                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

CLAIMING DEER, BEAR, TURKEY, OR ELK STRUCK BY MOTOR VEHICLE (§ 29.1-539)

A. Any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer, bear, turkey, or
elk or who discovers a deer, bear, turkey, or elk that has been killed in a
collision with a motor vehicle may, upon compliance with the provisions of this
section and at any time of year, claim such animal for his own use as if the
animal had been killed by that person during hunting season for the animal.

B. Any person so killing any deer, bear, turkey, or elk or who discovers a deer,
bear, turkey, or elk that has been killed in a collision with a motor vehicle
shall immediately report the accident to a conservation police officer or other
law-enforcement officer of the county or city where the accident occurred. The
conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer shall view such
animal and if he believes that such animal was killed by a collision with a
motor vehicle or injured to such an extent as to require its death, he shall
award the animal to the person claiming it and shall give the person a call for
service number or a report number.

C. If any person driving a motor vehicle who collides with a deer, bear, turkey,
or elk, or person who discovers a deer, bear, turkey, or elk that has been
killed in a collision with a motor vehicle, does not claim such animal, a
conservation police officer or other law-enforcement officer may award such
animal to any other person who wishes to claim it pursuant to this section.

HISTORY: 1950, pp. 441, 442, §§ 29-155.2 to 29-155.4; 1980, c. 271; 1987, c.
488; 2007, c. 87; 2024, c. 83.