The Roanoke Times: The Wild Life

Comments

# 1

[January 12, 2007 10:47 AM]

al milton

Bill,

I have beening hunting since I turned 8 years old. I always ask why can't we hunt on Sunday and my dad would say you can't shoot on Sundays as it is the Lord's Day.

Later in my life my dad and I would go to the range early on Sunday mornings to shight in new or old guns. I ask dad before it passed why was it okay to shoot guns in Sunday but not to hunt on Sunday. Dad told me he guessed it really didn't make any difference.

I have enjoyed hunting wild ringnecks in Ideal South Dakota for the past twelve years. We hunt three days at Hollybrook Farm's, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We never start our before 10:30 am as thjat is the state law for ringnecks. We stop at 4:30 or 5:00 pm. Hunting on Sunday is a way of life west of the Mississippi.

Hollybrook Farm's only hunts three days out of seven. THey do not want to put to much pressure on the birds and run the off. Hollybrook only covers 3,000 acres.

I feel with Sunday hunting as HB1639 is written it will allow everone and extra half day hunt they did not have prior to the proposed change. I feel if the land owner does not wnat to allow hunting on his or her property then as a hunter we have to respect that wish and find another place to hunt on Sunday.

I have a son who has droped out of hunting due to lack of time he can afford to spend in the field. I feel Sunday hunting we help bring him back to the field. He is not alone. A lot of young hunters can not justify the cost of a hunting license due to the lack of days they can hunt.

I have mixed feelings about Sunday Hunting as some will abuse this opportunity. Of course they will abuse any opportunity to enjoy a day in the field. The bad guys will always be a problem on mater what we do.

Al Milton

# 2

[January 16, 2007 8:53 AM]

jimmy pike

I am a strong proponent of Sunday hunting. All of the arguments against it have no merit. Its been proven that there will be no ill bjiological effect, there will be more revenue brought in to the commonwealth, more young people will be exposed to hunting and have the opportunity to be afield, and the working person will have more than one day a week to hunt. Besides the fact that the "blue law" is outdated and should be done away with we will be doing more to strengthen our hunting heritage and our economy will prosper by allowing Sunday hunting. Virginia is one of only seven states that doesn't allow Sunday hunting. If you are against it fine but don't take away my opportunity to hunt with my children just because you don't want to hunt on Sunday.

Jimmy Pike

# 3

[December 29, 2007 3:50 PM]

Backlash

Jimmy Pike

Your words are well put in my book. While the Governor was raising the price of hunting licenses his ideals were to reflect some of those for the hunter.

The only people benefited from those votes of the hunters were those groups against it. The next time we enter the voting box we should do so with our heritage and tax dollar at stake and less emotion.

We can no longer wait till it's our turn when every vote counts. Now that we have a candidate that is putting out an aid to demonstrate hunting is cruel what's next hunting in our dreams, or telling our grandchildren hunting is something we use to do in some future holiday season.

Backlash Christiansburg

# 4

[February 27, 2008 11:54 PM]

Jamey Rhea

No Sunday hunting in Virginia is totally wrong and for so many reasons.Take our kids who want to hunt and get into the outdoors our schools load them down with so much homework there is no time during the week.You have hunters who work Monday till Friday and do not get off till almost dark.That is just two good reason we should be able to hunt on Sunday.Our License run from year to year but yet we really don't get to hunt for a full calender year because of no hunting on Sunday.They sure did not have a problem raising the price to hunt.Coon hunters have until 2 am to hunt, well in my book Sunday is Sunday!Seems to me they don't want hunting passed on to our children,but if they are in the woods then that means they are off the street away from drugs and other bad things.Just like the national forest stamp you need it to hunt and fish not to hike and ride your horse. How is that right?? Virginia laws are so messed up like you can't use two poles when trout fishing what a joke!As long as you get your limit and no more I don't see a problem. We as hunters need to band together and fight this law that is so out dated. Jamey Rhea Glade Spring VA

# 5

[March 31, 2008 8:54 PM]

Johnny Lanier

Why is it OK to do anything you want to do on Sunday but Hunt? Golf, fishing, shopping Hell you can even buy beer and gamble at the OTB center. Seems to me Hunters are the most openly discriminated group of people in the state. Why is that OK? The hunters voice is not being heard because every hunter I know (and I know alot of them) is for Sunday hunting. If the nonhunters voices are shouting louder then ours then let us remind our lawmakers, we hunters pay the state for the privledge to hunt. That money funds many different programs that benifit wildlife and the land. We as hunters are LOSING! Fewer and fewer people are buying hunting permits. If the hunters lose then ulimately everyone loses including the wildlife. We can not continue to raise the cost of permits and restrict the oppertunity people have to hunt during a given season. Sunday hunting would give most people another oppertunity to go afield on a day there off from work. WHATS THE DEBATE ABOUT!!!