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Hon. F. M. Cowmert Director of LawEnforcement Game, Fioh and Oyster Commismion Austin, Texas Opinion No. V-59 Re: Whether or not under Article 910 of the Penal Code it is unlawful to kill a wild female deer. Dear Sir:
We have your request for an opinion upon the above titled subject matter, in the last paragraph of which you say: “In the final analysis, the question is, in proseoutiona under Art,. 910, Penal Code 192’5, is it necessary always to prove that the dear was wild?”

Article 91Qyinsofar a8 pertinent, is as follows :

“It shall be unlawful~for any person to take, kill, * * *~shoot at, hunt or o;s+est, dead or alive any wild female d~eer, 8

. We shall first determine, as best we may, juet what the Legislature meant by the term “wild female deer”

.

It is a fundamental rule of statutory construction that words used therein are to be construed in their usual, ordinary, commonly-accepted meaning, unless the contrary thereof plainly appears from the context. This rule is applioable alike to civil and penal statutes.

Art. 7 of the Penal Code declares that: *This code and every other law upon the subject of crime which maybe enacted, shall be construed according to the plain import of the language in which it is written, without regard to the distinction usually maUebetween the oonstruction of penal laws and laws upon other subjects g 5 a.*Hon. P. Y. Celeert2 Page 2, V&59

B leatees, and iia abt 04rtxfiaeitby et34Stelamur8apptbxenty suf~iclent to hQl& it, ,ox v$aibky tethered or within the Vis$bl8'obntrCl 

## 0r someperson,

This CCnstIUCtiQn COmpoPt0with the cl8ax purpQB8Of this Statute, that is, t0 pXeV4nt the slaughter of wild deer es evidenced by OCRpolicy of wild gamepresematfon. Within the meaning of this rule, a deer, loose on the wrang8wwould be a *wild" deer within the meaning oS.the statute even thCugh it, had formerly b,een at any time, and

## r0r any length 0r time, in captivfty,

Et is worthy OSnC,tice that under,Seotion 3 of 

## t&.ttitle, Lioense ror GameElreeder, 

## 0rEl.8. 275,bets 1!&3 9 48x& ‘Lea *‘I it is declared that *All game birds 

### or g&&8

### aaf#Mh?.held 

### Under a gamebr8eder's lice&Be shall Mnein Under the.

## full fQ,XC'oe of any or all laws Cr regulatiens 

## Qrthis State pertaining tmwild game birds or wild gameanimals in order that these necessary police rqgul;ations 

## r0r the preservation 

## or native Sam8species mayb8 ,enfeDXd ,ts the benefit of the State."

And the succeeding section turther- declare&: *Ior the purpose 

## or this aot 'Captivity' is defined a8 an enclosure suitable for retaining, and that will retain at all times Under reasonable and ordinary circumstances the bird, fowl, or animal so enclosed, and so .,Thle 

### statute would 

### psrhapr ,jpstiiti a alaeeiriaetioa thra we hare madaaberm, that La, fat0 wild Zemale deer end tomale de.? in orptiritya



### Specifioal3y, rtth rea tloa, we beg to edrise 

### ar fou q u!aat to P)Pr lmt gumto roll knowthat it. 1s 

### er8sntial lp. a crfalnnl proesoutloxl for the State tg prove every 

## rwi ~6r~ntial 

## to th0 

## 005i66io~ or th0 

## 0ri~ ob8rged, and this melee la the prewnt oaae, that the strte wquldbe requlre(l tr prove tint the 

## r080ibh a00p was a Wwild*fernala deei. 

### This **oould** be pnmd, 

### howerrr, 

### l $thor by 

### direct erideacs 

### or ofrowtantial ofiaeme. OrdQfarlly, we think, the prori~@ of tha phoe whelu the 

### deer ww ktll6d would atford rrfUsnae a8 to it$ otrrncttor 

### ar herein deflaedr

(1) The tslm “wild fanale **drawn**

### a8 umd 

### in Art1010 910 of the ?aml Coda, 

### moanarueb i0~1r deer 

### at llbsrt~ **to maa**  

### et will’, **a8 dilrtin(ei8hed**  

### tror ona la aaptltlty or rlelbly Underoontrol of someperson* (8) Ia a prw&mtlon,endsr that article, it would be ~leoe~m to support d4onviotitin that the Stats prove t 3 the deer killad or shot at

%a wa$a nwild female deer”, Suoh‘proof, howqwr, 

### maybe 

### rprdeeither bg direot eridsnoe or oiroeastsntial bvidenoa.

BY OOi6 Bprcr 

### Aaaietant 0S:aom:jrb