Thursday, February 21, 2008
Dogs, and the new dog
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: Great article on Bob Duncan and the difficult job that is before him. I have known Bob for many years and believe that he is an excellent man for the job and will restore the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ reputation as one of the greatest wildlife agencies in the country if we give him the chance.
ROBERT “BUDDY” FAISON, III
Vice President
Virginia Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association
BILL: My bill, SB 263, (see last week’s Cochran Mailbag) is only aimed at those who abuse the right of retrieval. Dogs do not know boundary lines or no trespassing signs.
I am concerned about the ongoing conflict between private property owners and hunters. This is an issue I hear about constantly from constituents.
SEN. CREIGH DEEDS
BILL: Glad to see the truth come out on Hokieman (Derick Ratcliff of the Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance). (See last week’s Cochran Mailbag). He’s been cruising, joining and stirring up issues on close to 100 Internet forms. He has done harm for the dog movement. He shows how narrow-minded and inconsiderate the dog hunters can be toward solving their problems.
His group also sided with the Humane Society of the United States, a well known anti-hunting organization, against the Sunday hunting bill. VHDA and HSUS were the only entities present that spoke opposing the Sunday hunting bill the day it was defeated in Richmond.
I am not a dog hunter, just so you will know, and I don’t have a problem with hunters using dogs as long as it doesn’t impact on non-dog hunters and private landowners who don’t want dogs on their property. I’m tired of having someone’s dogs impact my bow season by chasing deer all morning 100 yards in a circle around me.
It’s worse now than ever when it comes to out of season chasing. I’ve tried the game warden and animal control thing and they can’t stop it with the present laws. I read a lot of pro-dog stories of how great the sport is. How about those who have been impacted in a negative manner by dogs? It seems a one way street, but there is another side out there.
I hope the hound hunting study isn’t another smoke blowing session by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. I just want it fixed so we can move on to other things.
RICK HUTSON
