The director may issue a permit to a person to hunt, kill, take, capture or maintain in captivity wildlife exclusively for scientific purposes, but not for any commercial purposes. Any person desiring to collect or procure any wildlife, including any body tissue, organ or other portion thereof, eggs, nesting materials or other materials from the habitat of such wildlife shall be required to make application to the director for a scientific collecting permit. The director shall promulgate rules in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code regarding the issuance of the permits. A permit may be issued only upon written application to the director setting forth at least:

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 20-2-50

  • Director: means the Director of the Division of Natural Resources. See West Virginia Code 20-1-2
  • Hunt: means to pursue, chase, catch or take any wild birds or wild animals. 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
  • Wildlife: means wild birds, wild animals, game and fur-bearing animals, fish (including minnows), reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans and all forms of aquatic life used as fish bait, whether dead or alive. See West Virginia Code 20-1-2

(1) The number and kind of wildlife to be taken;

(2) The purpose and manner of taking;

(3) The name, residence, profession and educational or scientific affiliation of the person applying for the permit; and

(4) The geographic location where the collection or procurement is planned to take place.

A fee, to be set at the discretion of the director, shall accompany the application. No permit may be issued for the purpose of killing deer and bear.