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Game, Inland Fisheries and Boating

P Passed

P HB580

Sale of wildlife parts. Allows a Native American who provides proof that he is an enrolled member of a tribe recognized by Virginia, another state, or the federal government to possess, sell, or purchase from another Native American, animal parts such as antlers, hooves, feathers, claws and bones; however, the possession, sale or purchase from another Native American of bear parts is prohibited.
Patron - Davis

P HB1897

Exemption from license requirements for landowner's parents. Adds parents of a landowner to the list of those who can hunt, trap, and fish within the boundaries of the landowner's property or fish upon any private permanent extension from such property.
Patron - Johnson

P HB2096

License to hunt bear. Authorizes the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries to establish a separate license to hunt bears. If established, the cost of such a license will be $25 for residents and $150 for nonresidents. The holder of such a license will also have to purchase the state's basic hunting license. Currently, there is a big game license that allows the license holder to hunt bear, deer and turkey.
Patron - Abbitt

P HB2098

Hunting with certain sight devices. Prohibits the use of a firearm equipped with a sighting device other than iron or open sights between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise. Any person who violates this provision (i) is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor, (ii) will lose his hunting privileges for the next license year, and (iii) will have to forfeit his firearm. In addition, if the person is found hunting during the prohibited period, he is subject to a separate penalty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Patron - Abbitt

P HB2304

Assisting other hunters. Extends to all hunters who have reached their daily bag or seasonal limit the privilege of assisting others who are hunting. Currently, such assistance may be provided only by those hunters who have reached their limit while hunting turkeys, ducks, geese or swans, and restricts their assistance to calling turkeys, ducks, geese and swans.
Patron - Cox

P HB2546

Exemptions from licenses to hunt, trap, or fish; members of the recognized tribes in the Commonwealth. Provides that licenses to hunt, trap, or fish are not required of Indians who (i) habitually reside on an Indian reservation, or (ii) are members of Virginia recognized tribes residing in the Commonwealth. However, such persons are required to have in their possession an identification card or paper signed by the chief of their tribe, a valid tribal identification card, written confirmation through a central tribal registry, or certification from a tribal office. Such cards, papers, confirmations, or certifications must set forth that the person named is an actual reservation resident or member of the Virginia recognized tribes and create a presumption of residence, which may be rebutted. Under current law, the exemption applies only to those Indians residing on a reservation, provided that they have in their possession an identification card signed by the chief of their reservation.
Patron - Katzen

P HB2607

No-discharge zone. Requires game wardens from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to enforce the State Water Control Board's regulations designating Smith Mountain Lake as a no-discharge zone for boat sewage. This bill is identical to SB 1301.
Patron - Putney

P HB2615

Trapping license for disabled persons. Establishes a lifetime trapping license for veterans who have a service-connected disability and persons who are permanently disabled. The fee for such a license would be five dollars.
Patron - Nixon

P HB2637

Complimentary hunting and fishing licenses. Authorizes the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to issue complimentary hunting and fishing licenses to official representatives of out-of-state, nationally recognized, nongovernmental organizations engaged in wildlife conservation.
Patron - Thomas

P SB1301

P SB1315

"No wake" buoys. Limits the conditions under which "no wake" buoys or other markers that have been placed prior to July 1, 2001, can be removed. Such buoys or markers can only be removed if they no longer are providing for the safe and efficient operations of vessels. The bill also provides that "no wake" ordinances can be enacted for Smith Mountain Lake in order to protect public safety or prevent erosion. Currently, if such an ordinance is adopted it must both protect public safety and prevent damage from erosion.
Patron - Reynolds

P SB1339

Deer fences. Prohibits a landowner from erecting a fence that prevents or impedes deer from leaving the enclosed area. The bill also makes it unlawful to hunt deer in such enclosed areas. The provisions of the bill do not apply to persons hunting in an enclosure that has been constructed prior to July 1, 2001, has been registered with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and has been modified in a manner approved by the Department. The penalty for violating either of these provisions is a Class 1 misdemeanor and the court may (i) suspend the violator's hunting privileges for a period of three to five years, (ii) order the owner of the property to compensate the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for the replacement costs of the killed deer, and (iii) order the owner to modify the fence in a way that will allow the deer to leave the enclosed area.
Patron - Hawkins

F Failed

F HB1573

Prohibited ammunition. Prohibits the use of nonexpanding types of projectiles or bullets when hunting wild birds or wild animals. A violation of this provision is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Patron - Pollard

F HB2237

Spotlighting of deer. Clarifies that any person who intentionally uses a light that is attached to a vehicle in a manner that is not necessary for the normal operation of the vehicle in order to avoid obstacles or negotiate curves in the roadway would be guilty of spotlighting deer, if light is cast beyond the roadway upon a place used by deer.
Patron - Hargrove

F HB2246

Hunting of does. Authorizes localities to add one day to the season for hunting does. The bill also requires the locality to notify the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries if it has adopted an ordinance allowing an additional day of hunting does.
Patron - Day

F HB2460

Sunday hunting. Allows a person to hunt on Sunday between 1:00 p.m. and sunset.
Patron - Phillips

F SB1185

Beaver damage. Allows landowners, whose property has been damaged due to the damming of a water body by beaver activity, to seek injunctive relief against the landowner upon whose property the beaver are located. The injunctive relief may require the owner of the property where the beaver are located to remove beaver dams that are diverting water from or impounding water on an adjacent landowner's property and may require that the offending landowner provide such other relief as is necessary to prevent further damage to the adjacent landowner's property. The landowner damaged by the beaver activity would be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees.
Patron - Trumbo

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