H. B. 2777


(By Delegates Williams, Shaver, Leggett,

Tabb, Mezzatesta, Stemple and Michael)


[Introduced January 29, 2003; referred to the

Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then Finance.]




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 establishing a special sidelock black powder rifle deer hunting season and requiring a special stamp therefor.

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.

A Class V license shall be a resident muzzle-loading deer hunting license. A Class VV license shall be nonresident muzzle-loading deer hunting license. A Class V and VV license shall entitle the licensee to hunt for and kill deer with a muzzle-loader during muzzle-loading deer seasons in counties of the state, or parts thereof, excluding Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming counties, as established by the natural resources commission in section seventeen, article one of this chapter. The director shall establish rules governing the issuance of Class V and Class VV licenses as necessary to limit, on a fair and equitable basis, the number of persons who may muzzle-loader hunt for deer in any special management area. There shall be a season of at least three days each year for the taking of deer with muzzle-loading firearms, either rifles or pistols: Provided, That there shall be a special primitive sidelock black powder muzzle loading deer hunting season under rules established therefore by the director of at least five days duration beginning not earlier than the fifteenth day following the beginning of the archery deer season. Only Class V and Class VV licensed hunters , using only primitive sidelock black powder muzzle loading rifles may participate in the special primitive sidelock black powder muzzle loading deer season.
Only single shot muzzle-loading firearms with open sights or telescopic sights having a bore diameter of no less than thirty-eight one-hundredths inch are legal firearms for the taking of deer during the regular muzzle-loading deer season provided herein. Only primitive sidelock black powder muzzle loading rifles with open metal sights are legal for the taking of deer during the special primitive sidelock black powder muzzle-loading deer season.
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 twenty-five dollars. A primitive sidelock black powder muzzle loading stamp is required for a Class V or Class VV licensee to participate in the special primitive sidelock black powder muzzle loading deer hunting season as provided for above. The director may charge a separate fee for the primitive sidelock black powder muzzle loading stamp not to exceed five dollars for Class V licensees or twenty-five dollars for Class VV licensees.




NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a special primitive black powder muzzle loading rifle deer hunting season and requiring a stamp therefor.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.