1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
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3 SENATE BILL 910 By: Stephens
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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 bag limit; specifying
8 muzzle loaders; providing for permit, stamp, or
8 license; applying velvet bucks harvest to deer bag
9 limits; directing the Oklahoma 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 5-414.1 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 Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission is
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22 authorized to declare an open season to hunt and harvest velvet
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23 bucks during the time beginning on the Saturday morning prior to the
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24 last weekend of August to the Sunday evening of the last weekend of
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 1 August for a total of nine (9) days in those counties or parts of
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2 counties of this state where, in the judgment of the Commission, the
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3 population of deer exist in sufficient quantity and health to
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4 warrant an open season. An open season to hunt and harvest velvet
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5 bucks shall be declared by a Commission resolution not less than ten
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6 (10) days before the season is opened and be restricted to a limit
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7 of one (1) velvet buck per hunt during the season.
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8 B. The Commission shall authorize air bows and archery as the
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9 sole method for shooting, hunting, killing, wounding, taking, or
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10 attempting to shoot, hunt, kill, wound, or take any velvet buck
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11 during a declared open season.
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12 C. During a declared open season legal residents of Oklahoma
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13 and non-residents may hunt velvet bucks provided the person has a
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14 valid deer license, velvet buck permit, or stamp as otherwise
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15 provided by law in this state. All velvet bucks shot, killed,
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16 wounded, taken, and harvested shall count against the licensee’s
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17 annual bag limit for deer in this state.
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18 D. The Commission is authorized to prescribe rules necessary
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19 for the proper conduct and policing of a declared open season for
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20 the hunting and harvesting of velvet bucks, the velvet antler size,
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21 and the kind of bucks that may be taken. The Commission shall be
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22 authorized to cancel a declared velvet buck open season for any
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23 reason deemed appropriate including, but not limited to, disease,
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24 weather, deer population, and herd health. Any cancelation of a
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 1 declared velvet buck open season shall prohibit the Commission from
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2 refunding or crediting any fees paid for a velvet buck permit,
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3 stamp, or license.
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4 E. All laws and rules pertaining to velvet bucks in this state
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5 shall be enforceable by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and
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6 its agents. The Commission shall set velvet buck licenses, permits,
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7 and/or stamps by rule; provided, that the Commission shall reward
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8 ninety percent (90%) of all velvet buck licenses, permits, and/or
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9 stamps to resident hunters of this state.
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10 F. The Commission is authorized to require by rule that any
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11 person participating in a declared velvet buck open season or
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12 hunting in open areas during a declared velvet buck open season to
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13 procure a special permit, stamp, or license to participate in a
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14 declared velvet buck open season or to hunt in such open areas
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15 during a declared velvet buck open season and may charge residents
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16 and nonresidents fees and such other compensation for those Oklahoma
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17 surface holders participating in the Acres for Wildlife Program.
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18 The rate of such fees and compensation shall be determined by the
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19 Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission. No exemptions shall be
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20 permitted.
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21 G. Velvet buck open seasons, closed seasons, bag limits, catch
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22 limits, possession limits, and territorial limitations set forth in
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23 law or rule are hereby declared to be based on the existence of a
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24 normal population of deer prior to the Commission declaring a velvet
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 1 buck open season. Such seasons, catch limits, bag limits,
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2 possession limits, and territorial limitations as set by law or rule
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3 shall prevail and be in full force and effect for deer so long as
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4 the population or numbers of deer remain normal in areas of this
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5 state.
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6 H. For purposes of this section:
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7 1. “Velvet buck” means a deer with velvet antler; and
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8 2. “Velvet antler” means the whole cartilaginous antler is
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9 exhibited in a precalcified growth stage of the Cervidae family.
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10 The deer antler must be covered in velvet-like hair that is
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11 essentially skin that supplies nutrients and blood flow to the
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12 growing bone and antler underneath.
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13 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
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14 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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15 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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16 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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17 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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19 59-1-533 MR 1/19/2023 10:34:59 AM
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