West Virginia Code 20-2-5i – Waste of game animals, game birds, or game fish; penalties
(a) It is unlawful for any person to cause through carelessness, neglect, or otherwise to let any edible portion of any big game or game fish to go to waste needlessly.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 20-2-5i
- Big game: means elk, deer, black bears, wild boars and wild turkeys. See West Virginia Code 20-1-2
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Game: means game animals, game birds and game fish as herein defined. See West Virginia Code 20-1-2
- Person: except as otherwise defined elsewhere in this chapter, means the plural "persons" and shall include individuals, partnerships, corporations or other legal entities. See West Virginia Code 20-1-2
- Take: means to hunt, shoot, pursue, lure, kill, destroy, catch, capture, keep in captivity, gig, spear, trap, ensnare, wound or injure any wildlife, or attempt to do so. See West Virginia Code 20-1-2
(b) For purposes of this section, “edible portion” means, with respect to:
(1) Big game. — One or more of the following: (A) the meat of the front quarters to the knee; (B) the meat of the hind-quarters to the hock; or (C) the meat along the backbone between the front quarters and hind quarters: Provided, That an edible portion of a wild turkey is the meat of the breast only.
(2) Game fish. — The fillet meat from the gill plate to the tail fin.
(3) Edible portion does not include bones, sinew, viscera, meat from the head or neck, meat that has been damaged or rendered inedible by method of taking, or meat that is reasonably lost as a result of boning or close trimming of bones.
(c) It is unlawful for any person to take any big game and detach or remove from the carcass the head, hide, antlers, tusks, paws, claws, gallbladder, teeth, beards, or spurs only and leave the carcass to waste.
(d) Any person who through no carelessness, neglect, or otherwise, is unable to locate the carcass of any lawfully taken big game prior to the spoilage or decay of any or all edible portions may detach or remove from the carcass the head, hide, antlers, tusks, paws, claws, gall bladder, teeth, beards, or spurs: Provided, That the big game is registered and shall be counted toward the daily, seasonal, bag, and possession limit of the person in possession of, or responsible for taking the big game.
(e) Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to the following penalties, with respect to:
(1) Big game violations. —
(A) A fine of not less than $500 nor more than $2,500, or confinement in jail not less than 10 days nor more than 100 days, or both fined and confined;
(B) Suspension of hunting and fishing license for a period of five years; and
(C) All applicable forfeiture and replacement provisions in § 20-2-5a of this code.
(2) Game fish violations. —
(A) A fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, or confinement in jail not less than 10 days nor more than 100 days, or both fined and confined;
(B) Suspension of hunting and fishing license for a period of two years; and
(C) All applicable forfeiture and replacement provisions in § 20-2-5a of this code.