Comments on: Do any Sunday hunting bills have a chance?

By: Rich

Rich — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 17:42:57 +0000

Can farmers use damage permits to shoot deer on Sundays?

By: Tony Rutherford

Tony Rutherford — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 09:33:36 +0000

Here’s a perfect example of failing to argue existing liberty. SB803 failed as most suspected it would. Hanger and Deeds argued that it was just a bill that would open the Sunday hunting door……that door’s been wide open for decades. They also argued that people don’t want to dodge bullets on Sundays. Well if the bill’s sponsor knew the law he could have argued……1) it’s already legal to shoot coyotes on Sunday 2) it’s already legal to trap and shoot a trapped coyote on Sunday 3) Sunday is a busy day for recreational shooters 4) does that mean the people don’t mind dodging bullets so long as they’re led to believe they aren’t the bullets of hunters 5) why doesn’t anyone complain about dodging bullets during periods when there isn’t a Sunday hunting discussion?

By: Tony Rutherford

Tony Rutherford — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:30:12 +0000

@Ridge Runner, there’s one remaining Sunday hunting bill. It’s passed through the House, and rests in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. The bill doesn’t include either the word Sunday, or hunting……but if it passes, it will increase Sunday hunting for one particular species. And, if it’s not revised, it stands to be a major Sunday hunting expansion. Nearly every year, while most hunters beg for a chance to hunt on Sunday, Virginia approves increases in Sunday hunting opportunity. Some of the increases go through the General Assembly, while some are through DGIF.

What’s difficult to comprehend, is that Virginia’s lawmakers refuse to generalize Sunday hunting for landowners, yet, by law, no landowner in Virginia has the power to prohibit others from accessing owned land for hunting activity.

By: Tony Rutherford

Tony Rutherford — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:10:18 +0000

Virginia law doesn’t prevent anyone from hunting and killing wild animals on Sunday. VA defends it’s SH policy on a “day of rest”. There is no day of rest. Now VA lawmakers defend SH policy on risk. They can only defend the policy on risk because they aren’t challenged. If they agree that firearms can be used for hunting every Sunday, and unrestricted recreational shooting is legal……they’ve lost any foundation for a risk based argument.

I encourage every hunter to research VA codes, especially those under section 29.1. That’s where the official hunting regulations can be found. The only species that can’t be hunted and killed on Sundays in VA, are migratory birds. For all other species, VA has agreed that they can be hunted and killed on Sundays.

Hunters that want SH leave their strongest argument for expanding SH when they don’t incorporate into their argument that the Commonwealth has agreed that hunting should be legal on Sunday. Existing liberty justifies expanding liberty provided those liberties your seek are similar, and present no additional risk.

Continuing to fight to legalize hunting on Sunday is a wasted battle. Force the lawmakers to defend why they would support certain types of hunting, but refuse to support other types, when there is no increase in risk, and no detriment to wildlife management.

By: David/AlleghanyRidgeRunner

David/AlleghanyRidgeRunner — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:01:01 +0000

I agree Tony. I just need education on your interpretation that we CAN hunt on Sundays. I am missing something somewhere. As for Safe Zones, we have them. They are all over the place. The Appalachain Trail for starters, there are many, many state parks that allow no hunting at all, as well as every town/city and municipality has some form of walking trail available. The argument that non-hunters have nowhere safe to go is very unreasonable. Also, as I have stated many times here, hunters are only present a few months out of the year, and typically during the times that are least comfortable for non-hunters to be out in the woods. There does not seem to be any understanding of sharing, its all one way and only one way.I appreciate your comments Tony.

By: Tony Rutherford

Tony Rutherford — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:54:10 +0000

@Ridge Runner, in VA, and on Sunday, VA allows hunting for all species, except for migratory birds. There’s not a Sunday when hunting is “banned”, but all Sundays have restrictions that aren’t present other days. We want to lift a “ban” when there isn’t an actual “ban”, and I always ask why? How about a focus on easing restrictions that are only in place on Sundays. Why continue to fight year after year to get hunting on Sunday legalized, when the State’s laws already agree that Sunday hunting is legal?

As far as the National Forests…..maybe if we forced them to create safety zones it would make folks feel safer, and make gaining access to National Forests on Sundays make more sense?

By: Tony Rutherford

Tony Rutherford — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:53:18 +0000

Ridge Runner…..maybe if the Sunday hunting support builds on existing lawful Sunday hunting they’d strengthen their argument. Make the State defend the day of rest. Make them defend why it’s ok to shoot a firearm recreationally on Sunday, but not in the direction of a wild animal, unless the animal is first held in a trap. I’m on your side, and have been for decades.

By: David/AlleghanyRidgeRunner

David/AlleghanyRidgeRunner — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:13:20 +0000

Plenty of Sunday hunting in Virginia?????????? because a landowner can shoot a coyote???????? Come on! It is a blanket statement like that that keeps the opposition ok and unjustifiably ignoring our pleas for us to be able to use National Forest Lands on Sunday and to be able to pursue that which makes us happy, healthy, and alive!

By: Tony Rutherford

Tony Rutherford — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:27:10 +0000

While SB803 may have gotten Senate support, I’m confident it won’t find support in the House. Essentially, all SB803 adds is public land hunting for coyotes on Sundays. Private landowners have been allowed to shoot coyotes and a number of other species on Sundays since 2004. Landowners that understand the law, understand how to have others control certain species. There’s plenty of Sunday hunting opportunity in Virginia……it’s just pretty exclusive.

By: Matthew O'Brien

Matthew O'Brien — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:11:56 +0000

Mark, I don’t think they are as big as they say or have anywhere near the donors they claim. They truly are an obscure organization with a bunch of bluster and bull. I know nobody takes their size and membership claims seriously but nobody ever calls their Leadership on it.

Here is a quote from just a few weeks ago from their President:

“We have over 700 hunts clubs on our web site that have claimed allegence with the VaHDA but only about 50 or so have come forward and made the commitment to become annual sponsors.”
Here is the link to the full statementhttp://pub16.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=1362885345&frmid=4&msgid=1141445&cmd=show