Thursday, October 15, 2009
The politics of Sunday hunting
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: Both of the candidates for governor of Virginia have weighed in on Sunday hunting (see last week’s Cochran Column).
Creigh Deeds has indicated that he would support local option for Sunday hunting. This makes about as much sense as paddling upstream on the James River during a flood. There is absolutely no way that it would work. First, the boundaries in all counties of Virginia are not marked so it would be almost impossible for a hunter to know what county he/she is hunting in. Second, it would be a nightmare for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ law enforcement staff to patrol and enforce hunting regulations. Third, it would make it a nightmare for the DGIF board to set regulations for individual counties. You can bet that some counties would want different regulations for different game species, a further nightmare for the law enforcement staff.
Bob McDonnell has indicated he would support Sunday hunting on private land. This would work; however, it would exclude hunting on over 2 million acres of federal land and over 300,000 aces of land owned by the state of Virginia. You then have to ask the question: Where is the hunter going to hunt who does not own hunting land or does not have access to private land? Your “blue-collar” hunter is the one who is going to be penalized and I would think that these far outnumber the hunters that would have access to private land.
The issue of Sunday hunting has been an annual trial balloon every year and the candidates for governor have constantly floated their intentions. I have said for many years that the only fair, workable and sensible Sunday hunting posture for Virginia is to have it statewide on all lands, private, federal and state. Do it all, or don’t do it at all. This is not an endorsement for Sunday hunting. However, if it is going to be, then let’s do it right.
J. CARSON QUARLES
Roanoke
Past DGIF Board Chairman
BILL: I just read your article regarding the gubernatorial candidates and Sunday hunting. You are absolutely correct. It is all just a game of politics, plain and simple. The members of the General Assembly are the ones who are in control over Sunday hunting, not the governor, not the DGIF, nor anyone else for that matter.
I was one of the more vocal supporters of Sunday hunting a few years ago, like many others before me. But I soon realized that my efforts almost became like a David vs. Goliath scenario. I became outnumbered very quickly and realized that no matter what I tried to do or say I was just “me” and I had neither solid backing nor major financial support.
Have I had a change of heart? No. I still support Sunday hunting and always will. But I did have a change of employment over the past two years and it has really put a damper on my involvement with sportsmen issues, not to mention my hunting time. My job has me working the graveyard shift, so I am as nocturnal as a 12-point buck during general firearms season.
Anyway, one of these days Virginia will open up Sunday hunting. But I feel it won’t be anytime soon. The gubernatorial candidates are simply playing politics with the votes of sportsmen regarding Sunday hunting.
BUTCH AMMON
Richmond
