(a) Establishment.--Upon the application of 20 or more citizens of this Commonwealth, the commission may issue a permit to the applicants authorizing the establishment and maintenance, on land owned by them or over which they have legal control, of a special dog training area where dogs may be trained at any time during the entire year and field trials may be conducted without the necessity of securing a field trial permit. No such dog training area shall be less than 50 acres nor more than 250 acres. Permits shall not be issued for more than ten special dog training areas in any one county. Persons training dogs in established dog training areas shall not be required to have a hunting or furtaking license.

(b) Training periods.--At any time during the year, permittees or guests may train their dogs or the dogs of other persons on the designated dog training area.

(c) Hunting and furtaking restrictions.--Hunting or trapping of a furbearer or other protected game animal by the permittee or any other person authorized in writing by the permittee may occur during seasons established by the commission.

(d) Big game hunting may be permitted.--Hunting of big game may be permitted on dog training areas during seasons fixed by the commission. A person may not hunt big game on a dog training area without permission from the permittee, unless the area is conspicuously posted open to the public for big game hunting.

(e) Marking boundary.--A roadway, vehicle entrance or pedestrian pathway entering or bordering a dog training area must be posted prior to October 1 of each year with either a legible notice to warn a trespasser of the purpose of the area or by legible no trespassing signs endorsed by the permittee. The endorsement must note the purpose of the area.

(f) Unlawful acts.--It is unlawful to:

(1) Permit, or through negligence permit, dogs to disturb game or wildlife on a dog training area contrary to the provisions of this section.

(2) Trap for any game or wildlife on a dog training area without written permission from the permittees.

(3) Willfully, negligently or maliciously cut, remove, cover up, deface or otherwise mutilate, injure or destroy any special dog training area boundary fence or wire or poster placed in accordance with the provisions of this section or willfully, negligently or maliciously destroy, vandalize or remove any equipment, vegetation, buildings or other facilities within the dog training area.

(3.1) Willfully, negligently or maliciously kill, maim, injure or interfere with a dog engaged in training or field trials within a permitted dog training area or willfully, negligently or maliciously interfere with a person training dogs or participating in field trial events or lawfully engaged in hunting or trapping within a permitted dog training area.

(3.2) Enter onto a posted dog training area without the written permission of the permittee for any purpose.

(4) Violate any other provision of this section.

(g) Penalty.--A violation of this section is a summary offense of the fifth degree.

(Nov. 24, 2015, P.L.236, No.65, eff. 60 days)

Cross References. Section 2941 is referred to in section 2943 of this title.