[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Northumberland County as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Firearms — See Ch. 72.
[Adopted 4-19-1992]
Pursuant to § 29.1-526 of the Code of Virginia, the hunting or attempting to hunt with a firearm of any game bird or game animal while such hunting or attempting to hunt is on any primary or secondary highway (right-of-way) of Northumberland County, Virginia, is prohibited, and that any violation hereof shall be a Class 3 misdemeanor.
The term "hunt" or "attempt to hunt" shall not include the necessary crossing of such highways for the bona fide purpose of going into or leaving a lawful hunting area.
[Adopted 4-9-1992; amended in its entirety 8-13-1998]
[Amended 4-13-2006]
Pursuant to § 29.1-528 of the Code of Virginia, it shall be unlawful to hunt in Northumberland County with a rifle of a caliber larger than .22 caliber rimfire except as hereinafter permitted.
[Amended 7-14-2016; 1-9-2025]
A. 
This article permits the hunting of groundhogs with a rifle of a caliber larger than .22 rimfire between March 1 and August 31 and the hunting of coyotes with a rifle of a caliber larger than .22 rimfire except during the general firearm season.
B. 
Deer general firearm season.
(1) 
Rifles and pistols, .23 caliber or larger with a maximum magazine capacity of five rounds for rifles and a six-round capacity for pistols, may be used to hunt deer during the firearms deer season provided the hunter is in an elevated stand at least eight feet above ground level. The rifle may be loaded only when it is on the elevated stand, except such weapon may be discharged on the ground when necessary to dispatch deer wounded from the elevated platform.
C. 
No rifles for turkey hunting.
A. 
This article further permits the use of muzzle-loading rifles during any special muzzle-loading season as prescribed by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
B. 
This article further permits the use of muzzle-loading rifles during the general season for deer, provided that the muzzle loading rifle:
(1) 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection B(1), regarding use of an elevated stand, was repealed 4-13-2000.
(2) 
Shall be a single shot flint lock or percussion ignition rifle.
(3) 
Shall be a .45 caliber or larger.
(4) 
(Reserved)[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection B(4), regarding use of only single lead bullets or saboted nonjacketed lead projectiles, was repealed 6-10-1999.
(5) 
Shall be loaded from the muzzle of the rifle.
(6) 
Shall use at least 50 grains of black powder or black powder equivalent.