Chap. 360.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Sections 36 and 37 as amended, and
40 of the Game, Inland Fish and Dog Code of Virginia, approved March 24,
1930, relating respectively to hunting, trapping and fishing, and fixing certain
season and bag limits. fH 354]

Approved March 30, 1944

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That sections thirty-six and thirty-seven as amended, and section
forty of the Game, Inland Fish and Dog Code of Virginia, be amended
and re-enacted, as follows:

LAWFUL HUNTING

Section 36. Methods of hunting wild birds and wild animals, open
and closed seasons, bag limits, et cetera——There shall be a continuous
open season for killing predatory or undesirable species of wild birds
and wild animals and a continuous closed hunting season on all other
species of wild birds and wild animals except as provided by this section.

(a) Non-migratory game birds and game and fur-bearing animals
may be hunted with shotgun only, not larger than ten gauge, and with
an automatic-loading or hand-operated repeating shotgun capable of hold-
ing three shells only, the magazine of which has been cut off or plugged
with a one-piece metal or wooden filler incapable of removal through
the loading end thereof, so as to reduce the capacity of said gun to not
more than three shells at one time in the magazine and chamber com-
bined, or rifle or bow and arrow, unless shooting is expressly prohibited.

(b) Non-migratory game birds and game animals may be hunted
from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

(c) Foxes and fur-bearing animals and predatory and undesirable
species of birds and animals may be hunted by day or by night.

(e) A landowner may shoot furbearing animals except beaver,
muskrats or raccoons, upon his own lands during closed season. When
muskrats and raccoons are damaging crops or dams the owner of the
premises may have the same killed under permit obtained from the game
warden of the county authorizing same.

(f) It shall be lawful to hunt the wild birds and wild animals named
herein, within the daily and season bag limits, if any, during the open
season provided, including the first and last days thereof, as follows:

OUTSIDE DATES OF OPEN SEASON FOR

HUNTING WITHIN WHICH THE COMMISSION OF
GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES MAY FIX THE
OPEN SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS.

Non-Migratory Game Birds
Grouse.—Open hunting season, November fifteenth-January thirty-
first. Bag limit, four a day, sixteen a season.
Pheasant, ring-necked only—Open hunting season, November fif-
teenth-January thirty-first. Bag limit, four a day, twenty a season.
Quail.—Open hunting season November fifteenth-January thirty-
first. Bag limit twelve a day, one hundred fifty a season.
Turkey.—Open hunting season, November fifteenth- Januar:
arst. Bag limit, two a day, four a season.

Clapper Rail—Open hunting season, September first-N:
thirtieth. Bag limit, fifteen a day, no season limit.

Migratory Game Birds

Migratory game birds may be hunted in accordance with res
of the commission, which regulation shall conform to the regul:
the United States government insofar as open seasons and bag I:
concerned.

Game Animals

Black bear.—Open hunting season, October first-January fif
limit, one a Season.

Black bear may be killed by any person when it is inflictir
tempting to inflict injury to the person or property of any one
pursuit commenced within twenty-four hours after the comm
such offense. Any person killing a bear under this provision shi
with report the same to the game warden of the county.

Deer.—Unlawful to molest while swimming in the water
stream, lake or pond or to hunt with dogs in the counties west of
Ridge Mountains. Open hunting season, October first-Janua

Bag limit, one a day, two a season.

Elk.—Unlawful to hunt with dogs. Open hunting season,
ber first-December thirty-first.

Bag limit, one a day, one a season.

Fox.—Open season for shooting, October first-January th
Continuous open season for hunting with dogs only.

Foxes may be killed at any time by the owner or tenant of
when such animals are doing damage to domestic stock or fowl.

Rabbits——Open hunting season, November fifteenth-Januatr
first.

Bag limit, ten a day, one hundred fifty a season.

