Chapter 20, Chapter 20

A Class I stamp is a nonresident national forest hunting, trapping and fishing stamp and entitles the licensee, when within national forest land in West Virginia, to hunt legal species in season; to trap fur-bearing animals in season; and to fish in the waters therein. The stamp …

A Class N stamp is a resident deer hunting stamp for antlerless deer. A Class NN stamp is a nonresident deer hunting stamp for antlerless deer. These stamps entitle the licensee to hunt and take antlerless deer of either sex during the Class N season. The fee for a Class N stamp …

A Class O stamp is a resident trout fishing stamp. A Class OO stamp is a nonresident trout fishing stamp. These stamps entitle the licensee to fish for trout in all counties of the state, except as prohibited by rules of the director or Natural Resources Commission. The fee for a…

The Director has the authority to issue a Class RG resident and a Class RRG nonresident gun deer hunting stamp when deemed essential for the proper management of the wildlife resources. These stamps allow the licensee to hunt and take an additional deer as designated by the Direc…

The director may issue a Class RB resident and a Class RRB nonresident archery deer hunting stamp when considered essential for the proper management of the wildlife resources. This stamp allows the licensee to hunt and take an additional deer during the deer archery or crossbow …

The Director shall have the authority to issue a Class RM resident and a Class RRM nonresident muzzle-loader deer hunting stamp when deemed essential for the proper management of the wildlife resources. These stamps allow the licensee to hunt and take an additional deer as design…

A Class UU stamp is a nonresident archery deer hunting stamp and entitles the licensee to hunt and take deer with a bow during the archery deer season or with a crossbow in the crossbow deer season in all counties of the state, except as prohibited by the rules of the director or…

A Class VV stamp is a nonresident muzzle-loading deer hunting stamp and entitles the licensee to hunt and take deer with a muzzle-loader during muzzle-loading deer seasons in all counties the state, or parts thereof, excluding Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming counties, as set b…

A Class WW stamp is a nonresident turkey hunting stamp and entitles the licensee to hunt and take turkey during any turkey hunting season, except as prohibited by the rules of the Director or Natural Resources Commission. The fee for a Class WW stamp is $30. The stamp, issued in …

A Class BG stamp is a resident big game stamp and entitles the Class A licensee to hunt deer during the deer archery, crossbow, and muzzleloader seasons, and bear, wild turkey, and wild boar during the respective seasons, except as prohibited by rules of the director or Natural R…

(a) A Class Y permit is a special statewide hunting permit entitling a person to hunt all wildlife during established archery and firearm seasons if the person meets the following requirements: (1) He or she holds a Class Q permit; or (2) He or she has a permanent and substantial…

(a) A Class XS license is a resident senior hunting, fishing and trapping license and entitles the licensee to hunt and trap for all legal species of wild animals and wild birds, to fish for all legal species of fish and to take frogs in all counties of the state, except as prohi…

(a) Except for persons otherwise exempted, Class AH, AHJ, AAH, and AAHJ licenses are apprentice hunting and trapping licenses and entitle the licensee to hunt and trap for all legal species of wild animals and wild birds. The licenses shall be base licenses and entitle the licens…

A Class L license is a resident fishing license and entitles the licensee to fish for all legal fish except trout and to take frogs in all counties of the state for five consecutive calendar dates chosen by the buyer and which will be specified on the license, except as prohibite…

The Director may designate up to two days each year as free sport fishing days. On a designated free fishing day, an individual is entitled to fish for all legal fish in all counties of the state without having a valid West Virginia fishing license and without the payment of any …

To hunt bear in this state, a licensed hunter shall have, in addition to a Class A, A-L, AB-L, X or XJ, in the case of a resident, or a Class C or EE, in the case of a nonresident, a bear damage stamp issued by the Division of Natural Resources. The fee for the stamp is $10. All …

(a) A Class Q permit is a special statewide hunting permit entitling the permittee to hunt all legal species of game during the designated hunting seasons from a motor vehicle in accordance with the provisions of this section. (b) The director shall furnish an application and a C…

(a) A Class DT license is a special statewide hunting and fishing license for residents of the State of West Virginia and nonresidents, as permitted in subsection (e) of this section, entitling the licensee to fish or hunt all legal species of game at no charge, in accordance wit…

(a) The director may issue a license for the operation of a private game preserve for propagation of wild animals and wild birds for commercial purposes. The license shall authorize the holder to breed or raise animals and birds as specified by the license, to sell the same dead …

The director may issue a license for the operation of a private plant, pond or business for the propagation, sale or purchase of fish, frogs, turtles and other forms of aquatic life for commercial purposes. The license shall authorize the holder to breed or raise fish, frogs, tur…

The director may issue licenses for buying or dealing in raw furs, pelts or skins, and carcasses for the making of lures and baits, carcass parts, including glands, skulls, claws, and bones, and fur-bearer urine of fur-bearing animals as follows: (1) A resident county license, wh…

appropriations; dissolution of department. (a) The board of trustees of the wildlife endowment fund may accumulate investment income of the fund within the fund until the income, in the sole judgment of the trustees, can provide a significant supplement to the budget of the depar…

This legislation shall take effect on January 1, 1982 and shall apply to tax return forms filed thereafter.

