Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§18.2-136 and 18.2-286 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 29.1-516.2 as follows:
§18.2-136. Right of certain hunters to go on lands of another; carrying firearms or bows and arrows prohibited.
Fox hunters and coon
hunters, A. A fox
or raccoon hunter, when the chase begins on other lands,
may follow their dogs his dog on prohibited lands, and hunters.
B. A hunter
of all other
any game other than fox or
raccoon, when the chase begins on other lands, may go upon
prohibited lands to retrieve their dogs, falcons,
hawks his dog, falcon,
hawk, or owls owl but
may shall
not carry firearms
any firearm or bows bow and arrows on their persons his person or hunt any game
while thereon. The
use of vehicles to retrieve dogs, falcons, hawks,
or owls on prohibited lands
shall be allowed only with the permission
of the landowner or his agent.
Any person who goes on prohibited lands to retrieve his dog pursuant to this
subsection shall, by making a telephone call, obtain the permission of the
owner or occupant of the property before entering such prohibited lands. Any person who goes on prohibited lands to retrieve his dogs, falcons, hawks dog, falcon, hawk, or owls
owl pursuant to this section subsection and who
willfully refuses to identify himself when requested by the landowner or his
agent to do so is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.
C. No person shall use a vehicle to retrieve a dog, falcon, hawk, or owl on prohibited lands unless such use is with the permission of the landowner or his agent.
§18.2-286. Shooting in or across road or in street.
If any Any person
who discharges a firearm, crossbow, slingbow, arrowgun, or
bow and arrow in or across any road, or
within the right-of-way thereof, to either side thereof
within 75 feet of the centerline of such road, or in a
street of any city or town, he shall, for each
offense, be is
guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor for each offense.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to any firing
ranges range
or shooting matches match maintained, and
supervised or approved, by law-enforcement officers
and or
military personnel in performance of their lawful duties.
§29.1-516.2. Hunting dogs; release location; trespass; penalty.
A. For purposes of this section, a dog shall be deemed to be running at large while it is roaming, running, or self-hunting off the property of its owner or custodian and not under the immediate control of its owner or custodian. Electronic tracking of a dog does not constitute immediate control.
B. No hunting dog shall be released on a public road or on either side of such road within 100 feet of the centerline of the road.
C. No owner or custodian of a dog shall, without permission, allow such dog to run at large onto the property of another for the purpose of hunting or chasing game after receiving appropriate notice by the landowner, his agent, or the lessee that hunting or chasing game with dogs without permission is forbidden on such property. Such appropriate notice shall be given in writing or by placing metal signs prohibiting dogs, of a size, wording, format, and placement approved by the Department, where the signs may reasonably be seen.
For purposes of this subsection, there shall be no more than one actionable occurrence per owner or custodian within any single 24-hour period, and no dog shall be restrained or otherwise detained by the landowner, lessee, or agent, except for the purpose of prompt identification.
D. Any person violating any provision of this section shall, in addition to any other available remedy, be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100 for the first occurrence and $250 per occurrence for a second or subsequent occurrence on such property. No penalty provided pursuant to this subsection shall apply to an owner or custodian who released his dogs on property that he owns or leases or on which he has written permission to hunt and that has an area, including contiguous separate parcels, of more than 500 acres.
E. Any penalty provided pursuant to this section shall be imposed by a court of competent jurisdiction upon a finding by such court that the owner or custodian was in violation of this subsection and following a summons issued for a violation of this subsection by any animal control officer, conservation police officer, or other law-enforcement officer, or by the court pursuant to a civil action initiated by the affected landowner or lessee. Any civil penalty assessed pursuant to this section shall be paid into the treasury of the county or city where such civil action is brought and used for the purpose of defraying the costs of local animal control.