01-19-2006, 11:29 PM
[cool]Looks like Virginian Hunters are standing up for their rights! In my humble opinion, its a simple case of freedom of choice. State's shouldn't have the right to stop hunting on any given day for spiritual reasons. Whats everyone else's take? Chipping away at Virginia’s ban on Sunday hunting
[font "Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"][size 2]By [url "mailto:xtrails@earthlink.net"]Bill Cochran[/url]
[/size][/font][font "Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"][size 1]ROANOKE.COM COLUMNIST[/size][/font]
If you want to stir up a spirited debate, just mention Sunday hunting in Virginia. Nearly every session of the General Assembly in recent years has seen the concept introduced then soundly defeated.
During the early going of the 2006 session, three Sunday hunting bills have been introduced. None promotes all-out Sunday hunting; rather, each would whittle away at the current restrictions.
The advocates seem to be saying that if we can’t get Sunday hunting across the state and across the hunting calendar in single swoop, then at least get a toehold.
Virginia is one of seven states, all in the East, that prohibits hunting on Sunday with minor exceptions: Raccoon hunters may hunt until 2 a.m. on Sunday, and licensed shooting preserves are permitted to offer Sunday hunts.
Here are the three bills under consideration in the current General Assembly:
>Sen. Kenneth Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, has introduced legislation—SB 387—that would allow three days of Sunday hunting. They would occur on the Sunday immediately following the Saturday openings of the early archery, muzzleloading and general firearms deer seasons.
The advantage for Sunday hunting advocates would be an uninterrupted weekend of hunting when the archery/crossbow, muzzleloading and modern firearms seasons open. Under the current arrangement, hunters go afield on Saturday, then have to back off on Sunday. There have been complaints that this is intrusive to nonresident hunters who travel many miles to hunt, and to hunters who set up camps or hunt from club facilities.
If Stolle’s bill were approved and the “test” Sunday hunting days went smoothly, then the opportunity to encompassing additional Sunday hunting would be good.
> Del. Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke, has introduced HB 711, which would let localities, by ordinance, decide if they want their jurisdiction to have Sunday hunting. My concern with this bill is that it would create a hodgepodge or regulations across the state at a time when there have been efforts to make hunting regulations more uniform. Del. Ware is aware of that concern.
“Del. Ware agrees that it is somewhat undesirable to crate a new patchwork of laws relating to hunting, but we know that if we are ever going to get hunting on Sunday, this is the only way it has a chance to pass and actually become law,” said Fred Hutchins, Del. Ware’s legislative assistant. “Sometimes we have to sacrifice the details in order to achieve the greater public good,” he said.
“When you break this bill down, all it is really doing is taking power from Richmond and giving it to the boards of supervisors and town councils,” said Hutchins.
West Virginia’s answer to Sunday hunting was local option, but it really didn’t work well.
>Still another approach to Sunday hunting is advocated by Del. Clarence Phillips, D-Castlewood. His bill, HB 632, would allow such hunting west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but not in the east.
My gut feeling is that there is more support for Sunday hunting in the eastern half of Virginia than there is in the west; and there is more backing from urban than rural residents. An exception, Sunday hunting gets support from many coal miners who would like an extra day in their busy scheduled to hunt. That’s where Phillips is coming from.
Wildlife officials are quick to say that Sunday hunting has little biological impact on wildlife species. Even if that were the case, bag limits and season lengths could be adjusted.
Sunday hunting is a social or cultural issue. While pockets of support appear from time to tome, the idea never has had strong backing, even from hunters. Last year, 62 percent of the members of the Virginia Deer Hunters Association who responded to a club survey said they opposed Sunday hunting.
Some foes fear that Sunday hunting would be counter-productive in that it would agitate rural landowners. The landowners would vote on the issue by posting their property, not just on Sundays, but other days as well.
Sunday hunting advocates have been poorly organized and funded. The issue has lacked the kind of strong, organized leadership needed for success. I don’t see where that has changed much this session; however, it should be noted that while running for office, Gov. Tim Kaine answered “Yes,” when asked if he supported Sunday hunting. It isn’t likely to be a hot issue for him, but he did mention hunting, fishing and hiking in his inauguration speech.
