AN ACT to require farmers holding depredation permits to annually report takings of deer to the Wildlife Resources Commission.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 113‑274 reads as rewritten:

§ 113‑274.  Permits.

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(c)        The Wildlife Resources Commission may issue the following permits:

(1)        Repealed by Session Laws 1979, c. 830, s. 1.

(1a)      Depredation Permit. – Authorizes the taking, destruction, transfer, removal, transplanting, or driving away of undesirable, harmful, predatory, excess, or surplus wildlife or wildlife resources. Livestock or poultry owners shall be issued a depredation permit for coyotes upon request. The permit must state the manner of taking and the disposition of wildlife or wildlife resources authorized or required and the time for which the permit is valid, plus other restrictions that may be administratively imposed in accordance with rules of the Wildlife Resources Commission. The Wildlife Resources Commission shall include in its rules implementing this subdivision (i) a requirement that holders of depredation permits report annually utilizing an electronic mail or other online reporting process the number and sex of all taken deer during the previous year and (ii) that holders of depredation permits for deer may donate the meat to a charitable organization. The Wildlife Resources Commission shall revoke a depredation permit for taking of deer if it finds that the permittee has committed wanton waste. For purposes of this subdivision, wanton waste means to kill and improperly dispose of or deliberately wound a deer. No depredation permit or any license is needed for the owner or lessee of property to take wildlife while committing depredations upon the property. property; however, the Wildlife Resources Commission shall require that any owner or lessee who takes deer while committing depredations upon the property be required to report annually utilizing an electronic mail or other online reporting process the number and sex of all taken deer during the previous year. The Wildlife Resources Commission shall aggregate the permitted and nonpermitted depredation deer taking reports and report the total number of deer taken each year to the chairs of the House of Representatives Wildlife Committee or other House standing committee with oversight of the Wildlife Resources Commission upon the next convening of the General Assembly after the close of the reporting year. The Wildlife Resources Commission may regulate the manner of taking and the disposition of wildlife taken without permit or license, including wildlife killed accidentally by motor vehicle or in any other manner.

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SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2021. Notwithstanding G.S. 150B‑21.1, the Commission may issue temporary rules to implement the provisions of this act.