W. Va. Code R. § 58-11B-3

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 58-11B-3 - Prohibitions

3.1. Hunting is prohibited in State parks and wildlife refuges, in safety zones in State forests, and in safety zones in State Wildlife Management Areas.

3.1.1. Federal regulations prohibit hunting in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

3.2. Notwithstanding the provisions of W. Va. Code § 20-2-5(2), woodchucks may be controlled by digging them out, cutting them out or smoking them out on private land by the landowner, his or her resident children or resident parents, or a bona fide resident tenant.

3.3. Except as provided in Subdivisions 3.3.1 and 3.3.2 of this rule, it is illegal to use poisons, chemicals, or explosives in taking any furbearing animal, game animal, game bird, protected bird, or protected mammal.

3.3.1. Woodchucks may be controlled by poison, chemical or explosives on private land by the landowner, his or her resident children or resident parents, or a bona fide resident tenant during the period commencing each year on April 1 and ending on September 30.

3.3.2. Redwing blackbirds, grackles, pigeons, starlings, brownheaded cowbirds and English sparrows may be controlled by chemicals registered with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and the United States Environmental Protection Agency when prescribed and authorized by the director in writing. Authorized users must follow avicide label instructions and take all possible precautions in order to protect nontarget species of wildlife.

3.4. It is illegal to hunt from, or by means of, a motorized watercraft unless the motor has been completely shutoff and the watercraft's progress from the motor has ceased.

3.5. It is illegal to hunt, catch, take, kill, injure, or pursue a wild animal or wild bird by means of falconry or hawking.

3.6. The use or possession of a fully automatic, rifle, shotgun, or pistol is prohibited while hunting or pursuing wildlife at any time.

3.7. It is illegal to catch, capture, take, or kill, or attempt to do so, by seine, net, bait, trap, deadfall, snare, or like device of any kind, any deer, bear, migratory bird, protected bird, protected mammal, or wild boar.

3.8. It " is illegal for a person to have in his or her possession solid ball ammunition and lead or steel shot larger than No. 4 during the muzzleloading season, except for those persons legally hunting bear or legally hunting deer with a muzzleloader firearm. The use of .22 caliber rimfire for small game hunting is legal during the muszleloading season.

3.9. No person may use tree stands, except for portable tree stands, on public lands.

3.10. No person may transport wildlife or parts thereof, which were killed by another hunter unless the wildlife is accompanied by a paper or tag filled out in plain English bearing the following information from the hunter killing the wildlife:

3.10.1. The hunter's signature, address, hunting license number (if required), official game checking tag number (if required), date of kill, species, number, and/or quantity of wildlife.

3.11. It is illegal for any person to feed bears.

3.12. It is illegal to hunt between hour after sunset to hour before sunrise with a bow or centerfire firearm or any firearm using larger than .22 caliber rimfire ammunition or shotguns using solid ball ammunition or shot shell containing larger than No.4 shot.

W. Va. Code R. § 58-11B-3