Title 29.1, Title 29.1. Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating

The board may adopt regulations and amendments to regulations upon completion of all applicable hearing and notice requirements. The Board shall file the regulations with the Registrar of Regulations pursuant to § 2.2-4103.

All laws relating to hunting, fishing and trapping, together with the regulations of the Board, of both general and local application, shall be published annually by the Department in a handbook or pamphlet. The courts of the Commonwealth shall take judicial notice of all laws an…

It shall be a misdemeanor to violate any regulation promulgated pursuant to this title. Any person violating such a regulation shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor unless another penalty is specified.

If any person conspires with another to commit any offense defined in this title or any of the regulations of the Board, and one or more such persons does any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, he shall be guilty of conspiracy to commit the underlying offense and shall b…

After careful study of each species of wild bird, animal and fish within the jurisdiction of the Board in cities and counties of the Commonwealth, the Board shall have the power to prescribe the seasons and bag limits for hunting, fishing, trapping or otherwise taking such wild b…

The Board may close or shorten the open season in any county or city (i) whenever extreme weather threatens the welfare of wild birds, wild animals or fish; (ii) whenever such wild birds, wild animals or fish have been seriously affected by adverse weather conditions; (iii) when …

The Board is hereby authorized to adopt rules and regulations to prescribe and enforce the seasons, bag limits and methods of taking fish and game on lands and waters owned by the Board and on lands owned by others but controlled by the Board.

A. Without written authorization from the Director or his designee, it is unlawful to administer any drug to any vertebrate wildlife, except in accordance with a permit issued under the provisions of this title or regulations adopted by the Board. This prohibition shall include, …

A. For the purposes of this section, "fishing tackle" means any recreational fishing equipment used to take fish in the inland waters of the Commonwealth and includes fishing line, hooks, floats, lures, or other similar equipment. B. The Department shall (i) develop, publish, and…

A. For the purpose of this section: "Fee" means any payment or payments of money to a landowner for use of the premises or in order to engage in any activity described in subsections B and C, but does not include license fees, insurance fees, handling fees, transaction fees, admi…

For the purpose of the hunting and trapping laws of the Commonwealth, big game shall include bear and deer and small game shall include other game animals and all game birds.

There shall be a continuous open season for killing nuisance species of wild birds and wild animals as defined in § 29.1-100.

There shall be a continuous closed hunting season on all birds and wild animals which are not nuisance species as defined in § 29.1-100, except as provided by law.

It shall be lawful to hunt wild birds and wild animals specified in this article within any applicable daily and season bag limits during the open seasons as may be provided by Board regulations.

A. The following nonmigratory game birds may be hunted during prescribed open seasons: Birds introduced by the Board. Bobwhite quail. Grouse. Pheasants. Turkey. B. The following provisions shall also be applicable to the raising and hunting of the particular nonmigratory game bir…

Migratory game birds may be hunted in accordance with regulations of the Board. Board regulations shall conform to the regulations of the United States government insofar as open seasons and bag limits are concerned.

The following provisions shall apply to the killing and hunting of the particular game animals listed: Black bear. -- A black bear may be killed by any person when (i) it is inflicting or attempting to inflict injury to a person or (ii) when a person is in pursuit of the bear com…

Tracking dogs maintained and controlled on a lead may be used to find a wounded or dead bear, turkey, or deer statewide during any archery, muzzleloader, or firearm bear, turkey, or deer hunting season, or within 24 hours of the end of such season, provided that those who are inv…

Any person engaged in lawful hunting with a dog shall ensure that the dog has a tag identifying the name of the owner or custodian and a current phone number. The tag shall be securely fastened to a substantial collar by the owner or custodian and worn by such dog.

A landowner may trap or shoot fur-bearing animals upon his own land during closed season when these animals are causing damage to crops or property, or are posing a threat to human health or safety, or are otherwise causing a nuisance.

When beaver are damaging crops or lands, the owner of the premises, his agent or tenant, may kill the animals, or have them killed.

A. All wild birds and wild animals may be hunted with the following weapons unless shooting is expressly prohibited: 1. A shotgun or muzzleloading shotgun not larger than 10 gauge; 2. An automatic-loading or hand-operated repeating shotgun capable of holding not more than three s…

A. Nonmigratory game birds and game animals may be hunted from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Bears may be hunted without capturing or taking from 4:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. during bear hound training season. B. Fur-bearing animals and nuisance specie…

A. The following is unlawful: 1. To hunt or kill on Sunday (i) any wild bird or wild animal, including any nuisance species, with a gun, firearm, or other weapon, within 200 yards of a place of worship or any accessory structure thereof or (ii) any deer or bear with a gun, firear…

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 of § 29.1-521 by puttin…

A. Any firearm, crossbow, slingbow, arrowgun, or bow and arrow used by any person to hunt any game bird or game animal in a manner which violates § 18.2-286 may, upon conviction of such person violating § 18.2-286, be forfeited to the Commonwealth by order of the court trying the…

Any person, upon application to a conservation police officer and the presentation of a medical doctor's written statement based on a physical examination that such person is permanently unable to walk due to impaired mobility, may, in the discretion of the conservation police of…

Unless the Board declares otherwise by regulation, it shall be unlawful to kill male deer in any county or city of the Commonwealth unless the deer has antlers visible above the hair.

