1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 58th Legislature (2022)
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3 SENATE BILL 1828 By: Bullard
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to wildlife; authorizing velvet buck
7 season; setting season and bad limit; specifying
8 muzzle loaders; providing for permit, stamp or
8 license; applying velvet bucks harvest to deer bag
9 limits; directing the Wildlife Conservation
9 Commission to promulgate rules; authorizing
10 cancelation for certain conditions; prohibiting
10 certain refunds of fees; requiring valid license,
11 permit or stamp; providing for enforcement of laws
11 and rules; setting licenses, permits or stamps by
12 rule; requiring season to be based on normal deer
12 populations; providing for codification; providing an
13 effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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17 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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18 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-114.1 of Title 29, unless
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19 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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20 A. Pursuant to Section 5-401 of Title 29 of the Oklahoma
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21 Statutes, the Wildlife Conservation Commission is authorized to
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22 declare an open season to hunt and harvest velvet bucks during the
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23 last week of August only in those counties or parts of counties of
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24 this state where, in the judgment of the Commission, the population
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 1 of deer exist in sufficient quantity and health to warrant an open
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2 season. An open season to hunt and harvest velvet bucks shall be
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3 declared by a Commission resolution not less than ten (10) days
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4 before the season is opened. The duration of a declared open season
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5 shall not exceed more than four (4) days and be restricted to a
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6 limit of one (1) velvet buck per hunt during the season.
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7 B. The Commission shall authorize muzzle loaders as the sole
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8 method for shooting, hunting, killing, wounding, taking or
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9 attempting to shoot, hunt, kill, wound or take any velvet buck
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10 during a declared open season.
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11 C. During a declared open season legal residents of Oklahoma
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12 and non-residents may hunt velvet bucks provided the person has a
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13 valid deer license, velvet buck permit or stamp as otherwise
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14 provided by law in this state. All velvet bucks shot, killed,
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15 wounded, taken and harvested shall count against the licensee’s
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16 annual bag limit for deer in this state.
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17 D. The Commission is authorized to prescribe rules necessary
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18 for the proper conduct and policing of a declared open season for
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19 the hunting and harvesting of velvet bucks; the velvet antler size;
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20 the kind of bucks that may be taken; and the dates and time limits
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21 of such season. The Commission shall be authorized to cancel a
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22 declared velvet buck open season for any reason deemed appropriate
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23 including, but not limited to, disease, weather, deer population and
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24 herd health. Any cancelation of a declared velvet buck open season
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 1 shall prohibit the Commission from refunding or crediting any fees
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2 paid for a velvet buck permit, stamp or license.
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3 E. All laws and rules pertaining to velvet bucks in this state
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4 shall be enforceable by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and
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5 its agents. The Commission shall set velvet buck licenses, permits
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6 and/or stamps by rule.
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7 F. The Commission is authorized to require by rule that any
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8 person participating in a declared velvet buck open season or
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9 hunting in open areas during a declared velvet buck open season to
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10 procure a special permit, stamp or license to participate in a
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11 declared velvet buck open season or to hunt in such open areas
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12 during a declared velvet buck open season and may charge residents
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13 and nonresidents fees and such other compensation for those Oklahoma
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14 surface holders participating in the Acres for Wildlife Program.
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15 The rate of such fees and compensation shall be determined by the
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16 Wildlife Conservation Commission. No exemptions shall be permitted.
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17 G. Velvet buck open seasons, closed seasons, bag limits, catch
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18 limits, possession limits and territorial limitations set forth in
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19 law or rule are hereby declared to be based on the existence of a
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20 normal population of deer prior to the Commission declaring a velvet
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21 buck open season. Such seasons, catch limits, bag limits,
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22 possession limits and territorial limitations as set by law or rule
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23 shall prevail and be in full force and effect for deer so long as
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 1 the population or numbers of deer remain normal in areas of this
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2 state.
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3 H. For purposes of this section:
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4 1. “Velvet buck” means a male deer with velvet antler; and
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5 2. “Velvet antler” means the whole cartilaginous antler is
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6 exhibited in a precalcified growth stage of the Cervidae family.
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7 The deer antler must be covered in velvet-like hair that is
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8 essentially skin that supplies nutrients and blood flow to the
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9 growing bone and antler underneath.
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10 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2022.
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11 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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12 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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13 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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14 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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16 58-2-2231 BG 1/20/2022 8:21:04 PM
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