The following local ordinances apply in Buena Vista City:
- Sec. 6-131. - Trapping, hunting, molesting, etc., birds or wild fowl. (reference)
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person in the city to trap, hunt, wound, shoot, or molest in any manner or attempt to trap, hunt, wound, shoot or molest in any manner any bird or wild foul; provided, however, that if starlings, sparrows, pigeons or similar birds or wild animals become a nuisance or menace to health or property, then the city council may, at a regular meeting, upon a recommendation of the chief of police and the health department or the Buena Vista Council of Garden Clubs, after reasonable notice of not less than three days to the health department and the president of the Buena Vista Council of Garden Clubs of the time and place of such meeting, order such birds to be destroyed, if no other satisfactory alternative is found to abate such nuisance. Any such destruction ordered by the city council shall be carried out under the supervision of the chief of police.
(b) The following shall be unlawful except as exempted in subsection (a) of this section:
(1) To hunt or kill any wild bird or wild fowl, including any nuisance species, with a fun, firearm, or other weapon in the city limits;
(2) To set a trap within the city limits where it would be likely to injure persons, dogs, cats or fowl;
(3) To set a body-gripping trap or any steel leg trap with teeth set upon its jaws, baited with any lure or scent likely to attract a dog, cat or fowl.(c) A violation of this section shall be punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor.
(Ord. of 12-14-2000, § 5-78)
- Sec. 22-64. - Discharging firearms. (reference)
If any person shall willfully discharge or cause to be discharged any firearm in any street in the city, or in any place of public business or place of public gathering, or anywhere within the city and such conduct is not otherwise punishable pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 18.2-280, he shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor. This section shall not apply to any law enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties nor to any other person whose said willful act is otherwise justifiable or excusable at law in the protection of his life or property, or is otherwise specifically authorized by law, or on public or private property which consists of a single parcel consisting of nine acres or more, and is undertaken in designated, approved and supervised areas by the owner or his designated responsible agent, area designated by the city manager, and is at least 250 feet from any residential lot.
(Code 1967, § 32-3; Code 1981, § 30-3; Ord. of 9-27-1990)
State Law reference— Discharge of firearms, Code of Virginia, § 18.2-280; authority of city to regulate or prohibit the discharge of firearms, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1113.
- Sec. 22-65. - Discharging air gun, bow, etc. (reference)
(a) No person shall, anywhere within the city, discharge an arrow, shot, stone, gravel shooter or any other similar instrument.
(b) Such activities shall not be prohibited if undertaken on public properties such as Glen Maury Park or school grounds and private educational institutions if undertaken in designated, approved and supervised areas designated in writing by the city manager.
(c) Such activities shall not be prohibited on private property if the applicant for such permit is seeking permit for single parcel which consists of nine acres or more and the designated, approved and supervised area designated in writing by the city manager is at least 250 feet from a residential lot.
(Code 1967, § 32-4; Code 1981, § 30-4; Ord. of 9-13-1990; Ord. of 2-17-1994)