H. B. 4456


(By Delegates Stemple, Poling, Varner and Pethtel)
[Introduced February 7, 2006; referred to the
Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then the Judiciary.]





A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2-20 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to allowing a more efficient and effective means of trapping beaver for either recreational purposes or nuisance wildlife control.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §20-2-20 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
§20-2-20. Trapping beaver.
No person shall at any time:
(1) Set or maintain more than the number of beaver traps, or groups of beaver traps, established as the season limit in any one year by the director;
(2) Set any traps for beaver within fifteen feet of the waterline on the structure of any beaver house;
(3) Have in his possession an untagged beaver hide, or part thereof, within the period beginning thirty days after the end of the open season and ending with the first day of the next succeeding open season for beavers. and
(4) Destroy, disturb, or in any manner interfere with dams, houses, or burrows of beavers while trapping for or attempting to trap for beavers.
If any person shall unintentionally trap and kill more beavers than fixed by regulations as the season bag limit, he shall, within twenty-four hours thereafter, deliver said beaver or beavers to a conservation officer.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow for a more efficient and effective means of trapping beaver for either recreational purposes or nuisance wildlife control.


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