1. (a) Any person who takes moose or bear in violation of this part shall (1) for a first offense, be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both, and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall suspend such person's hunting license for a period of not less than one year, (2) for a second offense, be fined not more than seven hundred fifty dollars or imprisoned not more than three months, or both, and the commissioner shall suspend such person's hunting license for a period of not less than two years, and (3) for a third or subsequent offense, be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, and the commissioner shall permanently revoke such person's hunting license.
2. (b) Nothing in this section shall prevent the commissioner from designating an open season on the hunting of moose and bear pursuant to this part.

3. (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any person from using deadly physical force to kill a bear if such person reasonably believes that a bear is:

   1. (1) Inflicting or is about to inflict great bodily harm to a human, (2) injuring or killing such person's pet that is otherwise controlled in accordance with any applicable provision of the general statutes or any regulation adopted pursuant to such a provision, or (3) entering a building occupied by persons.

(P.A. 08-144, S. 1; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 12-80, S. 151; P.A. 23-77, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 08-144 effective June 5, 2008; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsec. (a) to restructure penalty provisions, insert Subdiv. designators (1), (2) and (3), change penalty for first offense from a fine of not less than $500 or imprisonment of not more than 90 days or both to a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both, change penalty for second offense from a fine of not less than $750 or imprisonment of not more than 120 days or both to a fine of not more than $750 or imprisonment of not more than 3 months or both and change penalty for third or subsequent offense from a fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 180 days or both to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than 6 months or both; P.A. 23-77 added Subsec. (c) re authorization for use of deadly force to kill a bear and conditions attendant to such use.