Chap. 395.——An ACT to amend the Game, Inland Fish and Dog Code of Virginia
by adding thereto a new section numbered 19-g, in relation to waterfowl
hunting on Back Bay and its tributaries, and North Landing river, in Princess
Anne county and licenses for blinds, and prescribing penalties; and to repeal
chapter 392 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1928 and all acts amenda-
tory thereof, the same being an act to provide for the protection of wild
water fowl in the public waters of Back Bay and its tributaries and North
Landing river, the title to which is copied at length in the repealing clause
of this act. [H B 254]

Approved March 30, 1936

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That the
Game, Inland Fish and Dog Code of Virginia be amended by adding
thereto a new section numbered nineteen-g, which new section shall
read as follows: ;

Section 19-g. Regulations governing waterfowl hunting on Back
Bay and its tributaries, and North Landing river, in Princess Anne
county.—In Princess Anne county migratory waterfowl may be hunted
on Back Bay and its tributaries and the marshes adjacent thereto, and
on and along the shores of the North Landing river and marshes
adjacent thereto, and on and along the shores of Lakes Tecumseh and
Red Wing and the marshes adjacent thereto, only in accordance with
the terms of this section.

(a) Ducks, geese, brant and coot of all varieties may be hunted
only from batteries, bush blinds and mat blinds not then in motion,
and blinds on shore, and ducks, geese, brant and coots of all varieties
may be hunted only by means of natural or artificial decoys, except,
however, that any bird shot and wounded from any such permissible
device, may be immediately pursued and killed from a boat in motion.

(b) Batteries and mat blinds are classified as floating devices.
Batteries and mat blinds shall be deemed movable devices, and shall
be subject to use in different parts of the public waters from time to
time, and in any part thereof not prohibited by the terms of this sec-
tion. Blinds on shore, and brush or stake blinds shall be deemed fixed
devices, usable in any one open season only at the location for which
license is granted under the provisions hereof.

(c) No floating device or brush or stake blind shall be used in
hunting migratory waterfowl unless licensed under the provisions
hereof, and licenses for floating devices and brush or stake blinds may
be issued only to residents of the Commonwealth.

(d) The respective owners of the shores adjacent to the waters
of Back Bay and its tributaries, and North Landing river, shall be
permitted to license blinds along the shore owned by them if they
desire to do so, for the purpose of securing the protection hereinafter
provided in accordance with the following regulations:

1. No person, firm or corporation, owning shore line bordering on
the public waters, shall be permitted to license more than two blinds
along the shores of North Bay, which for the purposes of this section,
shall be that section north of a line drawn east and west through the
south end of Big Stinger Island.

2. No person, firm or corporation, owning shore line bordering on
the public waters shall be permitted to license more than four blinds
along the shores of Shipp’s Bay.

3. No person, firm or corporation, owning shore line bordering
on the public waters shall be permitted to license more than five
blinds along the shores of Back Bay proper, or any of the other bays
not enumerated and adjacent thereto, and North Landing river.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the owner
of any shore line from shooting from any blind thereon, whether the
blind thereon be licensed for shooting or not; provided such unlicensed
point shall not be shot from within five hundred yards of any occupied
licensed device.

(e) Fees for waterfowl blind licenses shall be as follows:

1. For stationary blinds erected on the shore, to shoot on or over
the public waters, twenty-five dollars;

2. For stationary brush or stake blind, or other stationary blind
permitted by law at a fixed location in the public waters, to shoot on
or over said waters, fifteen dollars;

3. For batteries, when permitted by law on the public waters, to
shoot on or over said waters, twenty-five dollars;

4. For mat blinds or other floating blind, other than a battery,
permitted by law in the public waters, to shoot on or over said waters,
fifteen dollars.

No resident of the Commonwealth shall be permitted to license
more than one battery, two brush or stake blinds or one mat blind for
any one season.
(f) Licenses for shore blinds may be obtained on and after July
first, and on or before August thirty-first of each year, and the blind
shall be erected on the site for which license is issued, and the metal
license plate supplied with the license for that season affixed thereto
prior to August thirty-first. Unless license has been obtained and a
stake or blind erected and marked at the licensed location on or before
August thirty-first of each year, the owners of shore line, their licensees
or assigns, shall forfeit the privilege of licensing blinds at unlicensed
locations for the next ensuing open season, and locations in the public
waters adjacent to and opposite from said shore shall be open for
license for any permissible brush or stake blind authorized under this
section. Licenses for brush or stake blinds may be obtained on and
after August thirty-first, and on and before September thirtieth, and
a stake or blind shall be erected on the site, with the metal license plate
supplied with license for that season affixed thereto within ten days,
but no brush or stake blind shall be licensed within five hundred yards
of any other licensed blind; provided, however, that no stationary blind
shall be erected in the waters of Lakes Tecumseh or Red Wing.

