West Virginia § 20-2-57a Negligent shooting, wounding or killing of another person while hunting; duty to render aid; criminal violations; suspension of hunting and fishing license; criminal penalties; administrative penalties

West Virginia Statutes

§ 20-2-57a — Negligent shooting, wounding or killing of another person while hunting; duty to render aid; criminal violations; suspension of hunting and fishing license; criminal penalties; administrative penalties

West Virginia § 20-2-57a

Ch. 20NATURAL RESOURCES

Art. 2WILDLIFE RESOURCES

This text of West Virginia § 20-2-57a (Negligent shooting, wounding or killing of another person while hunting; duty to render aid; criminal violations; suspension of hunting and fishing license; criminal penalties; administrative penalties) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 20-2-57a (2026).

Text

(a)It is unlawful for any person, while engaged in the act of hunting, pursuing, taking or killing wild animals or wild birds, to carelessly or negligently shoot, wound or kill another person.

(b)Anyone who negligently shoots, wounds or injures another person while hunting, not resulting in serious bodily injury or death, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or confined in jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined.

(c)Anyone who negligently shoots and injures another person while hunting, resulting in serious bodily injury or death, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $2,500 or confined in jail for not more than one year, or both fined and confined.

(d)For purpos

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(a) It is unlawful for any person, while engaged in the act of hunting, pursuing, taking or killing wild animals or wild birds, to carelessly or negligently shoot, wound or kill another person.

(b) Anyone who negligently shoots, wounds or injures another person while hunting, not resulting in serious bodily injury or death, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or confined in jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined.

(c) Anyone who negligently shoots and injures another person while hunting, resulting in serious bodily injury or death, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $2,500 or confined in jail for not more than one year, or both fined and confined.

(d) For purposes of this section, serious bodily injury means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death, which causes serious or prolonged disfigurement, prolonged impairment of health or prolonged loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ.

(e) (1) Any person who, while hunting, discharges a firearm or arrow and knows or has reason to know that the discharge has caused bodily harm to another person shall:

(A) Immediately investigate the extent of the person's injuries; and

(B) Render immediate reasonable assistance to the injured person.

(2) As used in this subsection, "reasonable assistance" means aid appropriate to the circumstances, including by not limited to obtaining or attempting to obtain assistance from a natural resources police officer, law-enforcement officer, 911 dispatchers, emergency medical providers and medical personnel.

(f) Any person who fails to render aid and assistance to an injured person as required by subsection (e), to an injured party who has not sustained a serious bodily injury is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $2,500 and confined in jail for not more than one year, or both fined and confined.

(g) Any person who fails to render aid as required by subsection (e) to an injured party who has sustained a serious bodily injury or dies as a result of their injuries is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned in a correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than five years, or both fined and imprisoned.

(h) Any person found guilty of committing a misdemeanor under this section shall have their hunting and fishing licenses suspended for a period of five years from the date of conviction or the date of release from confinement, whichever is later.

(i) Any person found guilty of committing a felony offense under this section shall have their hunting and fishing licenses suspended for a period of ten years from the date of conviction or the date of release from incarceration, whichever is later.