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West Virginia Wildlife Control Information

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WEST VIRGINIA                   WV

Regulatory Agency

Law Enforcement Section, Division of Natural Resources
http://www.wvdnr.gov/lenforce/law.shtm

License required

http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-41.pdf
'58-41-3.  Licensing
 
3.1.  A person seeking a wildlife damage control license shall complete a written application on forms supplied by the Director.  Completed applications shall be submitted to the district headquarters of the Law Enforcement Section, Division of Natural Resources.  All applications shall contain the following information:
3.1.1.  The name of the applicant, and the applicant's  address, telephone number, date of birth,  social security number and state business tax number. 
3.1.1.a.  An applicant must be eighteen (18) years of age or older to be issued a wildlife damage control license.
3.1.2.  In the event the applicant is a corporation, partnership, firm, business or other commercial entity, club, organization or association, the name, address and telephone number of all officers is required.  Each agent engaged in wildlife damage control must be individually licensed.
3.1.3.  The applicant must demonstrate his or her knowledge of wildlife damage control procedures, laws, rules, and policies through the satisfactory completion of a written test.
3.2.  A wildlife damage control license is valid for a period of one calendar year and must be renewed annually.
3.2.1.  The Division shall test all agents at five (5) year intervals upon application for license renewal.
3.3.  The license is not transferable.
 
License Fees
Annual Fee of $50 for issuance of a wildlife damage control license to agents who charge a fee for their services
 
A corporation, partnership, firm, business or other commercial entity, club, or organization having multiple agents may license each agent annually for twenty percent (20%) of the license fee after payment of the initial fifty dollar ($50) license fee.

Laws to read

http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-41.pdf
WV Title 58 Legislative Rule, Series 41 - Wildlife Damage Control Agents
 
http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-15.pdf
WV Title 58 Legislative Rule, Series 15 - Permits to Kill Deer & Other Wildlife Causing Damage to Cultivated Crops, Fruit Trees or Commercial Nurseries
 
http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-47.pdf
WV Title 58 Legislative Rule, Series 47 - Prohibitions When Hunting and Trapping
 
http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-56.pdf
WV Title 58 Legislative Rule, Series 56 - Special Migratory Bird Hunting Regulation
 
http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-55.pdf
WV Title 58 Legislative Rule, Series 55 - Migratory Bird Hunting Rule
 
http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-53.pdf
WV Title 58 Legislative Rule, Series 53 - Migratory Bird Hunting Rule

State Regulated Species

http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-41.pdf 
'58-41-7.  Procedures
 
7.1.9.  The following species or group of species shall not be controlled by wildlife damage control agents: migratory birds (except as listed in subdivisions 7.1.7. and 7.1.8. of this rule), salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles (except as listed in subdivision  7.1.7. of this rule),  skinks, Eastern mountain lion (Felis concolor), Eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus), mountain earth snake (Virginia valeriae pulchra), corn snake (Elaphe guttata guttata), Northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus), Eastern king snake (Lampropeltis getulus getulus), long-tailed shrew (Sorex dispar), pygmy shrew (Sorex hoyi), Northern water shrew (Sorex palustris), small-footed myotis (Myotis subulatus), Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Plecotus rafinesquii), Virginia big-eared bat (Plecotus townsendii), Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus), rock vole (Microtus chrotorrhinus), prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli), Eastern harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys humulis), meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius), least weasel (Mustela nivalis), Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), or threatened or endangered species as designated by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.

Web resources

http://www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/Regs0910/HUNTregs0910web.pdf
Hunting and Trapping July 2009 – June 2010 Regulations Summary
 
http://www.wvdnr.gov/Hunting/PDFFiles/2009migratoryBirdRegs.pdf
Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations Summary
 
http://www.wvdnr.gov/wildlife/magazine/Archive/07winter/Vol7No3managingCanadaGeese.pdf
Managing Canada Geese: A Complicated Balancing Act

State contact information

Law Enforcement Section
Division of Natural Resources
324 Fourth Ave
South Charleston, WV 25303
DNR.Law@wv.gov

Trap tag #

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=20&art=2&section=19#02
§20-2-19. Marking of traps.
 
All traps used for taking of any game or fur-bearing animal shall be marked with a durable plate or tag, attached to the trap, trap chain, or set, bearing the name and address of the owner of said trap.

Translocation

http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-41.pdf 
'58-41-8.  Disposition of Nuisance Wildlife.
 
8.1.  The agent shall euthanize in a humane manner, or liberate at the site of capture any nuisance wildlife which are captured alive.  The agent shall not relocate and release any captured wildlife without the prior approval of the district wildlife biologist.

Recordkeeping requirements

http://apps.sos.wv.gov/csrdocs/pdfdocs/58-41.pdf 
'58-41-9.  Records and Reports
 
9.1.  The following records and reports are  required:
9.1.1.  All agents  shall keep daily records on all investigated wildlife damage complaints.  The records shall include the date of the investigations, the name of the complainant, the number and species of animal involved, the type of damage, the disposition of the complaint, and such other information as the Director may require.  Records of all wildlife taken shall be available for inspection by a conservation officer at any reasonable time.
9.1.2.  An annual report shall be filed with the Law Enforcement Section, Division of Natural Resources, at the end of each calendar year.   The report shall be on forms supplied by the Director and shall accompany the application for renewal of the animal damage control license.  The Division shall not renew the animal damage control license  until such time as a satisfactory annual report is received.  The report shall include such information as required by the Director and shall be complete and legible.

Additional Resources

Living With Nuisance Wildlife - Bats
Impacts Of The Eastern Coyote On Wildlife Populations
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