Resident landowners and their children, resident members
clubs who own the land in fee, either jointly or through a holding
tion, and tenants residing upon the premises, with the written pe
of the landowner, may kill rabbits for their own use during t
season. Further, when rabbits are damaging fruit trees or c
owner of such premises may have the same killed under permit
from the game warden of the county authorizing same.

Squirrels—Open hunting season, September first-Januar
first.

Bag limit, ten a day. one hundred fifty a season.

Resident landowners and their children, resident members
clubs who own the land in fee, either jointly or through a hol
poration, and tenants residing upon the premises, with the wr:
mission of the landowner, may kill squirrels for their own use d
closed season. Further, when squirrels are damaging crops, t
of the premises may have the same killed under permit obtai
the game warden of the county authorizing same.
Furbearing Animals
Mink.—Open hunting season, October first-January thirty-first.
Opossum.—Open hunting season, October first-January thirty-first.
Otter——Open hunting season, October first-January thirty-first.
Raccoon.—Open hunting season, October first-January thirty-first.
Skunk.—Open hunting season, January first-December thirty-first.

LAWFUL TRAPPING

' Section 37. Open and closed season for trapping, bag limits, et cetera.
—There shall be a continuous open season for trapping predatory or
undesirable species of wild birds and wild furbearing animals and a con-
tinuous closed trapping season on all other species of wild birds and wild
animals, except as provided by this section.

(a) The'trapper shall be responsible for all damage done by his traps
and any person finding a trap set contrary to law may destroy the same.

(b) A landowner may trap furbearing animals, except beaver, musk-
rat and raccoons, upon his own land during closed season. When musk-
rats and raccoons are damaging crops or dams the owner of the premises
may have the same trapped under permit obtained from the game warden
of the county authorizing same.

(c) Licensed trappers may shoot wild animals caught in traps dur-
ing the open hunting season if such trapper has license to hunt.

(d) It shall be lawful to trap the wild animals named herein within
the daily bag and season limits, if any, during the open season provided,
including the first and last days thereof, as follows:

OUTSIDE DATES OF OPEN SEASONS FOR
TRAPPING WITHIN WHICH THE COM-
MISSION OF GAME AND INLAND FISH-
ERIES MAY FIX THE OPEN SEASONS
AND BAG LIMITS.

Game Animals

Black bear.—Open trapping season, November fifteenth-December
thirty-first.

Fox.—Open trapping season, November fifteenth-January thirty-
first. |

Rabbit.—Open trapping season, November fifteenth-January thirty-
first.

Bag limit, ten a day, one hundred and fifty a season.

Furbearing Animals

Mink.—Open trapping season, November fifteenth-January thirty-
first.

Muskrat.—Open trapping season, December first-March thirty-first.

Opossum.—Open trapping season, November fifteenth-January
thirty-first.

Raccoon.—Open trapping season, November fifteenth-January thirty-
first.

©tter—Open trapping season, December first-March thirty-first.

Skunk.—Open trapping season, January first-December thirty-first.
Section 40. Outside dates of open season within which the Commis-
sion of Game and Inland Fisheries may fix the open seasons; method of
taking bass and trout, bag and size limit——The open season during which
it shall be lawful to take any species of bass or trout from the inland wat-
ers of this State, but only by angling with hook and line, attached to a
rod or pole, either with or without a reel, and with or without the aid
of a hand landing net, and the bag and size limit a person may take in any
one day or in any one open season, including the first and last days
thereof, shall be as follows:

Bass, except rock bass, or redeye.—June to March fifteenth; bag
limit ten a day—one hundred fifty a season; not less than ten inches in
length from tip of nose to tip of tail.

Rock bass, or redeye.—June twentieth to March fifteenth; bag limit
ten a day—one hundred fifty a season.

Trout, any species.—April first to July thirty-first; bag limit fifteen
a day—two hundred a season.

Exemption |
The owner, or lessee, of any private pond stocked by himself may
capture bass and trout of any species therefrom for his own use at any
time.