Virginia Administrative Code › Title 4 - CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES › Agency 15 - DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES › Chapter 40 - GAME: IN GENERAL › Section 4VAC15-40-60 - Hunting with dogs or possession of weapons in certain locations during closed season

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A.
				Department-owned and national forest lands statewide. It shall be unlawful to
				have in possession a firearm or any hunting weapon that is not unloaded and
				cased or dismantled on all national forest lands statewide and on
				department-owned lands and on other lands managed by the department under
				cooperative agreement except during the period when it is lawful to take bear,
				deer, grouse, pheasant, quail, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, turkey, waterfowl, or
				migratory gamebirds on these lands.
B. Certain counties. Except as otherwise
				provided in
				4VAC15-40-70,
				it shall be unlawful to have either a shotgun or a rifle in one's possession
				when accompanied by a dog in the daytime in the fields, forests or waters of
				the Counties of Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren, and
				in the counties east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, except Patrick, at any time
				except the periods prescribed by law to hunt game birds and animals.
C. Shooting ranges and authorized activities.
				The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the conduct of any activities
				authorized by the board or the establishment and operation of archery and
				shooting ranges on the lands described in subsections A and B of this section.
				The use of firearms or any hunting weapon in such ranges during the closed
				season period will be restricted to the area within the established range
				boundaries. Such weapons shall be required to be unloaded and cased or
				dismantled in all areas other than the range boundaries. The use of firearms or
				any hunting weapon during the closed hunting period in such ranges shall be
				restricted to target shooting only, and no birds or animals shall be
				molested.
D. It shall be unlawful
				to chase with a dog or train dogs on national forest lands or department-owned
				lands except during authorized hunting, chase, or training seasons that
				specifically permit these activities on these lands or during raccoon hound
				field trials on these lands between September 1 and March 31, both dates
				inclusive, that are sanctioned by bona fide national kennel clubs and
				authorized by permits issued by the department or the U.S. Forest Service.
E. It shall be unlawful to possess
				or transport any loaded firearm or loaded hunting weapon in or on any vehicle
				at any time on national forest lands or department-owned lands.
F. The provisions of this section shall not
				prohibit the possession, transport, and use of loaded firearms by employees of
				the Department of Wildlife Resources while engaged in the performance of their
				authorized and official duties, nor shall it prohibit possession and transport
				of loaded concealed handguns where the individual possesses a concealed handgun
				permit as defined in §
									18.2-308
				of the Code of Virginia.
G.
				Meaning of "possession" of any hunting weapon and definition of "loaded
				crossbow," "loaded arrowgun," "loaded muzzleloader," and "loaded firearm." For
				the purpose of this section, the word "possession" shall include having any
				firearm or weapon used for hunting in or on one's person, vehicle, or
				conveyance. For the purpose of this section, a "loaded firearm" means a firearm
				in which ammunition is chambered or loaded in the magazine or clip when such
				magazine or clip is engaged or partially engaged in a firearm. The definition
				of a "loaded muzzleloader" will include a muzzleloading rifle, pistol, or
				shotgun that is capped, has a charged pan, or has a primer or battery installed
				in the muzzleloader. A "loaded crossbow" means a crossbow that is cocked and
				has either a bolt or arrow engaged or partially engaged on the shooting rail or
				track of the crossbow, or with a "trackless crossbow" when the crossbow is
				cocked and a bolt or arrow is nocked. "Loaded arrowgun" means an arrowgun that
				has an arrow or bolt inserted on the arrow rest or in the barrel. "Hunting
				weapon" means any weapon allowable for hunting as defined in §
									29.1-519
				of the Code of Virginia.
Statutory Authority: 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294, and
					 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.