Thursday, January 19, 2012
Bill Cochran's Outdoors: Sunday hunting bills aplenty, but some hunters hold out
Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.
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I can’t recall a time in 40 years of covering the Virginia General Assembly that there have been more bills pertaining to hunting, fishing, boating and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries than during the 2012 session. There are 40 such measures on my radar and more are certain to show up.
Let’s look at the latest developments concerning Sunday hunting, which is the No. 1 issue for outdoor sportsmen:
Bills aplenty
So far, I’ve seen nine bills addressing Sunday hunting in Virginia. That is a record on the subject. The past decade or so there generally have been one to three per session. They have died in committee.
Four of the bills in the current session would make Sunday the same as any other day when it comes to hunting. They are:
HB 921, L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Woodbridge
SB 151, Phillip Puckett, D-Tazewell
SB 464, Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk
SB 512, Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach
Notice both parties are involved in these bills and they represent legislators from highly urban areas to rural areas. That is a good mix.
The other four bills would open the door to limited Sunday hunting. They contain restrictions obviously aimed at making the idea more acceptable by keeping it off public land and away from church hours and letting private landowners decide whether or not they want it on their property.
I personally believe if you are going to permit Sunday hunting don’t do it piecemeal as would be the case for the following bills:
HB 369, Michael Webert, R-Marshall, would allow Sunday hunting on private land with the permission of the landowner.
HB 989, James Morefield, R-North Tazewell, would allow Sunday hunting from 2 p.m. to sunset.
HB 1002, David Ramadan, R-South Riding, would allow Sunday hunting on private land in Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William County.
SB 173, J. Chapman Petersen, D-Fairfax, would allow landowners and their guests to hunt on their own property on Sunday.
Deer hunters divided
Few people are more divided over Sunday hunters than hunters themselves. It isn’t just a conflict pitting church people vs. hunters or private landowners vs. hunters. It is hunter vs. hunter.
That was evident in a membership survey just completed by the Virginia Deer Hunters Association. When asked: “Would you support Sunday hunting for the entire season?” 44 percent of the members who participated said yes and 56 percent said no.
In a survey on the issue taken about three years ago, the results were 38 percent for Sunday hunting and 62 percent opposed. In 1999, the vote was 36 percent for and 64 percent against.
That indicates some movement toward an endorsement of Sunday hunting, but the vote remains so close that leaders of the association aren’t likely to take a stand one way or another.
“It is just too narrowly divided,” said Dennis Quaiff, the executive director.
Burton switches lanes
Ward Burton, a former Daytona 500 winner from South Boston, has changed his stand on the Sunday hunting. Last June, while a board member of the DGIF, Burton helped pass a resolution supporting Sunday hunting. Now he says he no longer supports it.
“After having all fall, winter and this hunting season to talk to outdoorsmen, landowners and others in Southside Virginia it has become apparent to me that the majority are against Sunday hunting,” he said. “So at this time I am withdrawing me endorsement.”
