H. B. 2960
(By Delegates Ennis, Argento, Swartzmiller,
Stemple, Shaver and Williams)
[Introduced January 9, 2008; referred to the
Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2-42n and §20-2-42p of the Code of
West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to allowing
unused Class RG and RRG deer stamps to be used to hunt and
take antlerless deer during the appropriate season.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §20-2-42n and §20-2-42p of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
§20-2-42n. Class N resident and Class NN nonresident antlerless
deer hunting stamp.
A Class N stamp is a resident deer hunting stamp for
antlerless deer. A Class NN stamp is a nonresident deer hunting
stamp for antlerless deer. These stamps entitle the licensee to
hunt and take antlerless deer of either sex during the Class N
season. The fee for a Class N stamp is ten dollars and the fee for a Class NN stamp is twenty-five dollars. Class N and NN stamps may
be issued only for the purpose of removing antlerless deer when the
director determines it essential for proper management of the
wildlife resources:
Provided, That a Class RG resident or Class
RRG nonresident gun deer hunting stamp, issued pursuant to section
forty-two-p of this article, that was not used during the regular
season, may be used in place of the Class N and Class NN stamp
authorized by this section, if the director deems it is essential
for the proper management of the wildlife resources. The director
may promulgate rules governing the issuance and use of the Class N
and NN stamps as deemed necessary to limit, on a fair and equitable
basis, the number of persons who may hunt for antlerless deer in a
county, or part of a county. When the director determines it
essential that a Class N or NN season be held in a particular
county or part of a county, that season shall be set by the Natural
Resources Commission as provided in section seventeen, article one
of this chapter. Bona fide resident landowners or their resident
children, or resident parents, bona fide resident tenants of such
land and bona fide resident stockholders of resident corporations
which are formed for the primary purpose of hunting or fishing and
which are the fee simple owners of no less than one thousand acres
of land upon which the antlerless deer may be hunted are not
required to have a Class N stamp in their possession while hunting
antlerless deer on their own land during the Class N season. A resident hunter, including those not required to purchase a license
pursuant to section twenty-seven of this article, must purchase and
carry a valid Class N stamp. A nonresident hunter must purchase
and carry a valid Class NN stamp. These stamps require that the
licensee purchase the appropriate base license before participating
in the activities specified in this section, except as noted.
§20-2-42p. Class RG resident and Class RRG nonresident gun deer
hunting stamp for an additional deer.
The director has the authority to issue a Class RG resident
and a Class RRG nonresident gun deer hunting stamp when deemed
essential for the proper management of the wildlife resources.
These stamps allow the licensee to hunt and take an additional deer
as designated by the director:
Provided, That a Class RG resident
or Class RRG nonresident gun deer hunting stamp, issued pursuant to
this section that is not used during the regular season, may be
used in place of the Class N and Class NN stamp authorized by
section forty-two-n of this article, if the director deems it is
essential for the proper management of the wildlife resources. The
fee for a Class RG stamp is twenty dollars and the fee for a Class
RRG stamp is forty dollars. The director may promulgate rules in
accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code
governing the issuance and use of these stamps. These stamps
require that the licensee purchase the appropriate base license
before participating in the activities specified in this section, except as noted.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow unused Class RG and
RRG deer stamps to be used to hunt and take antlerless deer during
the appropriate season.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.