NDA email: Uncontrolled Killing of Deer and Other Wildlife Without a Depredation Perm

[Johnny Reb]

I received this today. Not sure if it has already been posted.

Discuss.





Dear BigBuckKiller,

South Carolina House Bill 5041 (H 5041) would permit a landowner or lessee to take a deer, wild boar, and other crop-consuming wild animals on agricultural use land that the operator owns or leases without a depredation permit. In essence, the passing of this bill would permit an owner or agent of an agricultural operation as defined by the bill to arbitrarily kill deer based on their interpretation that it is performing and act of depredation. Simply put, if a deer, or any other animal for that matter, is observed feeding on land deemed to be an agricultural operation, it can be killed without requirement for formal justification or reporting. Furthermore, there is no defined requirement for utilization of deer or other animals once killed.

TAKE ACTION

Please consider joining the National Deer Association (NDA) in opposing this legislation. South Carolina H 5041 is a dangerous bill that allows the killing of deer and other wildlife in an uncontrolled manner and would set a horrible precedent for how wildlife is managed in South Carolina. While we recognize that deer depredation can pose a risk to an agricultural producer’s crop and livelihood due to financial loss, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources already has a deer depredation permit program in place. Currently, landowners must request a deer depredation permit and then have a local conservation officer verify that a problem exists before a permit can be issued. This ensures that the agency maintains management control of the resource for the benefit of deer, hunters, and other stakeholders.

CLICK to ask your lawmakers to oppose H 5041.

NDA supports wildlife management led by state wildlife management agencies, not policy or regulations driven by dangerous legislation like H 5041. We are empathetic to the challenges faced by agricultural producers related to wildlife depredation, but it is critical that wildlife management decisions remain led by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. A suitable deer depredation permitting process that mirrors other effective programs around the country is already in place. Please join us by opposing this bill that is bad for deer and other wildlife as well as a broad array of stakeholders.

Best,

Nick Pinizzotto
NDA President and CEO


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Glenn]

Wow.

[MolliesMaster]

https://legiscan.com/SC/bill/H5041/2023

A BILL



TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 50-11-370 SO AS TO PERMIT THE TAKING OF DEER COMMITTING DEPREDATION WITHOUT A DEPREDATION PERMIT IF CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MET.



Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:



SECTION 1. Article 3, Chapter 11, Title 50 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:



Section 50-11-370. A landowner or lessee may take a deer, wild boar, and other crop-consuming wild animals on his agricultural use land that he owns or leases without a depredation permit if:

(1) the deer, wild boar, and other crop-consuming wild animals are committing depredation;

(2) the agricultural use land where the depredation is occurring is operating as an active working farm with a premises identification number and the landowner or lessee files a Schedule F document with the Internal Revenue Service; and

(3) the individuals conducting depredation must be uncompensated for the work.



SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Sponsors:
Rep. Patrick Haddon [R] Rep. Davey Hiott [R] Rep. Cally Forrest [R] Rep. James Burns [R]
Rep. Brandon Guffey [R] Rep. Heath Sessions [R] Rep. Don Chapman [R] Rep. Brandon Cox [R]
Rep. Randy Ligon [R] Rep. William Chumley [R] Rep. Ashley Trantham [R]

[redhead25]

What ……the……hell?

[Sasha and Abby]

It would never pass.

[bitesize]

I don’t understand this considering how easy it is to just get the depredation permit. Is this to open it up to lessees? Gonna have a lot of new “farmers”in S.C.

[JABIII]

So deer would be treated like hogs. Got it...

[Sportin' Woodies]

Imagine the horror of being able to protect your way of making a living without begging a gamewarden to come give you permission first.

Freedom ain't for everyone.

[turbo]

Imagine the horror of being able to protect your way of making a living without begging a gamewarden to come give you permission first.

Freedom ain't for everyone.

My man...

[Glenn]

Imagine the horror of being able to protect your way of making a living without begging a gamewarden to come give you permission first.

Freedom ain't for everyone.

If only all had your upbringing and could be counted on and trusted to self police like you. I grow some stuff on my land. Trees, kids and racoons. It's "Agriculture" land but not a row crop to be seen. The way this is worded if a deer rubs up one of my precious loblolly pines I can't just go slay. My response isn't about farmers protecting how they feed their families. This will get abused quick fast and in a hurry by non farmers on land with an ag classification.

And I love me some freedoms.

[SilverFox]

Funded by your automobile insurance company.

[baydog]

If only all had your upbringing and could be counted on and trusted to self police like you. I grow some stuff on my land. Trees, kids and racoons. It's "Agriculture" land but not a row crop to be seen. The way this is worded if a deer rubs up one of my precious loblolly pines I can't just go slay. My response isn't about farmers protecting how they feed their families. This will get abused quick fast and in a hurry by non farmers on land with an ag classification.

And I love me some freedoms.

To your point, I would think that whomever is doing the shooting (farmer) would be registered with the fsa, along with the field and whatever crop they are growing on said tract, which producers have to do annually. tract/crop not on file with fsa = ticket. But probably will still be abused.

[Mars Bluff]

No love lost between farmers & deer. They'll just run the deer to your "trophy" tracts. Be patient.

[Slaya]

I'm about 45 days away from wanting to treat deer like hogs. Happens every year when they start mowing the corn, garden, and sunflowers. We're over run with the dang things.

[Model12]

Imagine the horror of being able to protect your way of making a living without begging a gamewarden to come give you permission first.

Freedom ain't for everyone.

Yep. After Aug 14th at midnight the depredation permit for that year is null and void........So then the deer can eat your crops freely without being killed........Talk to a farmer.

[Catdaddy]

This bill is no different than what's happening now.

Farmers get all the tags they want/need. When they run out, they get another bag full.

Sent from my motorola edge plus 5G UW (2022) using Tapatalk

[Swift Strike]

I specifically don't think I like the part about leasees ... Does that mean a leasee can wipe out any perceived crop predation threat on an owners land, without the owners consent ?

365 days a yr, day or night ?

And that farm number stuff is too easy to get and not monitored.

This has the makings of something that could be too easily abused.......

[Glenn]

I specifically don't think I like the part about leasees ... Does that mean a leasee can wipe out any perceived crop predation threat on an owners land, without the owners consent ?

365 days a yr, day or night ?

And that farm number stuff is too easy to get and not monitored.

This has the makings of something that could be too easily abused.......

Yep. I own a "farm" and I can't grow up, much less grow crops. First buck that touches his antler to one of my precious trees on "the farm" is gettin' night clapped for crop damage.

[SaltMuck]

To all the nay-sayers, man please. It only legalizes what happens all over SC now. I walk tens of thousands of acres of SC farmland every year and I don’t even have to ask which farmers own electric golf carts and/or thermals. It’s pretty obvious. Give deer the first 8 rows, or more, in every one of my fields? Nah.

[Southernduck]

I like the cwd or blue tongue option better