NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1977 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 805

SENATE BILL 241

 

 

AN ACT TO REGULATE THE SETTING OF STEEL TRAPS IN PENDER COUNTY.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1. It shall be unlawful in Pender County for any person, firm or corporation to set or possess any steel traps of any type or take any animal caught in any steel trap on any lands, except as hereinafter provided.

Sec. 2. It shall be lawful for any person, firm or corporation to set or possess steel traps and take animals therefrom, provided not otherwise prohibited by law, on his own land. It shall be lawful for any person, firm or corporation to set or possess steel traps and take animals therefrom on leased or sublet lands in Pender County provided:

(a)       There is recorded in the public registry of Pender County a written lease between the owner or lessor of lands and his lessee, which lease shall contain in clear terms permission to the lessee to trap on the lands described in said lease.

(b)       Any person not specifically named in said lease as the grantee of the right to trap shall not be deemed to have authority to trap on any lands described in said lease.

Sec. 3. On any lands upon which steel traps are placed, notices, signs or posters measuring not less than 10 inches by 12 inches shall be conspicuously posted on such lands not more than 500 yards apart close to and along the boundaries notifying all who come onto said lands that steel traps are in use. At least one such notice, sign, or poster shall be posted on each side of such land, and one at each corner thereof, provided that said corner can be reasonably ascertained.

Sec. 4. Any person who shall multilate, destroy or take down any trapping notice, sign or poster on the lands of another shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).

Sec. 5. It is the intent and purpose of this act to prohibit any person, firm or corporation from setting or using steel traps of any type on lands in Pender County unless used on lands owned by the trapper or unless used on lands leased as hereinabove provided.

Sec. 6. Violation of this act shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) or more than two hundred dollars ($200.00), or by imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or by both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

Sec. 7. This act shall be enforced by North Carolina Wildlife Protectors and all other law enforcement officers.

Sec. 8. This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 29th day of June, 1977.