Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) It shall be unlawful on any area
designated by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as a
"Physically Disabled Hunting Area":
(a) To
violate any terms or conditions of his certificate of qualification, permit, or
other authorization, for participation in any such hunts, including, but not
limited to, the times, dates, locations, manners and means for
hunting.
(b) To hunt, trap, use
dogs, possess firearms, traps, or bow and arrow, without a valid permit. A
permit is valid only during scheduled area seasons during legal hunting hours
and only with the required hunting license(s) and stamps and only with weapons
and ammunition permitted for hunting the wildlife listed on permit.
(c) To have in possession any fully automatic
rifle or any firearms, ammunition or bow and arrow (including crossbows) except
as allowed by law for the species hunted.
(d) For any person to hunt without having
his/her required hunting licenses and authorization and checking in at the
checking station, except Big Oak.
(e) For any person to carry firearms in or on
vehicle with ammunition in the magazine, breech or clip attached to firearms,
cocked crossbow, or black powder weapons with primer, cap or flash powder in
place.
(f) Nothing in this
regulation shall prohibit the possession of handguns by lawfully authorized
persons for their personal protection, provided the handguns are not used to
hunt or take or to attempt to take wildlife except as otherwise provided by
this regulation.
(g) To camp in the
area, except Big Oak where the designated campground must be used.
(h) To kill or willfully molest any species
of wildlife except those designated for hunting. However, bobcat, or fox may be
killed during all scheduled area hunts that occur during the dates of the gun
deer and turkey seasons, and coyote or feral swine may be killed during all
scheduled area hunts.
(i) To
discharge fireworks at any time.
(j) To discharge firearms for target
practice.
(k) To use fire to smoke
out game.
(l) For any person to
possess any firearm while hunting with bow and arrow.
(m) To transport deer killed from the area
before recording pertinent data at the designated checking station, except Big
Oak.
(n) For any person except
those authorized to operate any motor driven vehicle behind, under or around
any locked gate, barricaded road or sign which prohibits vehicular
traffic.
(o) For any person to hunt
deer or assist in said hunting, on days of scheduled hunts without wearing a
vest containing a minimum of 144 square inches of hunter orange color or either
a full size hunter orange hat or cap. The hunter orange must be of solid color,
except for a small logo and/or printing on the front of the cap, and visible
from any angle.
(p) For any person
except authorized personnel to block or otherwise stop traffic on any road by
parking a vehicle in such a way that passage around the vehicle is
impossible.
(q) To damage or remove
any trees, crops, or other plants, dirt, gravel or sod without legal
authorization.
(r) To hunt from an
elevated platform, except at Big Oak (where it is unlawful to hunt from an
elevated stand or platform without attaching themselves to the tree or platform
with a full body harness capable of supporting their weight).
(s) To hunt without first making a
reservation for the particular hunt, except at Big Oak.
(t) To hunt more often at any area than is
authorized. Failure to cancel a reservation at least 48 hours prior to the hunt
date will be considered the same as if the individual hunted in determining
when that person could reserve another hunt date, except at Big Oak.
(u) To hunt outside the area designated to
the hunter for each hunt. At the time of check-in the hunter will receive, on a
first come basis, a shooting house on a segment of the hunting area that will
be his/her exclusive area for the day, except at Big Oak. Hunter must hunt from
the shooting house, except at Big Oak.
(v) To check-in to any Physically Disabled
Hunting Area prior to 5 am on the scheduled hunt days.
(w) To change stand locations after signing
in for that stand. Once signed in for a stand, the hunter shall not change
stands for the duration of that hunt.
(x) For any person to be on any Physically
Disabled Hunting Area unless registered to hunt on that day.
(2) Individuals must follow the
listed rules to participate in the scheduled deer hunts for the physically
disabled.
(a) Each participant must submit, on
a Department form, an application to participate in such hunts. The application
will include a doctor's statement certifying the physical disability. The
Department will review the application and notify each participant if they are
approved for such hunts.
(b) Each
participant must provide any assistants that are required. Only the physically
disabled individual will be eligible to hunt.
(c) All license requirements and other rules,
laws, and regulations, are in effect.
(d) Physical disability is defined as an
individual that is permanently physically disabled by one or more of the
following:
1. Has permanent physical
disability, is unable to ambulate and requires a wheelchair, walker, one long
leg brace or two short leg braces, external prosthesis below knee or above, two
canes or two crutches for mobility.
2. Has at least 80% permanent impairment of
one hand or arm as determined by a physician using the standards outlined in
the "Guide to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment Rating," published by the
American Medical Association.
3.
Has a permanent physical disability for which they are considered "totally"
disabled under guidelines established by the Veterans' Administration and/or
the U.S. Social Security Administration.
(3) If convicted of violating any part of
this regulation or any other regulation relating to Game, Fish, and Fur-Bearing
Animals, the individual's Physically Disabled Permit may be revoked up to and
including permanently.
(5) The following
Physically Disabled Hunting Areas are suitable for turkey hunting:
(a) Fayette,
(b) Skyline,
(c) Big Oak,
(d) USA Foundation,
(e) Chattahoochee,
(f) Shiloh Hill,
(g) Turnipsee-Ikenberry, and
(h) Dozer.