Section 27-3-9. Unlawful enticement of game

   (a) As used in this Code section, the term:

   (1) "Northern zone" means the northern zone for hunting deer with firearms as established pursuant to subsection (c) of Code Section 27-3-15.

   (2) "Southern zone" means the southern zone for hunting deer with firearms as established pursuant to subsection (c) of Code Section 27-3-15.

(a.1) It shall be unlawful for any person to place, expose, deposit, distribute, or scatter any corn, wheat, or other grains, salts, apples, or other feeds or bait so as to constitute a lure or attraction or enticement for any game bird or game animal on or over any area where hunters are or will be hunting.

(a.2) Nothing in subsection (a.1) of this Code section shall prohibit any person from placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or scattering any corn, wheat, or other grains, salts, apples, or other feeds or bait so as to constitute a lure or attraction or enticement for deer on lands that are not under the ownership or control and management of the state or federal government; provided, however, that any such lure or attraction or enticement shall not cause hunting on any adjoining property to be prohibited under subsection (b) of this Code section.

(b) (1) Except as otherwise provided by law or regulation, it shall be unlawful for any person to hunt any game bird or game animal upon, over, around, or near any place where any corn, wheat, or other grains, salts, apples, or other feed or bait has been placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered so as to constitute a lure, attraction, or enticement to such birds or animals. It shall also be unlawful to hunt any game animal or game bird upon, over, around, or near any such place for a period of ten days following the complete removal of all such feed or bait.

   (2) The prohibitions of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply to:

      (A) The hunting of deer in the northern zone, other than on lands under the ownership or control and management of the state or federal government, if the hunter is at least 200 yards away from and not within sight of such feed or bait; and

      (B) The hunting of deer in the southern zone, other than on lands under the ownership or control and management of the state or federal government, if the hunter has written permission of the landowner to hunt upon, over, around, or near such feed or bait, except as otherwise provided by paragraph (3) of this subsection.

   (3) (A) The board may by rule or regulation restrict the feeding, baiting, or hunting of deer upon, over, around, or near such feed or bait in any county wherein there is a documented occurrence of a communicable disease in deer and in any county adjoining such county. Such restriction may be imposed in such county and any adjoining county for a period of up to and including one year and may be extended for additional periods of up to and including two years each upon documentation that the communicable disease is still present in deer in such county. No person shall feed, bait, or hunt deer in violation of any restriction imposed pursuant to this paragraph.

      (B) The department shall give notice of such restriction by mail or electronic means to each person holding a current license to hunt whose last known address is within a restricted county. The department may place or designate the placement of signs and markers so as to give notice of such restriction.

   (4) Any person who takes any big game animal, other than deer, within 200 yards of any place where any corn, wheat, or other grains, salts, apples, or other feed or bait has been placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered so as to constitute a lure, attraction, or enticement for any game bird or game animal shall, upon conviction of thereof, be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature and shall be punished as provided by Code Section 17-10-4.

(c) When a conservation ranger is aware or becomes aware that a clearly identifiable area of land or field is baited for doves in such a manner that hunting thereon would be a violation of paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Code section, it shall be the duty of the conservation ranger to require the owner or other person having lawful possession or control of the baited area of land or field to remove such bait. The conservation ranger shall require such owner or other person to erect on the area of land or field signs having printed thereon the words: "No Hunting, Baited Field." Such signs shall remain for ten days after bait is removed. The printing on such signs shall be clearly visible to a person with normal eyesight from a distance of at least 50 yards. A sufficient number of such signs shall be erected to provide reasonable notice to hunters that the field or area is baited for doves. If the conservation ranger cannot locate the owner or other person having lawful possession or control of the area of land or field baited for doves, it shall be the duty of such conservation ranger to erect such signs. The owner or other person having lawful possession or control of an area or field baited for doves who fails to comply with an order of a conservation ranger requiring the removal of bait or the erection of signs, or both, as required by this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. When a conservation ranger is aware that a clearly identifiable area of land or field is baited for doves in such a manner that hunting thereon would be a violation of paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Code section prior to any such violation, no charge may be brought against any person under paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Code section unless the provisions of this subsection have been followed. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to preclude the owner or other person having lawful possession or control of a baited area or field from being charged with and convicted of a violation of subsection (a.1) of this Code section. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to preclude a person's being charged with and convicted of a violation of paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Code section when such violation is on an area of land or field baited for doves which was not previously identified by a conservation ranger as provided in this subsection prior to such violation.

Ga. L. 1925, p. 302, § 6; Code 1933, § 45-317; Ga. L. 1955, p. 483, § 64; Ga. L. 1968, p. 497, § 18; Code 1933, § 45-508, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 469, § 1; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1179, § 5; Ga. L. 2007, p. 47, § 27/SB 103; Ga. L. 2011, p. 249, § 1/HB 277.