Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire STILL No Sunday Hunting in VA!

That needs to be a year round effort.

We need a plaintiff,Gene.

I just learned of this restriction -- here, on the 'fire -- a few weeks ago, and am still baffled by it. New to me, ridiculous forever to those effected.

Good luck going forward.

We've been fighting for Sunday hunting here in CT for a long time. Haven't even been able to get Sunday bowhunting on private land only yet. To me it's the same problem as most other things. If every resident who is pro Sunday hunting actually spoke up and took the time to get involved it would get passed tomorrow. Not enough of the hunters themselves get involved. We all know how vocal the anti hunting minority is and that's all it takes. I believe that generations of hunters who grew up with no Sunday hunting just kind of accept it as the way it is even if they say they want it. Not enough motivation to take action.
I don't run across religion used as the main argument against it too much even though it may be the personal opinion of some. The ridiculous argument of having one day a week for people to feel "safe" while using public land is the main argument used. And what that has to do with private land is beyond me. Killing on a Sunday can't be the issue because fishing is perfectly legal. The state wants to reduce deer numbers but with many hunters working six days a week or with other family commitments, etc. on Saturdays, Sunday hunting is the simplest and most logical means to accomplish that goal. It would more than double the hunting time in the woods for most of the guys I know. Basically, the very powerful anti hunting minority here in CT will use any and all arguments available to them to accomplish their goal of no hunting period. They chip away at every chance they get and never stop.
As long as enough hunters themselves do not take action and get involved and write letters and show up at meetings, I'm afraid that nothing will change.

From the VADHA:

Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance
Sunday Hunting
The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance has adopted a position opposing hunting on Sunday
for many reasons. It is first and foremost an expression of the vast majority of our
membership, even though all may not subscribe to all of the stated reasons in this paper.

1. The first and foremost reason is our faith. The Fourth Commandment is
reason enough to oppose hunting on Sunday. "Remember the Sabbath day
by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.1 We also recognize that
the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

2. We believe that all can use a day of rest. It is a time to recover and reflect.
You may look for lost dogs or game animals, declared by the law to be
hunting, but the retrieval of lost sheep is consistent with the gospel. We
believe that the hunted also benefit from the day of rest.

3. We believe landowners want a day to rest. To enjoy the quiet of their
property, absent their guests of the rest of the week, no matter how welcome
they may be at other times. Sunday is a day of reflection.

4. We believe that even the most supportive families would benefit from this
positive statement of family values.

5. Other outdoor users appreciate a day to themselves. Without this day, they
may turn against the selfish hunters who demand hunting on Sunday and place
all hunting at risk. Remember all hunting is not done on large private tracts.

6. Virginia has the most generous limits on deer kill of any state in the nation.
No hunter, no matter how they plead otherwise, is so deprived as not to be
able to find an opportunity to hunt during the long seasons. We acknowledge
that some of our number have a limited number of vacation days, but believe
that resulting public opinion would inescapably be negative, and give antihunters
a big hammer to bludgeon us with.

7. Modern wildlife management bases its hunting seasons on range carrying
capacities, species reproductive rates and mortality rates. One significant
factor in determining any hunting season is the number of animals harvested
by hunters. The number of animals harvested by hunters is determined by
man-days a field times the success rate. Most studies have shown that
typically 40% of total man-hours of hunting occur on Saturday. The addition
of Sunday would be certain to require the eventual adjustment of the seasons
for most if not all species that are hunted. This would result in the eventual
shortening of the hunting season.

The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance acknowledges that hunters are coming to Virginia
from other areas having Sunday hunting. Many areas allow other practices that have also
long been against the law in Virginia such as hunting over bait and hunting big game
animals in small enclosures. We see no reason to support hunting on Sunday in the
Commonwealth of Virginia at this time.

LMAO!

I'm sure everyone is thankful for dog hunters speaking for them in #1,2 and 3!!