[signature]
[font "Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"][size 2]By [url "mailto:xtrails@earthlink.net"]Bill Cochran[/url]
[/size][/font][font "Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"][size 1]ROANOKE.COM COLUMNIST[/size][/font]
If you want to stir up a spirited debate, just mention Sunday hunting in Virginia. Nearly every session of the General Assembly in recent years has seen the concept introduced then soundly defeated.
During the early going of the 2006 session, three Sunday hunting bills have been introduced. None promotes all-out Sunday hunting; rather, each would whittle away at the current restrictions.
The advocates seem to be saying that if we can’t get Sunday hunting across the state and across the hunting calendar in single swoop, then at least get a toehold.
Virginia is one of seven states, all in the East, that prohibits hunting on Sunday with minor exceptions: Raccoon hunters may hunt until 2 a.m. on Sunday, and licensed shooting preserves are permitted to offer Sunday hunts.
Here are the three bills under consideration in the current General Assembly:
>Sen. Kenneth Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, has introduced legislation—SB 387—that would allow three days of Sunday hunting. They would occur on the Sunday immediately following the Saturday openings of the early archery, muzzleloading and general firearms deer seasons.
The advantage for Sunday hunting advocates would be an uninterrupted weekend of hunting when the archery/crossbow, muzzleloading and modern firearms seasons open. Under the current arrangement, hunters go afield on Saturday, then have to back off on Sunday. There have been complaints that this is intrusive to nonresident hunters who travel many miles to hunt, and to hunters who set up camps or hunt from club facilities.
If Stolle’s bill were approved and the “test” Sunday hunting days went smoothly, then the opportunity to encompassing additional Sunday hunting would be good.
> Del. Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke, has introduced HB 711, which would let localities, by ordinance, decide if they want their jurisdiction to have Sunday hunting. My concern with this bill is that it would create a hodgepodge or regulations across the state at a time when there have been efforts to make hunting regulations more uniform. Del. Ware is aware of that concern.
“Del. Ware agrees that it is somewhat undesirable to crate a new patchwork of laws relating to hunting, but we know that if we are ever going to get hunting on Sunday, this is the only way it has a chance to pass and actually become law,” said Fred Hutchins, Del. Ware’s legislative assistant. “Sometimes we have to sacrifice the details in order to achieve the greater public good,” he said.
“When you break this bill down, all it is really doing is taking power from Richmond and giving it to the boards of supervisors and town councils,” said Hutchins.
West Virginia’s answer to Sunday hunting was local option, but it really didn’t work well.
>Still another approach to Sunday hunting is advocated by Del. Clarence Phillips, D-Castlewood. His bill, HB 632, would allow such hunting west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but not in the east.
My gut feeling is that there is more support for Sunday hunting in the eastern half of Virginia than there is in the west; and there is more backing from urban than rural residents. An exception, Sunday hunting gets support from many coal miners who would like an extra day in their busy scheduled to hunt. That’s where Phillips is coming from.
Wildlife officials are quick to say that Sunday hunting has little biological impact on wildlife species. Even if that were the case, bag limits and season lengths could be adjusted.
Sunday hunting is a social or cultural issue. While pockets of support appear from time to tome, the idea never has had strong backing, even from hunters. Last year, 62 percent of the members of the Virginia Deer Hunters Association who responded to a club survey said they opposed Sunday hunting.
Some foes fear that Sunday hunting would be counter-productive in that it would agitate rural landowners. The landowners would vote on the issue by posting their property, not just on Sundays, but other days as well.
Sunday hunting advocates have been poorly organized and funded. The issue has lacked the kind of strong, organized leadership needed for success. I don’t see where that has changed much this session; however, it should be noted that while running for office, Gov. Tim Kaine answered “Yes,” when asked if he supported Sunday hunting. It isn’t likely to be a hot issue for him, but he did mention hunting, fishing and hiking in his inauguration speech.
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