The Florida Senate

372.16  Private game preserves and farms; penalty.--

(1)  Any person owning land in this state may, after having secured a license therefor from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, establish, maintain, and operate within the boundaries thereof, a private preserve and farm, not exceeding an area of 640 acres, for the protection, preservation, propagation, rearing, and production of game birds and animals for private and commercial purposes, provided that no two game preserves shall join each other or be connected.

(2)  All private game preserves or farms established under the provisions of this section shall be fenced in such manner that domestic game thereon may not escape and wild game on surrounding lands may not enter and shall be subject at any time to inspection by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or its conservation officers. Such private preserve or farm shall be equipped and operated in such manner as to provide sufficient food and humane treatment for the game kept thereon. Game reared or produced on private game preserves and farms shall be considered domestic game and private property and may be sold or disposed of as such and shall be the subject of larceny. Live game may be purchased, sold, shipped, and transported for propagation and restocking purposes only at any time. Such game may be sold for food purposes only during the open season provided by law for such game. All game killed must be killed on the premises of such private game preserve or farm and must be killed by means other than shooting, except during the open season. All domestic game sold for food purposes must be marked or tagged in a manner prescribed by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and the owner or operator of such private game preserve or farm shall report to the said commission, on blanks to be furnished by it, each sale or shipment of domestic game, such reports showing the quantity and kind of game shipped or sold and to whom sold. Such report shall be made not later than 5 days following such sale or shipment. Game reared or produced as aforesaid may be served as such by hotels, restaurants, or other public eating places during the open season provided by law on such particular species of game, under such regulations as the commission may prescribe.

(3)  It is unlawful for any common carrier to knowingly transport or receive for transportation any domestic game unless the package or container containing such shipment has attached thereto a permit for such shipment and such package or container shall be marked on the outside showing quantity and kind of game enclosed.

(4)  Any person violating the provisions of this section shall for the first offense be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, and for a second or subsequent offense shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this section shall forfeit, to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, any license or permit issued under the provisions hereof; and no further license or permit shall be issued to such person for a period of 1 year following such conviction. Before any private game preserve or farm is established, the owner or operator shall secure a license from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the fee for which shall be $5 per year.

History.--s. 70-A, ch. 13644, 1929; ss. 1-9, ch. 14515, 1929; CGL 1936 Supp. 1901(5)-(15), 1977(71); s. 307, ch. 71-136; s. 223, ch. 81-259; s. 129, ch. 99-245.