29.1-100 - Definitions.
§ 29.1-100. Definitions.
As used in and for the purposes of this title only, or in any of theregulations of the Board, unless the context clearly requires a differentmeaning:
"Bag or creel limit" means the quantity of game, fish or fur-bearinganimals that may be taken, caught, or possessed during a period fixed by theBoard.
"Board" means the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries.
"Closed season" means that period of time fixed by the Board during whichwild animals, birds or fish may not be taken, captured, killed, pursued,hunted, trapped or possessed.
"Conservation police officers" means supervising officers, and regular andspecial conservation police officers.
"Department" means the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
"Director" means the Director of the Department of Game and InlandFisheries.
"Firearm" means any weapon that will or is designed to or may readily beconverted to expel single or multiple projectiles by the action of anexplosion of a combustible material.
"Fishing" means taking, capturing, killing, or attempting to take, captureor kill any fish in and upon the inland waters of this Commonwealth.
"Fur-bearing animals" includes beaver, bobcat, fox, mink, muskrat, opossum,otter, raccoon, skunk, and weasel.
"Game" means wild animals and wild birds that are commonly hunted for sportor food.
"Game animals" means deer, bear, rabbit, fox, squirrel, bobcat and raccoon.
"Game fish" means trout (including all Salmonidae), all of the sunfishfamily (including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and spotted bass, rockbass, bream, bluegill and crappie), walleye or pike perch, white bass, chainpickerel or jackfish, muskellunge, and northern pike, wherever such fish arefound in the waters of this Commonwealth and rockfish or striped bass wherefound above tidewaters or in streams which are blocked from access fromtidewaters by dams.
"Hunting and trapping" includes the act of or the attempted act of taking,hunting, trapping, pursuing, chasing, shooting, snaring or netting birds oranimals, and assisting any person who is hunting, trapping or attempting todo so regardless of whether birds or animals are actually taken; however,when hunting and trapping are allowed, reference is made to such acts asbeing conducted by lawful means and in a lawful manner. The Board of Game andInland Fisheries may authorize by regulation the pursuing or chasing of wildbirds or wild animals during any closed hunting season where persons have nointent to take such birds or animals.
"Lawful," "by law," or "law" means the statutes of this Commonwealth orregulations adopted by the Board which the Director is empowered to enforce.
"Migratory game birds" means doves, ducks, brant, geese, swan, coot,gallinules, sora and other rails, snipe, woodcock and other species of birdson which open hunting seasons are set by federal regulations.
"Muzzleloading pistol" means a firearm originally designed, made orintended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held inone hand and that is loaded from the muzzle or forward end of the cylinder.
"Muzzleloading rifle" means a firearm firing a single projectile that isloaded along with the propellant from the muzzle of the gun.
"Muzzleloading shotgun" means a firearm with a smooth bore firing multipleprojectiles that are loaded along with the propellant from the muzzle of thegun.
"Nonmigratory game birds" means grouse, bobwhite quail, turkey and allspecies of birds introduced into the Commonwealth by the Board.
"Nuisance species" means blackbirds, crows, cowbirds, grackles, Englishsparrows, starlings, or those species designated as such by regulations ofthe Board, and those species found committing or about to commit depredationupon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, wildlife, livestock orother property or when concentrated in numbers and manners as to constitute ahealth hazard or other nuisance. However, the term nuisance does not include(i) animals designated as endangered or threatened pursuant to §§ 29.1-563,29.1-564, and 29.1-566, (ii) animals classified as game or fur-bearinganimals, and (iii) those species protected by state or federal law.
"Open season" means that period of time fixed by the Board during whichwild animals, wild birds and fish may be taken, captured, killed, pursued,trapped or possessed.
"Pistol" means a weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire aprojectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, andhaving one or more chambers as an integral part of or permanently alignedwith the bore and a short stock at an angle to and extending below the lineof the bore that is designed to be gripped by one hand.
"Possession" means the exercise of control of any wild animal, wild bird,fish or fur-bearing animal, or any part of the carcass thereof.
"Properly licensed person" means a person who, while engaged in hunting,fishing or trapping, or in any other activity permitted under this title, inand upon the lands and inland waters of this Commonwealth, has upon hisperson all the licenses, permits and stamps required by law.
"Regulation" means a regulation duly adopted by the Board pursuant to theauthority vested by the provisions of this title.
"Revolver" means a projectile weapon of the pistol type, having abreechloading chambered cylinder arranged so that the cocking of the hammeror movement of the trigger rotates it and brings the next cartridge in linewith the barrel for firing.
"Rifle" means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intendedto be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and made or remadeto use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire onlya single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger.
"Shotgun" means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, andintended to be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and madeor remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to firethrough a smooth bore or rifled shotgun barrel either a number of ball shotor a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger.
"Transportation" means the transportation, either upon the person or by anyother means, of any wild animal or wild bird or fish.
"Wildlife" means all species of wild animals, wild birds and freshwaterfish in the public waters of this Commonwealth.
(1952, c. 573, § 29-131; 1952, c. 608, § 29-2.1; 1962, c. 469; 1974, c. 302;1979, c. 264; 1984, c. 199; 1987, cc. 134, 488; 1990, c. 371; 2002, c. 157.)