Section 195. Visiting traps, generally; visiting completely submerged, body-gripping traps; use of remote trap check systems

A. Except as provided in subsections B and C of this section, it shall be unlawful to fail to visit all traps once each day and remove all animals caught.

B. Body-gripping traps that are completely submerged by water must be visited at least once every 72 hours.

C. Remote trap checking systems may be used in lieu of a physical trap visit when such systems (i) have a control unit that reports trap status to a centralized application database at least once every 24 hours; (ii) have notification alarms that report trap closures and system health issues within one hour of detection via email and text-based messaging systems; and (iii) have on-demand control unit testing capabilities for determining trap status, signal strength, and battery condition via remote system check-in. If the control unit reports a trap closure, the user is required to physically visit the trap within 24 hours of the time the trap was reported closed. If the control unit fails to report its current status within a 24-hour check-in period or reports a system health issue, the user is required to physically check the trap within 24 hours of the last time an open trap signal was received.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 25, Issue 25, eff. August 1, 2009; amended, Virginia Register Volume 31, Issue 25, eff. August 1, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§ 29.1-501 of the Code of Virginia.