Any person who kills or attempts to kill any deer between a half hour after sunset and a half hour before sunrise by use of a light attached to any vehicle or a spotlight or flashlight shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. The flashing of a light attached to any vehicle or a …

A. Any person who kills or attempts to kill any deer between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise using a firearm equipped with any sighting device other than iron or open sights shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. In addition to this penalty, the court shall r…

Every vehicle, firearm, crossbow, slingbow, arrowgun, bow and arrow, or speargun used with the knowledge or consent of the owner or lienholder thereof, in killing or attempting to kill deer between a half hour after sunset and a half hour before sunrise in violation of § 29.1-523…

A. Any person in any vehicle and then in possession of any firearm, crossbow, slingbow, arrowgun, bow and arrow, or speargun who employs a light attached to the vehicle or a spotlight or flashlight to cast a light beyond the water or surface of the roadway upon any place used by …

A. It is unlawful to erect a fence that prevents or impedes the free egress of deer from the enclosed area with the intent to confine deer. B. It is unlawful to hunt deer inside a fenced area that prevents or impedes the free egress of deer. C. The provisions of subsection A shal…

A. It is unlawful to erect, maintain, or operate an enclosure for the purpose of pursuing, hunting, or killing or attempting to pursue, hunt, or kill any fox or coyote with a dog. For purposes of this section, "enclosure" means a fence or other barrier that is used to prevent or …

The governing body of any county or city may prohibit by ordinance the hunting, with a firearm, of any game bird or game animal while the hunting is on or within 100 yards of any primary or secondary highway in such county or city and may provide that any violation of the ordinan…

The governing body of any county, city or town may prohibit by ordinance, shooting or hunting with a firearm, or prohibit hunters from traversing an area while in possession of a loaded firearm, within 100 yards of any property line of a public school or a county, city, town or r…

Upon notice to the Department, any locality may prohibit by ordinance the feeding of migratory and nonmigratory waterfowl in any subdivision or other area of such locality which, in the opinion of the governing body, is so heavily populated as to make the feeding of such waterfow…

Any city or town may, by ordinance, prohibit the feeding of deer within its jurisdiction. The Department shall make available to localities a model ordinance suggested for use by localities. The penalty for violating such an ordinance shall be a civil fine not to exceed $50. It s…

A. The Board shall adopt regulations establishing model ordinances for hunting with firearms that may be adopted by counties or cities. Such model ordinances shall address items including firearm caliber; type of firearm, including rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader; type of ammunit…

A. The Board shall adopt regulations establishing model ordinances for hunting deer with bow and arrow, slingbows, and crossbows in those counties and cities where there is an overabundance of the deer population, which is creating conflicts between humans and deer, including saf…

While hunting during any established open hunting season and in accordance with other laws and regulations, a hunter shall be exempt from any local ordinance requiring hunting from an elevated platform or tree stand if he (i) possesses a valid hunting license and is permanently d…

A. Whenever elk or bear are damaging fruit trees, crops, livestock, or personal property utilized for commercial agricultural production in the Commonwealth, the owner or lessee of the lands on which such damage is done shall immediately report the damage to the Director or his d…

A. There shall be a continuous open season for trapping nuisance species and a continuous closed trapping season on all other species of wild birds and wild animals, except as provided by Board regulations. However, a landowner or his agent may trap and dispose of, except by sale…

A. For the purposes of this section, "solid blaze orange" means a safety orange or fluorescent orange hue and "solid blaze pink" means a safety pink or fluorescent pink hue. B. During any firearms deer season, except during the special season for hunting deer with a muzzle-loadin…

Any person who kills or attempts to kill a bear in violation of any provision of this article or any regulation adopted thereunder is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and may also be prohibited by the court from hunting, trapping, or fishing in the Commonwealth for a period of one…

A. It is unlawful for any person to engage in computer-assisted remote hunting or provide or operate a facility that allows others to engage in computer-assisted remote hunting if the wild animal or wild bird being hunted or shot is located in the Commonwealth. B. Any person who …