(g) Licenses for mat blinds or other floating movable blinds per-
mitted by law, in which term shall be included batteries when per-
mitted, for use in the public waters, may be obtained on and after
July first, and on and before October thirty-first. Such blind or the
boat used in connection therewith, shall have the metal license plate
supplied with the license for that season affixed thereto, and may be
anchored, tied out and used for shooting purposes only in the public
waters at least five hundred yards from any licensed stationary blind
which is then occupied for shooting, whether on the shore or in the
public waters, and this shall include any boat or tender accompanying
any such floating blind. The license of any movable blind first stopping
at a definite location for the day’s shooting shall be entitled to that
location for the day, and no other movable device shall anchor, tie out
or remain within five hundred yards from the location so selected
during that day.

Nothing herein contained, however, shall be construed to prevent
different owners of land bordering on the public waters from licensing
shore blinds which are nearer to each other than the distance of five
hundred yards.

Not more than fifty battery licenses shall be issued for any one
season, and these shall be issued in accordance with priority of applica-
tion. No floating device shall be used in the waters of Lakes Tecumseh
or Red Wing.

(h) The holders of licenses first issued under this section may
renew the same privileges each succeeding year by licensing the same
within the time required and placing the metal license plate supplied
with the license for that season affixed to a stake or blind as required
by this section, but this privilege shall be subject to the right of the
shore line owners to license points each year. Whenever a battery or
stationary blind license is not renewed, it shall be issued to the first
applicant therefor. If any blind shall be destroyed in any manner
beyond the control of the owner it may be replaced within thirty days
without losing the position which it formerly occupied. Those licensing
stationary blinds in the public waters shall remove the same when
the licenses are allowed to expire or when they no longer intend to
use them.

(i) Obtaining licenses—Applications for blind licenses under this
act shall be made to the clerk of the circuit court of Princess Anne
county, who shall be paid similar fees as for issuing hunting licenses.
With each license the clerk shall deliver a metal license plate bearing
the same number as the license, which shall be affixed to the blind
where it may be easily observed. Should there be two or more ap-
plications at the same time for approximately the same location prefer-
ence shall be given to the applicant residing nearest the desired loca-
tion. The commission shall furnish application blanks, licenses and
license plates provided for in this section.

(j) Disposition of fund—The money derived from the sale of
blind licenses under this section shall be paid into the game protection
fund; provided that any amount annually so collected in excess of
fifteen hundred dollars shall be paid to the treasurer of Princess Anne
county, to be expended by the county school board in the establishment,
maintenance and operation of the public free schools of said county.

(ix) Any person, firm or corporation, who shall violate any of the
provisions of this section, or any of the provisions of law or regula-
tions as to hunting migratory waterfowl from the blinds permitted in
this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction,
punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than five hundred
dollars, or confinement in jail not exceeding twelve months, either or
both, in the discretion of the court or jury trying the case. Further-
more, the trial court may thereupon revoke the license of the licensee
from whose device the offense is committed, as well as the personal
hunting license of all parties involved therein. The holder of any
license which has been revoked shall not have a similar license during
that open season, but may be eligible for license thereafter upon the
same conditions as would apply to a new applicant.

(1) Regulations to be issued; present regulations continued in
force.—The Commission shall have the power to amend or alter the
provisions of this section to meet changing conditions as to hunting
migratory game birds, and the regulations of the Commission now
applying to the areas covered by this section are hereby continued in
force until amended or repealed by said Commission.

2. Be it further enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia,
That an act entitled an act to provide for the protection of wild water-
fowl in the public waters of Back Bay and its tributaries and North
Landing river, and along the shores thereof, in the county of Princess
Anne, by prescribing the manner in which same may be killed; by
regulating the number of batteries, sink boxes, mat blind rigs and
other kindred devices which may be used on said waters and along
the shores thereof in hunting said waterfowl; by providing for the
licensing of said batteries, sink boxes, mat blind rigs and other kindred
devices; and by providing for the licensing of certain blinds on shore,
at the option of the owners thereof, approved March twenty-third,
nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, and all acts amendatory thereof,
be, and the same are hereby, repealed.