Thursday, January 17, 2008
Updates on licenses, hunting, fishing
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: After reading your article on Healing Waters concerning their efforts on behalf of our disabled veterans; I wrote this:
“I hope that both of my state representatives will support the bill allowing the Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to waive the current requirements for our disabled veterans to obtain fishing licenses. This should also include state stocked trout waters, as well as hunting licenses, as far as I’m concerned. This is really a ‘no-brainer.’ In this instance, I would insist that the rest of us pay their tab -- they paid ours!”
I hope this is of some benefit.
FRANK ROCHE
Smith Mountain Lake
BILL: I believe I have a compromise on the Sunday hunting issue. Since the issue is represented as a “day of rest” for wildlife and some would lead us to believe it is not part of the Puritanical-based blue laws dating back to the 1700s, let’s move the hunting ban from Sunday to Wednesday. Then it doesn’t interfere with the time most people have off.
I will take up a collection to buy calendars to post in areas of use by wildlife to alert the deer, turkey, ducks, squirrels and other wildlife species that their rest days have moved to Wednesdays. This should address any confusion the animals may have, although the fish may still complain to the state about unequal representation.
JAMES CRAVER
Marion
BILL: I think you need to add bluespringstroutfishing.com to this page (May 24 Cochran Column). My boy friend loves to fish there. All the fish where over 2 pounds. This is a new fishing place in Smyth County. People can contact them by emailing them at trout1977@yahoo.com or phoning 276-621-4238 or 276-620-5154.
JUNE SUTPHIN
BILL: For what it's worth, I just published my 2007 deer season recap at: virginia-outdoors.com/articles/2007hunting.
JASON BURKHOLDER
