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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>60369</law_id><section_number>29.1-100</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-10.3</reference><reference>29.1-501</reference><reference>29.1-511</reference><reference>29.1-512</reference><reference>29.1-521</reference><reference>29.1-530.4</reference><reference>29.1-547</reference><reference>29.1-554.1</reference><reference>54.1-3800</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="29.1">Wildlife, Inland Fisheries and Boating</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Administration of Wildlife Resources</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in and for the purposes of this title only, or in any of the <span class="dictionary">regulations</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>, unless the context clearly requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Bag or creel limit</span>&#x201D; means the quantity of game, fish or <span class="dictionary">fur-bearing animals</span> that may be taken, caught, or possessed during a period fixed by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> of <span class="dictionary">Wildlife</span> Resources.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Closed season</span>&#x201D; means that period of time fixed by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> during which wild animals, birds or fish may not be taken, captured, killed, pursued, hunted, trapped or possessed.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Conservation police officers</span>&#x201D; means supervising officers, and regular and special <span class="dictionary">conservation police officers</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Department</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of <span class="dictionary">Wildlife</span> Resources.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Director</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of <span class="dictionary">Wildlife</span> Resources.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Firearm</span>&#x201D; means any weapon that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel single or multiple projectiles by the action of an explosion of a combustible <span class="dictionary">material</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Fishing</span>&#x201D; means taking, capturing, killing, or attempting to take, capture or kill any fish in and upon the inland waters of this Commonwealth.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Fur-bearing animals</span>&#x201D; includes beaver, bobcat, fisher, fox, mink, muskrat, opossum, otter, raccoon, skunk, and weasel.
		&#x201C;Game&#x201D; means wild animals and wild birds that are commonly hunted for sport or food.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Game animals</span>&#x201D; means deer (including all Cervidae), bear, rabbit, fox, squirrel, bobcat and raccoon.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Game fish</span>&#x201D; means trout (including all Salmonidae), all of the sunfish family (including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and spotted bass, rock bass, bream, bluegill and crappie), walleye or pike perch, white bass, chain pickerel or jackfish, muskellunge, and northern pike, wherever such fish are found in the waters of this Commonwealth and rockfish or striped bass where found above tidewaters or in streams which are blocked from access from tidewaters by dams.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Hunting and trapping</span>&#x201D; includes the act of or the attempted act of taking, hunting, trapping, pursuing, chasing, shooting, snaring or netting birds or animals, and assisting any person who is hunting, trapping or attempting to do so regardless of whether birds or animals are actually taken; however, when <span class="dictionary">hunting and trapping</span> are allowed, reference is made to such acts as being conducted by lawful means and in a lawful manner. The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> of <span class="dictionary">Wildlife</span> Resources may authorize by <span class="dictionary">regulation</span> the pursuing or chasing of wild birds or wild animals during any closed hunting season where persons have no <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to take such birds or animals.
		&#x201C;Lawful,&#x201D; &#x201C;by <span class="dictionary">law</span>,&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">law</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">statutes</span> of this Commonwealth or <span class="dictionary">regulations</span> adopted by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> which the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> is empowered to enforce.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Migratory game birds</span>&#x201D; means doves, ducks, brant, geese, swan, coot, gallinules, sora and other rails, snipe, woodcock and other species of birds on which open hunting seasons are set by federal <span class="dictionary">regulations</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Muzzleloader</span>&#x201D; means any <span class="dictionary">firearm</span> described in subdivision 3 of the definition of antique <span class="dictionary">firearm</span> in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Criminal history record information check required for the transfer of certain firearms" href="/18.2-308.2_2/">18.2-308.2:2</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Muzzleloading pistol</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">muzzleloader</span> originally designed, made or intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand and that is loaded from the muzzle or forward end of the cylinder.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Muzzleloading rifle</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">muzzleloader</span> firing a single projectile that is loaded from the muzzle of the gun.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Muzzleloading shotgun</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">muzzleloader</span> with a smooth bore firing multiple projectiles that are loaded from the muzzle of the gun.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Nonmigratory game birds</span>&#x201D; means grouse, bobwhite quail, turkey and all species of birds introduced into the Commonwealth by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Nuisance species</span>&#x201D; means blackbirds, coyotes, crows, cowbirds, feral swine, grackles, English sparrows, starlings, or those species designated as such by <span class="dictionary">regulations</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Board</span>, and those species found committing or about to commit depredation upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, <span class="dictionary">wildlife</span>, livestock or other property or when concentrated in numbers and manners as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance. However, the term nuisance does not include (i) animals designated as endangered or threatened pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/29.1-563/">29.1-563</a>, <a class="law" title="Taking, transportation, sale, etc., of endangered species prohibited" href="/29.1-564/">29.1-564</a>, and <a class="law" title="Regulations" href="/29.1-566/">29.1-566</a>, (ii) animals classified as game or <span class="dictionary">fur-bearing animals</span>, and (iii) those species protected by state or federal <span class="dictionary">law</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Open season</span>&#x201D; means that period of time fixed by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> during which wild animals, wild birds and fish may be taken, captured, killed, pursued, trapped or possessed.
		&#x201C;Pistol&#x201D; means a weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having one or more <span class="dictionary">chambers</span> as an integral part of or permanently aligned with the bore and a short stock at an angle to and extending below the line of the bore that is designed to be gripped by one hand.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Possession</span>&#x201D; means the exercise of control of any wild animal, wild bird, fish or fur-bearing animal, or any part of the carcass thereof.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Properly licensed person</span>&#x201D; means a person who, while engaged in hunting, <span class="dictionary">fishing</span> or trapping, or in any other activity permitted under this title, in and upon the lands and inland waters of this Commonwealth, has upon his person all the licenses, permits and stamps required by <span class="dictionary">law</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Regulation</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">regulation</span> duly adopted by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> pursuant to the authority vested by the provisions of this title.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Revolver</span>&#x201D; means a projectile weapon of the pistol type, having a breechloading chambered cylinder arranged so that the cocking of the hammer or movement of the trigger rotates it and brings the next cartridge in line with the barrel for firing.
		&#x201C;Rifle&#x201D; means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger.
		&#x201C;Shotgun&#x201D; means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore or rifled shotgun barrel either a number of ball shot or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Transportation</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">transportation</span>, either upon the person or by any other means, of any wild animal or wild bird or fish.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Wildlife</span>&#x201D; means all species of wild animals, wild birds and freshwater fish in the public waters of this Commonwealth.</p></section></text><history>1952, c. 573, &#xA7; 29-131; 1952, c. 608, &#xA7; 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; 2012, cc. 247, 603; 2015, c. 618; 2017, c. 161; 2020, c. 958; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 432.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
