Senate Bill No. 678
(By Senator Jackson, By Request)
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[Introduced February 18, 2002; referred to the Committee
on Natural Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section forty-six-j, article two,
chapter twenty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to muzzle-loading
deer licenses; permitting the use of telescopic sites on
muzzle-loading hunting weapons; increasing the nonresident
muzzle-loader license fee; and recommending that the natural
resources commission consider extending the muzzle-loading
season through the end of the calendar year.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section forty-six-j, 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.
§20-2-46j. Class V resident and Class VV nonresident
muzzle-loading deer hunting licenses.
There shall be a special season of at least three days each
year for the taking of deer with muzzle-loading firearms, either
rifles or pistols, to be set at such time and to be of a duration
determined by the commission: Provided, That the Legislature
recommends that the commission consider extending the
muzzle-loading season through the end of the calendar year. For
a minimum of two days during this season, deer of either sex may be
taken with muzzle-loading firearms in all counties open for the
taking of antlerless deer as provided in section forty-six-b of
this article. Antlered deer only may be taken in all other
counties open for the taking of deer with firearms.
Only single shot muzzle-loading firearms with iron sights or
telescopic sites having a bore diameter of no less than
thirty-eight one-hundredths inch are legal firearms for the taking
of deer during the special season provided herein.
The special season provided herein shall be concurrent with
all other seasons designated for the taking of game.
Any person wishing to hunt for and kill deer during the
special muzzle-loading season must possess a valid Class V or Class
VV license, except that this requirement does not apply to a
resident of West Virginia who is not required to obtain a license
or permit to hunt as provided in this chapter. A Class V license
shall be a resident muzzle-loading deer hunting license. A Class
VV license shall be a nonresident muzzle-loading deer hunting license. The licenses shall be issued in a form prescribed by the
director, are in addition to a Class A, Class AB or Class E license
and are valid only when accompanied thereby. The fee for the Class
V license shall be five dollars. The fee for the Class VV license
shall be ten twenty-five dollars: Provided, That on and after the
first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight, the
fee shall be twenty-five dollars.
NOTE: The purposes of this bill are as follows: (1) To permit
the use of telescopic sites on muzzle-loading hunting weapons; (2)
to increase the nonresident muzzle-loader license fee; and (3) to
recommend that the Natural Resources Commission consider extending
the muzzle-loading season through the end of the calendar year.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.