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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Wildlife officials respond to Bill's questions on foxhound training centers

By Bill Cochran

Blogs and chat lines have been busy since officials of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries swept across the state earlier this month inspecting 41 foxhound training facilities, and closing 35 of them because of alleged violations.

Some people have praised the effort; others say it is still another example of the VDGIF attempting to put hound hunters through the wringer. Many people have no clue as to what a foxhound training facility is all about.

I asked VDGIF officials to help sort out things. Here are the agency’s answers to questions I posted:

Q. What exactly is a foxhound training center and how many are there in Virginia?

A. Foxhound training preserves are fenced enclosures of at least 100 acres that provide locations for the training of foxhounds and hound field trials. Permits to operate have been issued to 41 foxhound training preserves in Virginia for the current year.

Q. Who is the typical client of these facilities?

A. A large percentage of Virginia foxhunters utilize the training enclosures for the purpose of training hounds or for field trials. Also, in eastern Virginia some dog deer hunters will use foxhound training enclosures to condition their dogs prior to the deer season. Some of the larger, sanctioned foxhunter events will draw hundreds of hounds and hound hunters.

Q. What was behind the recent surprise inspection of the 41 foxhound training centers in Virginia?

A. A multistate covert investigation over the past two years indicated serious problems with some foxhound training facilities. Conservation police officers with the VDGIF conducted a compliance inspection of all 41 facilities in Virginia at once to determine facility conditions and identify permit violations.

Q. I understand the VDGIF temporarily shut down 36 facilities. What type infractions were found to merit this?

A. The number was 35 suspended. Six facilities completely passed the initial inspection. Most violations consisted of inadequate records detailing hunter information and the number of animals released into the fenced enclosures.

Q. When do you expect these facilities to reopen, or will they reopen?

A. Seven have been reinstated. Seven more are currently ready to submit to the VDGIF appeal’s panel for consideration of the reinstatement of their permit.

Q. Do you anticipate any criminal charges?

A. Yes, specific details are not available at this time due to the on going investigation.

Q. Many hound hunters already were upset over the VDGIF’s recent move to examine issues surrounding hound hunting in the state. Isn’t the foxhound training centers investigation adding salt to those wounds?

A. The investigations into the foxhound training preserves in several southeastern states preceded the issue of the hound hunting study which was adopted by VDGIF in July 2007. It is unfortunate that some folks might consider the two linked, as they are not.

Q. How many states were involved?

A. Nine states: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Virginia.

Q. A major issue appears to be the importation of foxes and coyotes from out of state to be used in foxhound training centers. Why is this a concern?

A. The importation of foxes or coyotes from out of state poses serious wildlife disease and health issues to native Virginia wildlife. For that reason it has been prohibited from the start for foxhound training facilities in Virginia. The Texas coyote/dog strain of rabies is not found in Virginia and represents clear health risks for wildlife, domestic animals and humans, and as such, the interstate translocation of coyotes should be strictly prohibited. With regards to out of state fox importation, there is a tapeworm (echinococcus multilocularis) which is not found in the southeast but is found in the Midwest and other regions. This parasite has health implications for wildlife, domestic livestock and humans; thus, the importation of foxes from outside Virginia is considered biologically hazardous.

Q. Where can facility operators legally get foxes for their operations?

A. Each foxhound training preserve permit outlines the conditions for obtaining live foxes within the state for the purpose of stocking preserves which are open to the public. Each facility operator may have up to 10 trappers live capturing foxes between Sept. 1 and the last day of February subject to the conditions outlined in the permit.

Q. I understand coyotes are used in several states, but are illegal to use in Virginia. Are they considered superior to foxes for pen use and why can’t they be used in Virginia?

A. Many foxhunters like to have their dogs run coyotes because coyotes remain more active in the daylight hours whereas foxes tend to run better at night and before daylight. The Department considered allowing coyotes in fox pens in Virginia and conducted a pilot program to evaluate this concept. Out of concern that it might encourage the illegal importation of coyotes from other states the proposal was not advanced.

Q. A report from Alabama said 25 coyotes, 55 foxes, two bobcats and 33 cardinals, not to mention a moonshine still, were seized during inspections in that state. What role do cardinals play in this business?

A. You will need to contact Alabama for specifics on their cases.

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