(a) Except as authorized by the director or by law, it is unlawful at any time for any person to: (1) Shoot at any wild bird or wild animal unless it is plainly visible; (2) Dig out, cut out, smoke out, or in any manner take or attempt to take any live wild animal or wild bird ou…

(a) A permit issued under the provisions of this article shall not be transferred to any other person. (b) A permit issued under the provisions of this article shall be effective for one calendar year from the date of issue. (c) A permit issued under the provisions of this articl…

The director may issue a permit to a person to hunt, kill, take, capture or maintain in captivity wildlife exclusively for scientific purposes, but not for any commercial purposes. Any person desiring to collect or procure any wildlife, including any body tissue, organ or other p…

The director may issue a license to a person to act as a wildlife damage control agent. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, any person licensed as a wildlife damage control agent, acting pursuant to the license and subject to the rules promulgated by the director, is authorized t…

The director may issue a permit to a person to keep and maintain in captivity as a pet, a wild animal or wild bird that has been acquired from a commercial dealer or during the legal open season. The fee therefor shall be $2.

The director may issue a permit for the keeping and maintaining in captivity of wild animals, wild birds, amphibians or reptiles as a roadside menagerie. A permit shall not be issued unless: (1) The animals, birds, amphibians or reptiles have been purchased from a licensed commer…

The director may issue a license for the operation of a private pond or privately owned pond or impoundment to be used as a commercial fishing preserve, provided such impoundments meet the requirements of section twenty-seven of this article: Provided, however, That only one lice…

(1) The director may issue a license for privately-owned commercial shooting preserves to any person who meets the following requirements: (a) Each commercial shooting preserve shall contain a minimum of three hundred acres in one tract of leased or owned land (including water ar…

The director shall have the power and authority to issue a license to any person to catch and sell minnows or other bait fish upon written application therefor, signed by the applicant. The fee for such license shall be $10. All licenses issued under this section shall expire on …

The director may issue a permit to any person, group of persons, club or organization to hold or conduct a field trial, shoot-to-retrieve field trial, water race or wild hunt, hereinafter referred to as a trial, upon receipt of a written application setting forth: (1) The name of…

The director may issue a permit to train bird dogs on wild birds or game birds, provided: (1) The fee for the permit is $10. (2) The training shall be on private land containing a minimum of five acres in a single tract. The permittee must own the land, lease the land or have wri…

(a) It is unlawful for any person, while engaged in hunting, pursuing, taking or killing wild animals or wild birds, to carelessly or negligently shoot, wound or kill livestock, or to destroy or injure any other chattels or property. Any person violating this subsection is guilty…

(a) It is unlawful for any person, while engaged in the act of hunting, pursuing, taking or killing wild animals or wild birds, to carelessly or negligently shoot, wound or kill another person. (b) Anyone who negligently shoots, wounds or injures another person while hunting, not…

(a) It is unlawful for any person to hunt, pursue, take or kill wild animals or wild birds while the person: (1) Is under the influence of alcohol; or (2) Is under the influence of any controlled substance; or (3) Is under the influence of any other drug; or (4) Is under the comb…

(a) In addition to any other prohibitions which may exist by law, it shall be unlawful for any person to shoot or discharge any firearms: (1) Across or in any public road in this state, at any time; (2) Within five hundred feet of any school or church; or (3) Within five hundred …

The director may issue a license to any resident of West Virginia or Ohio to take fish or mussels for commercial purposes from any portion or all of the main stem of the Ohio River bordering West Virginia. Said license shall be required of every person engaged at any time in taki…

(a) Any person who is convicted of violating a criminal law of this state that results in the injury or death of game, as defined in §20-1-2 of this code, or a protected species of animal, in addition to any other penalty to which he or she is subject, shall forfeit the replaceme…

Any person who exceeds the creel limit on trout or who otherwise violates any provisions of this code or any rules and regulations relating to trout fishing is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $300, or imprisone…

(a) It is unlawful at any time for any person to take, possess, transport, import, export or process, sell or offer for sale, buy, barter or trade or offer to buy, barter or trade at any time or in any manner, any bald eagle, also commonly known as the American eagle, or any gold…

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code and except as specifically authorized by the director in consultation with the wildlife resources section of the division, it is unlawful for anyone to administer any chemical, biological compound or device to free roaming or nonc…

Any person convicted for the violation of any law involving the Division of Natural Resources' use of a decoy animal shall, in addition to any fines and costs for the criminal violation, pay a $50 civil penalty to the Division of Natural Resources, law-enforcement section. The ci…

Notwithstanding subdivision (24), section five of this article or any other provision to the contrary, the director is authorized to allow a nonresident to train dogs for coon hunting in West Virginia, if the state in which the nonresident resides allows residents from West Virgi…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, any person lawfully entitled to hunt may hunt with a crossbow during big game firearms season. A person who possesses a valid Class Y permit may also hunt with a crossbow in accordance with §20-2-42w of this co…

(a) Findings. -- The Legislature finds that Eastern Elk were once a common, native species in the state prior to and following its formation, but historical records indicate native elk were extirpated from the state around 1875. Until recently, free roaming elk have not been pres…

(a) It is unlawful for any person to cause through carelessness, neglect, or otherwise to let any edible portion of any big game or game fish to go to waste needlessly. (b) For purposes of this section, "edible portion" means, with respect to: (1) Big game. — One or more of the f…

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, a person who is legally hunting and reasonably believes he or she has mortally wounded a deer, elk, turkey, wild boar, or bear may use a leashed dog or a unmanned aerial vehicles as defined in West Virginia Code §…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, any person lawfully entitled to hunt may hunt with an air rifle during small game and big game firearms season: Provided, That air rifles may only be used for deer hunting in counties open to firearm deer hunti…