No logic in Sunday hunting
By Jerry Frawley
I am writing this in response to Marlene A. Condon’s commentary of Jan. 11 (“Sunday hunting is no cure-all”). While she is entitled to her opinion and is most welcome to have it published, she is not entitled to distort or play loose with the facts. This is to clear up several things she stated.
“In 2012, Virginians spoke loudly and clearly to let state legislators know that they did not want hunting expanded from six days a week to seven by allowing Sunday hunting.”
Frawley, of Midlothian, is retired from the military and works for a state agency.
January 21, 2013 - 6:20 AM
Nicely done Jerry! You are fighting twisted logic, fear mongering and lies with the truth.
Those who wish to join the fight to give Virginians the freedom and liberty to choose to participate in an activity on the seventh day that is legal and safe the other six days can join the thousands here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/vasundayhunting4all/
I love how the title of this essay was reversed. “No logic in Sunday hunting” should have been “No logic in continuing Sunday hunting ban.
I agree that the Sunday hunting ban is a silly law. But I do have one question. If they lifted the ban, would they have to hire additional game wardens or extend overtime to existing game wardens to ensure that regulations are enforced on Sundays? Excuse my ignorance as I am not a hunter and I do not really know how all of that works. But I wonder if there would need to be an increase in the user fee to cover any additional labor.
#2 Good point. I also wonder about safety. As it stands, on Sundays you can hike, camp, etc. and not worry about getting shot. Lifting the Sunday ban will require both hunters and hikers to be more vigilant and may require “no hunting” zones. I would not object to expanding the hunting season, but I can see the logic of having a day a week where hunting is not allowed.
Mr. Andrew – I do not intend to direct this solely at you, as others have made that same comment. As an avid outdoorsman, I enjoy getting outside whenever I’m able to do so. Which means there are six other days of the week that hunting is a possibility. People hike, camp, fish, etc all seven days of any given week – I’m not aware of any calamity that has occured between campers and hunters.
#2 No they would not have to hire additional people or extend overtime. the game wardens work year round ensuring game laws and regulations are adhered to. There have been two increases in hunting licenses over the last couple of years with no additional hunting time allowed.
#3 There have been no safety issues related to Sunday Hunting in any of the 44 states that currently allow it.
Also why would there all of a sudden be safety issues just because it is a different day of the week. All activities are shared the other 6 days with no measurable safety issues. Many times I go by state parks and WMA’s on Sunday and see no one in the woods at all. Many of the state parks and other public lands are already posted no hunting so saying that all can not enjoy their activities just because of hunting is a big false hood. All these other activities can not be done on PRIVATE property without permission so where is the problem. What it comes down to is in order to decide on the issues one must be well informed. If you are well informed then you can see there is no reason hunters can not be allowed to participate in their fee paid activities on Sunday. No reason what so ever except for a few groups who can already hunt on Sunday and do not want others to be able to. Please get informed and verify what you are being told by me or any other person. Then make up you mind but like Reagan said VERIFY VERIFY VERIFy the information.
If people are actually as afraid as they say they are of shooting incidents, then we should all be supporting a tax increase to pay for more rural police and game wardens.
Shooting is legal on sunday, and unlike a hunting day, in which you MIGHT shoot three times, a sunday target shoot may have you unloading hundreds of rounds in a row. Yet, people fear sunday hunting because of “bullets.”
If someone is SHOOTING somewhere they’re not supposed to be, they should be arrested. Plain and simple.
Another common myth is the “renegade hunter who will accidentally shoot a horse on your land on sunday…but only if sunday hunting is allowed!” If someone is so ignorant as to trespass with a gun on your land (against your wishes) with the intent of poaching a deer, guess what, they are ALREADY DOING IT ON SUNDAY because that kind of moron does not care whether sunday hunting is legal. He’s trespassing and poaching regardless.
You know where else there is “no logic” Jerry Frawley? There is no logic in the hunters and sportsmen being lapdogs to the NRA and getting so little in return.
Time after time when there is a thread about Sunday hunting, or the bane of hunting woes in general, the oft seen gun advocates so prevalent in other discussions and so passionate in their own advocacy are uniquely and oddly silent and missing.
You should be boon companions and often they are the first to throw you under the bus as not even being in consideration or discussion as hunting and sports shooting are not “constitutional” rights or protections.
I’m happy if you are happy with it, but is strikes me as awfully self-serving on their side, and something some of you would catch on to at some point.
I am originally from Indiana where we can hunt all seven days, but there are significant restrictions on where you can hunt so that accidents are minimized. Now that I am involved with planning Scout hikes etc., it just seems safer to have the kids out in the woods on a Sunday and not have to worry about errant shots.
I’m not an advocate either way, just responding to the “no logic” statement with a logical reason, not just a Blue Law reason, which would be unconstitutional.