Georgia § 27-3-12 - Unlawful substances and equipment; computer assisted remote hunting prohibited.

§ 27-3-12. Unlawful substances and equipment; computer assisted remote hunting prohibited.

It shall be unlawful to hunt any wild animal, game animal, or game bird by means of drugs, poisons, chemicals, smoke, gas, explosives, recorded calls or sounds, or recorded and electronically imitated or amplified sounds or calls. It shall also be unlawful to use electronic communications equipment for the purpose of facilitating pursuit of any wild animal, game bird, or game animal. As used in this subsection, the term "computer assisted remote hunting" means the use of a computer or other device, equipment, hardware, or software to control remotely the aiming and discharge of a firearm or other weapon so as to allow a person not holding that firearm or other weapon to hunt or shoot a wild animal or any wildlife. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, or association to engage in computer assisted remote hunting or provide or operate a facility that allows others to engage in computer assisted remote hunting if the wild animal or wildlife being hunted or shot is located in this state. Any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1,000.00 and not more than $5,000.00, imprisonment for a term not to exceed 12 months, or both such fine and imprisonment. Any equipment used or intended for use in a violation of this Code section, excluding motor vehicles, is declared to be contraband and shall be forfeited in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 16 of Title 9. The hunting and fishing privileges of any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be suspended for three years. (Ga. L. 1911, p. 137, § 17; Code 1933, § 45-322; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1005, § 1; Ga. L. 1952, p. 362, § 1; Ga. L. 1955, p. 483, § 62; Ga. L. 1968, p. 497, § 20; Code 1933, § 45-510, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 816, § 44; Ga. L. 2006, p. 226, § 3/HB 338; Ga. L. 2015, p. 693, § 3-18/HB 233.) Editor's notes. - Ga. L. 2015, p. 693, § 4-1/HB 233, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: "This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2015, and shall apply to seizures of property for forfeiture that occur on or after that date. Any such seizure that occurs before July 1, 2015, shall be governed by the statute in effect at the time of such seizure." Law reviews. - For article on the 2015 amendment of this Code section, see 32 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 1 (2015).