11100409D
HOUSE BILL NO. 2442
Offered January 19, 2011
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 29.1-521, 29.1-521.1, and
29.1-553 of the Code of Virginia, relating to hunting on Sundays.
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Patron-- Keam
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Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 29.1-521, 29.1-521.1, and 29.1-553 of
the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 29.1-521. Unlawful to hunt, trap, possess, sell or transport
wild birds and wild animals except as permitted; exception; penalty.
A. The following shall be unlawful:
1. To hunt or kill any
wild bird or wild animal, including any nuisance species, with a gun, firearm
or other weapon on Sunday, which is hereby declared a rest day for all species
of wild bird and wild animal life, except raccoons, which may be hunted until
2:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. However, a person lawfully carrying a gun,
firearm or other weapon on Sunday in an area that could be used for hunting
shall not be presumed to be hunting on Sunday, absent evidence to the contrary.
2.
To destroy or molest the nest, eggs, dens or young of any wild bird or wild
animal, except nuisance species, at any time without a permit as required by
law.
32. To hunt or attempt to kill
or trap any species of wild bird or wild animal after having obtained the daily
bag or season limit during such day or season. However, any properly licensed
person, or a person exempt from having to obtain a license, who has obtained
such daily bag or season limit while hunting may assist others who are hunting
game by calling game, retrieving game, handling dogs, or conducting drives if
the weapon in his possession is an unloaded firearm, a bow without a nocked
arrow or an unloaded crossbow. Any properly licensed person, or person exempt
from having to obtain a license, who has obtained such season limit prior to
commencement of the hunt may assist others who are hunting game by calling
game, retrieving game, handling dogs, or conducting drives, provided he does
not have a firearm, bow or crossbow in his possession.
43. To knowingly occupy any
baited blind or other baited place for the purpose of taking or attempting to
take any wild bird or wild animal or to put out bait or salt for any wild bird
or wild animal for the purpose of taking or killing them. There shall be a
rebuttable presumption that a person charged with violating this subdivision
knows that he is occupying a baited blind or other baited place for the purpose
of taking or attempting to take any wild bird or wild animal. However, this
shall not apply to baiting nuisance species of animals and birds, or to baiting
traps for the purpose of taking fur-bearing animals that may be lawfully
trapped.
54. To kill or capture any wild
bird or wild animal adjacent to any area while a field or forest fire is in
progress.
65. To shoot or attempt to take
any wild bird or wild animal from an automobile or other vehicle, except as
provided in § 29.1-521.3.
76. To set a trap of any kind on
the lands or waters of another without attaching to the trap: (i) the name and
address of the trapper; or (ii) an identification number issued by the
Department.
87. To set a trap where it would
be likely to injure persons, dogs, stock or fowl.
98. To fail to visit all traps
once each day and remove all animals caught, and immediately report to the
landowner as to stock, dogs or fowl that are caught and the date. However, the
Director or his designee may authorize employees of federal, state, and local
government agencies, and persons holding a valid Commercial Nuisance Animal
Permit issued by the Department, to visit conibear-style body-gripping traps
that are completely submerged at least once every 72 hours and the Board may
adopt regulations permitting trappers to visit traps less frequently under
specified conditions.
109. To hunt, trap, take,
capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill, possess, deliver for
transportation, transport, cause to be transported, by any means whatever,
receive for transportation or export, or import, at any time or in any manner,
any wild bird or wild animal or the carcass or any part thereof, except as
specifically permitted by law and only by the manner or means and within the
numbers stated. However, the provisions of this section shall not be construed
to prohibit the (i) use or transportation of legally taken turkey carcasses, or
portions thereof, for the purposes of making or selling turkey callers, (ii)
the manufacture or sale of implements, including, but not limited to, tools or
utensils, made from legally harvested deer skeletal parts, including antlers,
or (iii) the possession of shed antlers.
1110. To offer for sale, sell,
offer to purchase, or purchase, at any time or in any manner, any wild bird or
wild animal or the carcass or any part thereof, except as specifically
permitted by law, including, but not limited to, subsection D of § 29.1-553.
However, any nonprofit organization exempt from taxation under § 501(c) (3) of
the Internal Revenue Code, which is (i) organized to provide wild game as food
to the hungry and (ii) authorized by the Department to possess, transport and
distribute donated or unclaimed meat to the hungry, may pay a processing fee in
order to obtain such meat. Such fees shall not exceed the actual cost for
processing the meat. In addition, any nonprofit organization exempt from
taxation under § 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that is (a) organized
to support wildlife habitat conservation and (b) approved by the Department,
shall be allowed to offer wildlife mounts that have undergone the taxidermy
process for sale in conjunction with fundraising activities. A violation of
this subdivision shall be punishable as provided in § 29.1-553.
B. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, any
American Indian, who produces verification that he is an enrolled member of a
tribe recognized by the Commonwealth, another state or the U.S. government, may
possess, offer for sale or sell to another American Indian, or offer to
purchase or purchase from another American Indian, parts of legally obtained
fur-bearing animals, nonmigratory game birds, and game animals, except bear.
Such legally obtained parts shall include antlers, hooves, feathers, claws and
bones.
"Verification" as used in this section shall
include, but is not limited to, (i) showing a valid tribal identification card,
(ii) confirmation through a central tribal registry, (iii) a letter from a
tribal chief or council, or (iv) certification from a tribal office that the
person is an enrolled member of the tribe.
C. A violation of subdivisions A 1
through 10 of subsection A of
this section 9
shall be punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor.
§ 29.1-521.1. Willfully impeding hunting or trapping; penalty.
A. It is unlawful to willfully and intentionally impede the
lawful hunting or trapping of wild birds or wild animals.
B. It is unlawful for any person or his agent to knowingly and
intentionally facilitate or attempt to cause a violation of subdivision A 4 3 of
§ 29.1-521 by putting out bait or salt for any wildlife in any place used or
occupied by hunters to hunt wild birds or wild animals.
C. Any person convicted of a violation of this section is
guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.
§ 29.1-553. Selling or offering for sale; penalty.
A. Any person who offers for sale, sells, offers to purchase,
or purchases any wild bird or wild animal, or any part thereof, or any
freshwater fish, except as provided by law, shall be guilty of a Class 1
misdemeanor. However, when the aggregate of such sales or purchases or any
combination thereof, by any person totals $200 or more during any 90-day
period, that person shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.
B. Whether or not criminal charges have been placed, when any
property is taken possession of by a conservation police officer for the
purpose of being used as evidence of a violation of this section or for
confiscation, the conservation police officer making such seizure shall
immediately report the seizure to the Attorney for the Commonwealth.
C. In any prosecution for a violation of this section,
photographs of the wild bird, wild animal, or any freshwater fish, or any part
thereof shall be deemed competent evidence of such wild bird, wild animal, or
freshwater fish, or part thereof and shall be admissible in any proceeding,
hearing, or trial of the case to the same extent as if such wild bird, wild
animal, or any freshwater fish, or part thereof had been introduced as
evidence. Such photographs shall bear a written description of the wild bird,
wild animal, or freshwater fish, or parts thereof, the name of the place where
the alleged offense occurred, the date on which the alleged offense occurred,
the name of the accused, the name of the arresting officer or investigating officer,
the date of the photograph, and the name of the photographer. The photographs
shall be identified by the signature of the photographer.
D. Any licensed Virginia auctioneer or licensed auction firm
that sells, as a legitimate item of an auction sale, wildlife mounts that have
undergone the taxidermy process, shall be exempt from the provisions of this
section and subdivision A 11 10 of § 29.1-521.
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