2 CRAZY GA Laws...

Hey y’all,

Here I am being long winded again, but this is important, too. :)

I need your help.... and 10 minutes of your time to do something for me and Georgia's Wildlife.

I am trying to motivate change for two laws that are on the books in Georgia. One created back in the 30's which still holds the mentality of something from the days of the depression. It is 27-3-62 (d) and it's entitled "Open Season". This allows chicken farmers to put up pole/leg traps and trap and kill "birds of prey". The other, 27-3-90, entitled "Transportation or shipment of wildlife prohibited, exception permits", disallows anyone to transport an injured animal to us (rehabbers) unless they have the proper paperwork. Essentially this could mean a raptor or any other animal could be sitting somewhere dying before someone could legally take it to a vet or rehabber.

Both of these law are extremely outdated, and outright stupid. I have included their language below for your perusal. I have personally been exposed and/or involved in too many cases where people have found owls and hawks with horrific injuries that were caught in leg traps. They have witnessed them standing on the highway/roadside dying with old rusty traps on their legs. Imagine driving your children to school seeing a suffering majestic Great Horned Owl, bloody in the broad daylight dying on the road you live on. This is true story from someone that contacted me here in Cherokee County.

I have an idea......I want to find at least one person (more would be better) from every county in Georgia (159-161 depending on who you ask), to record their reaction on a piece of paper to these outdated laws.

Here is what I need you to do:
• Read the laws below.
• Write your reaction on a piece of regular 8 x 11 white paper with a black Sharpie
• Hold up the paper in front of you, and have someone take your picture. I need/want your face! This is not a glamour shot. But it should be a serious shot.
• Make sure to put your first name on the paper right hand side bottom AND your county.
• Send me the picture as an attachment - does not have to be high resolution just a good clear shot
• In your e-mail to me, tell me "I allowed you to use my image in the creation of your video". Without your consent I can't use it.
• Hints: If you like, have your kids, the dog, anyone in the picture. The paper should represent your personal feeling, and it needs to be written clearly and with black Sharpie. What you could say could include: "This is just wrong, OR please advocate change for 27-3-62 and 27-3-90, OR stop killing our birds, OR please find a better way, ammend the law today, etc. Your could also get creative and take one with your cat saying something like: Please save the birds! OR have a group shot together holding a large sign saying something like "firefighters/policeman/nurses for re-writing laws: X & Y in support of our suffering wildlife, ..." You get my meaning.

I am going to be creating a video montage of all of our picture, which will be entitled "It's just wrong". I will add-in web links, education on the laws, and what we are proposing in change to the legislators. I will include some of the pictures of the wounded animals in our care, and why this needs to stop.

At the end of the video, we will add information on how you can motivate your own legislation in support to change these outdated laws. Every legislator will be receiving a link to this video on YouTube from me. My hope is that they will watch it and this will go viral!

Remember, I need your written reaction and your face on a picture! I can't do this alone. We can all stand together to move for change.

Current Laws on the books in Georgia which need to be CHANGED

§ 27-3-62
TITLE 27. GAME AND FISH
CHAPTER 3. WILDLIFE GENERALLY
ARTICLE 2. TRAPPING, TRAPPERS, AND FUR DEALERS

O.C.G.A. § 27-3-62 (2011)

§ 27-3-62. Open seasons


(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Code section, it shall be unlawful to trap any wildlife in this state between March 1 and November 19.

(b) It shall be unlawful to trap any wildlife during the period between November 20 and February 29, except as otherwise provided in this Code section and except that it shall not be unlawful to trap a fur-bearing animal during that period or a portion thereof if that period or portion thereof is designated by the board as an open trapping season for such fur-bearing animal.

(c) In accordance with subsection (b) of this Code section and as may be appropriate in accordance with sound wildlife management principles, the board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations establishing open seasons for the trapping of fur-bearing animals on a state-wide, regional, or local basis.

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section, it shall be lawful to trap beaver, rats, and mice at any time during the year. It shall also be lawful for any person to set steel traps within 200 yards of the residence or dwelling of any such person for the protection of livestock, ratites, poultry, or other fowl or domestic animals from any predatory bird or animal.

(e) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section, it shall be unlawful to trap raccoons in that area north of and including Carroll, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, and Elbert counties at any time during the year.

(f) Any person who violates any provision of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

HISTORY: Code 1933, § 45-601, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1977, p. 1270, § 3; Ga. L. 1979, p. 800, § 4; Ga. L. 1980, p. 323, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 244, § 31.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
§ 27-3-90

§ 27-3-90. Transportation or shipment of wildlife prohibited; exceptions; permits http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusgast27_3_90.htm#s27-3-90
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, ship, or transport from any point within this state to another point within this state or from any point within this state to any point beyond the borders of this state, except as otherwise provided, any wildlife taken in this state unless the wildlife is in the personal possession of or is carried openly by the person who took such wildlife and unless the person has in his possession a proper license or permit as prescribed by the wildlife laws, rules, and regulations.

CREDIT(S) Laws 1911, p. 137, § 13; Laws 1916, p. 114, § 3; Laws 1955, p. 483, § 45; Laws 1977, p. 396, § 1. Formerly Code 1933, § 45-305; Code 1933, § 45-401.

Thanks tons from HawkTalk Headquarters!

"Richard" - Wayne Newberry

Monteen McCord
HawkTalk
P.O. Box 130
Holly Springs, GA 30142
www.hawktalk.org

My email address to send the photos as attachments
monteen@hawktalk.org