NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1977 SESSION

CHAPTER 765
HOUSE BILL 124

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT SETTING OR USING TRAP OF LEG-GRIPPING OR CONNIBEAR TYPE IN ALLEGHANY, AVERY, CLEVELAND, FORSYTH, MITCHELL, MOORE, NASH, STOKES AND YADKIN COUNTIES.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1. No person shall set any trap of any kind or description, or otherwise attempt to set any trap of any kind or description, or attempt to trap any animal on lands other than his own, unless the person setting or attempting to set such trap, or attempting to trap such animal, has in his possession a written permission, dated within one calendar year, from the owner or owners of the land where such act occurs granting permission to trap thereon.
Sec. 2. No person shall set any trap, or attempt to set any trap known as "steel jaw", "leghold" or "connibear", unless it is manufactured or modified so that it:
(1)	is horizontally offset with a closed jaw gap of at least three-sixteenths of an inch in trap size No. 3 and No. 4;
(2)	has a jaw spread of not more than 7 1/2 inches;
(3)	has a shock absorbing device attached to the chain of trap sizes No. 3 and No. 4 if traps are set on dry land and the chain is over 12 inches;
(4)	is smooth edged and without teeth;
(5)	has tag attached giving the owner's name and address.
Sec. 3. Provided that nothing in this act shall prohibit the use of steel or metal jaw traps by county or State Public Health Officials or their designated agents in order to control the spread of disease when the use of such steel or metal jaw traps has been declared necessary by the Department of Human Resources.
Sec. 4. Upon conviction for violation of this act, punishment shall not exceed 10 days' imprisonment, or a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00) or both in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 5. This act shall apply to Alleghany, Avery, Cleveland, Forsyth, Mitchell, Moore, Nash, Stokes and Yadkin Counties only.
Sec. 6. This act shall become effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 28th day of June, 1977.