Senate Bill No. 91
(By Senator Dittmar)
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[Introduced January 14, 2000; referred to the Committee
on Natural Resources; and then to the Committee on the
Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section seven, article two, chapter
twenty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to natural
resources; wildlife resources; hunting, trapping or fishing
on lands of another; damages and compensation; and
misdemeanor offenses, damages and penalties.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seven, article two, chapter twenty of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
§20-2-7. Hunting, trapping or fishing on lands of another;
damages and compensation.
It shall be unlawful for any person to shoot, hunt, fish or
trap upon the fenced, enclosed or posted grounds or lands of
another person or to peel or damage trees or timber, build fires,
construct permanent tree stands or do any other act or thing
thereon in connection with or auxiliary to shooting, hunting,
fishing or trapping on such lands without permission in writing
from the owner, tenant or agent of such owner, and every person
hunting, fishing, shooting or fowling upon such lands shall have
in his or her possession such written permission when so doing.
Any person who, for the purpose of, or while hunting,
trapping or fishing, shall, without the permission of the owner,
tenant or agent of the owner, enter upon the land of another and
while thereon shall kill or injure any domestic animal or fowl,
or shall cut, destroy or damage any bars, gates or fence, or any
part thereof, or shall leave open any bars or gates thereon
resulting in damage to the owner or occupant thereof, shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor and, in addition shall be liable to the
owner or person suffering such damage for all costs and damages
resulting therefrom.
It shall be lawful for the owner, lessee or the person
entitled to the possession of such lands, or the agent thereof,
to arrest any such person found violating this section and
immediately take him or her before a justice of the peace
magistrate for trial, and such the owner, lessee, person or agent
is hereby vested with all the powers and rights of a game
protector conservation officer for such these purposes. The
officers charged with the enforcement of the provisions of this
chapter shall have the duty to enforce the provisions of this
section if requested to do so by such the owner, lessee, person
or agent, but not otherwise.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to make it a misdemeanor
offense for a person hunting or fishing to damage trees or
construct permanent tree stands on the lands of another person.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.