
mentor shall
possess the mentor
mentored
child's big
game license,
obtained by the child's parent or guardian,
as required by this section. The hunting mentor may not be armed,
except as otherwise permitted by this section.
A child who hunts pursuant to this section shall be under the immediate physical control, direct supervision, and responsibility of a hunting mentor, at the time the child discharges a firearm or operates a bow and arrow in the act of hunting.
A hunting mentor may accompany no
more than one mentored child at any one
time.
No
A
hunting party
that includes a mentored child may
include
not
consist of more
than six persons, regardless of whether
or not
members of the hunting party are hunting or possess or operate
firearms.
A child who hunts pursuant to this section is subject to all requirements, restrictions, and penalties specified in this title and in rules promulgated pursuant to this title, with respect to the species being hunted, except that the combined number of animals taken or possessed by the child and the hunting mentor may not exceed the number of animals authorized under licenses held by the hunting mentor.
A mentored child may not take big
game under the provisions of this section except antlerless deer,
turkey, and doe-fawn antelope. No
big
Big game may
not be taken by
a mentored child unless the child's parent or legal guardian has been
issued a license that designates the child as a mentored child who is
authorized to exercise the privileges granted by the license. The
license is valid only for the mentored child and is not transferable
to another person.
Application for or issuance of such licenses does not affect the
eligibility of the parent or legal guardian for any other big game
license.
Nothing in this section prohibits the hunting mentor from carrying a concealed pistol or other legally possessed handgun.
The Game, Fish and Parks
Commission shall promulgate rules, pursuant to chapter 1-26,
to establish criteria and conditions governing the hunter mentoring
program established
in
by this
section.
Catchlines are not law. (§ 2-16-13.1) Underscores indicate new language.
Overstrikes
indicate deleted language.