I'm not from Virginia but this statement by the VAHDA really burns me up. I live in Mississippi and I will bet you we would be considered a much more "religious" state than VA and for sure more than CT but we have Sunday hunting and not just on private lands but statewide. I am a Christian and I go to Church ever Sunday and I have no problem with Sunday hunting. I even turkey hunt before church it is no different than me going fishing after church. What really burns me up is the way the VAHDA is trying use faith as a tool to push their own personal agenda through. For one thing the hunting the lost sheep analogy to justify hunting lost dogs is taken way out of context. When the lord said that it was used in a spiritual sense to show that God loves everyone and it was nothing to do with actual sheep but men's souls. The VAHDA IS WAY OUT OF LINE IN DOING THIS! If they think Sunday hunting is wrong then they can just choose not to hunt on Sunday. It should be a personal choice anyway.

Maybe we could join the VAHDA and take it over.

I'd rather join PETA....

I am a VA landowner who allows hunting by permit on our property. Living out of the Commonwealth now and haven't followed all of the details of this "Sunday Hunting" issue. Virginians are fortunate to have ample access to National Forest hunting - did the proposal also include Sunday hunting on the Gov't ground?

I hunted there for over 50 years and just dumbly accepted the fact that you didn't hunt on Sunday. That doesn't mean we didn't go into the woods scouting, making/repairing blinds and stands, sighting-in and orienting a new hunter to the lay of the land and property lines.

Here in NC you can bow hunt on Sundays on private land - but no firearms. Go figure!

Sunday hunting was struck down in Pa this year also, almost the same story. The Farm Bureau lead the attack against it, with some small birdwatching, hiking groups joining in. How much power does this farm bureau have? and why?

Private land only. That's the biggest stink if you ask me. Public, well it is what it is. But denying private landowners is crap.

+1
Same old story. They say the woods will be filled with families hiking and horsey people riding on public land. This has nothing to do with private land hunting. I'm also in favor of all implement Sunday hunting rather than bow only.
Here in Ct., one can go to a casino and gamble, go to a strip bar and soon be able to buy booze all on Sunday. Can't hunt and nobody can tell me a good reason why I can't.
Hope you Va. boys continue the fight.

===============================================================
Basically, VAHDA DID JOIN PETA and HSUS!!! Divide and conquer worked very well for them. It's time to turn this around on VAHDA! They need to be potrrayed as the bad guys that they are, and held publicly accountable. Hypocracy is rampant in VAHDA! This is about private property rights more than anything else, and we should use this issue above all others, against the anti's. Right now, if I had a choice between losing dog hunting for deer, and being able to hunt on Sunday, dog hunting would lose!!!! Paybacks are hell!!
As a result of this, I know a group of 19 VA landowners in the Piedmont area that own/or control just under 11,000 acres that were formerly open to hound hunting for deer. Deer hunting with dogs will be forever closed on those properties starting in 2012. They are even considering curtailing the fox hunters from using their properties.....we'll see. This sentiment is growing rather quickly, too.
1D

Great idea in closing the dog hunting land. I hope other landowners follow suit.

Sad thing is by aligning themselves with the anti's, the dog hunters will need our help one day when the anti's try to outlaw dog hunting as too "cruel". I hope everyone remembers how greedy they have been.

I want everyone to know on the Fire how a very small group can take away your FREEDOM.

I am Pissed,

Beware, it can happen to you!

Dave

dayum them Virginia boys is kinda haywired!


no sunday hunting


yet they've got an "alliance" of folks that get together and hunt dogs?


do they sell the meat to Taco Bell?


what do they do with the hides?


hey wait a minute...that danged fur coat I bought the missus had a flea collar sewn in it.

I thought it was just to protect her valuable fur coat!

They're too busy making home brew!!

Left the Commonwealth when I got out of high school.

Never looked back.

Even the "Virginia Deer Hunters Association" is against it. Pretty smart move on their part. Open mouth, insert foot.....