Sec. 26-23. Abandoned or discarded fishing or hunting implements.
Sec. 26-23. Abandoned or discarded fishing or hunting implements. Any
weapon, article or implement, capable of being used for the purpose of taking, catching
or holding any fish, crustacean, wild or game bird, wild or game quadruped, reptile or
amphibian, which is abandoned, discarded or thrown away in an attempt to destroy or
conceal evidence or to prevent apprehension, may be seized and taken into possession
by any conservation officer. If the owner or person having custody of any such article
at the time it is abandoned, discarded or thrown away fails to claim such article within
one year after it comes into the possession of such officer, such article shall be forfeited
to the state and may be retained for use by the commissioner, may be sold at public
auction or may be destroyed at the discretion of said commissioner. The proceeds from
such sales shall be paid to the State Treasurer to be credited to the General Fund.
(1949 Rev., S. 5017; 1959, P.A. 398, S. 20; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 226; P.A. 85-53, S. 2.)
History: 1959 act required that proceeds from sale of forfeited articles be credited to general fund rather than fish and
game funds; 1971 act replaced references to board of fisheries and game with references to commissioner of environmental
protection; P.A. 85-53 applied provisions of section to implements used to take reptiles or amphibians.