A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct the north carolina wildlife resources commission to study the issue of allowing hunting on sunday at a limited number of state Game lands in north carolina.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Wildlife Resources Commission shall study the issue of allowing hunting on Sundays at a limited number of State game lands.  In conducting its study, the Commission shall consider, but is not limited to, the following issues:
(1)	Individual game land suitability for Sunday hunting, including the status of resident wildlife species, proximity to population centers, and range of recreational opportunities available.
(2)	Allowable hunting activities, including methods of taking and the use of dogs.
(3)	Limiting hunting privileges to times before 9:30 A.M. and after 1:00 P.M. on Sunday.
(4)	The needs of persons pursuing nonhunting outdoor recreational activities, including private landowners, family picnics, hiking, canoeing, birding, horseback riding, climbing, and biking.
SECTION 2.(a)  In conducting the study, the Commission shall obtain input from representatives of interested parties, including landowners, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and other conservation organizations, the North Carolina Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations, the North Carolina Horse Council, hunting clubs and organizations, controlled hunting preserve operators, and other outdoor recreational clubs and organizations.
SECTION 2.(b)  As a part of the study, the Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing in each of its nine regions on the issue of allowing Sunday hunting on selected game lands.
SECTION 3.  The Wildlife Resources Commission shall report its findings and recommendations, including a recommendation whether to amend, repeal, or leave intact the existing ban on Sunday hunting, to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations no later than March 15, 2006.
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.