[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Morris 11-28-1964 by Ord. No. 27-64 (Ch. 47 of the 1969 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Peace and good order — See Ch. 370.
[Amended 9-9-1965 by Ord. No. 21-65]
The discharge, firing or use of any gun, pistol, firearm or weapon of any description whatsoever at any place whatsoever in the Township of Morris is hereby specifically prohibited. Excepting, however, that it is not intended that this chapter shall prohibit the discharging of any such firearm for the specific purposes of protecting a person's own property, himself or his family.
[Amended 11-10-2004 by Ord. No. 17-04]
The Township Committee of the Township of Morris does hereby delegate to the Police Chief of the Township of Morris the authority to grant specific permission to a person, for limited periods of time in certain places of the Township, to discharge or use a gun, pistol, firearm or weapon in the Township of Morris for sport, recreation, the protection of property or for the management of the deer population. The authority to grant or deny any permission under this section shall lie in the reasonable discretion of the Police Chief of the Township of Morris; however, any aggrieved person shall have the right to appeal to the Township Committee as a whole any such action of the Police Chief.
[Amended 9-9-1965 by Ord. No. 21-65; 12-29-1966 by Ord. No. 32-66; 11-10-2004 by Ord. No. 17-04]
A. 
The authorized agent of the Morris Township Committee for the purpose of issuing permits to discharge firearms or use bows and arrows or hunt within the Township shall be the Morris Township Police Department.
B. 
Applications for permits shall be upon forms furnished by the Police Department and shall include the name, address and telephone number of the applicant; description and identification of the motor vehicle; state hunting license number; identification of the area where firearms discharge or bow and arrow activity (hunting) is to take place; and the signed consent of the owner of the subject premises, including any restrictions imposed by the landowner.
C. 
The Township Police Department may establish deadlines for the filing of applications.
D. 
A permit may be issued in the name of a hunting club, provided the club is a nonprofit corporation in good standing and submits a copy of its filed certificate of incorporation. A property owner may sign a single written permission which will be effective for the members of such club whose names are attached to the permission. Each club member must carry the permission and in all respects must comply with the Township requirements for a Township hunting permit.
E. 
Permits may only be issued to hunt with a firearm on properties of five acres or more and to hunt with a bow and arrow on properties of three acres or more. Properties of less than the minimum five acres for firearm hunting and less than the minimum three acres for bow and arrow hunting may be combined with no more than three contiguous properties to achieve the minimum acreage, provided that all three contiguous property owners agree. However, the Wildlife Management Committee shall review the particular combination before hunting takes place. The Department shall review requests on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the unique specific factual circumstances, such as but not limited to the location of buildings, line of sight, and terrain. Once the combination of up to three contiguous properties for the purposes of hunting has been reviewed, those owners shall register the combination of properties with the Morris Township Police Department.
F. 
All hunters must have a valid hunting license issued by the State of New Jersey for the current hunting season.
G. 
The Police Department shall issue appropriate permits and decals for those applications found to be in order. One permit and decal(s) shall be issued for a fee of $10 for a one-year period commencing July 1 and expiring June 30.
H. 
The decal shall be affixed to the rear bumper of the hunter's vehicle.
I. 
In the event a permit is refused by the Police Department, the applicant may request and shall be afforded a hearing within 30 days before the Township Committee. Subsequent to such hearing, the decision of the Police Department may be modified, affirmed or reversed. In the event of reversal, a permit shall be issued forthwith.
J. 
Each permittee shall be furnished with copies of this chapter.
K. 
To assist in the implementation of this chapter and to assist the Police Department, there shall be a Wildlife Management Committee comprised of not more than five persons:
(1) 
Not more than three Township residents appointed by the Township Committee who shall serve at the pleasure of the Township Committee;
(2) 
The Chief of Police or his designee; and
(3) 
A member of the Township Committee.
L. 
In the event a deer is wounded on huntable land and runs to adjacent nonhuntable or posted land, the hunter should seek permission from the adjacent property owner to claim the wounded animal. In the event permission is denied, the hunter shall withdraw immediately, report the location of the wounded animal to the Police Department as soon as practicable, and consider the matter closed.
M. 
In the event a permittee violates any provisions of this chapter, the State Fish and Game Law, these regulations or the consent of the owner of the subject property, the senior officer of the Police Department on duty may immediately take the Township hunting permit and summarily revoke the permit. That person shall be ineligible to obtain a Township hunting permit for the following three years. The Police Department shall also have the power to impound the weapon as evidence.
N. 
Hunters obtaining hunting permits from Morris Township shall indemnify and hold Morris Township harmless from all suits, judgments, costs, fees, claims, actions, attorneys' fees and any claims of like nature.
[Amended 11-10-2004 by Ord. No. 17-04[1]]
Any person or persons discharging, firing, or using any gun, pistol, firearm or weapon of any description whatsoever contrary to the terms of this chapter shall, upon conviction under this chapter, be punishable as provided in § 1-3, General penalty, of this Code, in the discretion of the court imposing the same.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).