VIRGINIA ALREADY HAS SUNDAY HUNTING

http://www.roanoke.com/outdoors/billcoc ... /wb/302406

My column on Sunday hunting last week brought numerous comments, some of which are posted in the Cochran Mailbag. One of the most interesting takes on the issue came from Tony Rutherford, who said we already have Sunday hunting. He ticked off a lengthy list of hunting activities that are legal on Sundays. They include pursuing bears and foxes with hounds during the chase seasons; hunting on shooting preserves; trapping; raccoon hunting during the early hours of Sunday.

“It is time for Virginia’s General Assembly to make a decision: Either we allow hunting on Sunday or we ban it completely,” he said.

“If you want to hunt on Sunday in Virginia, our government forces its people to own hunting hounds, become a trapper or pay a fee to a preserve operator to hunt pen-raised game birds. What the General Assembly continues to refuse to allow is something it already permits.”

Rutherford says it is time for Virginia to make a decision.

“Let’s get our hounds up before Sunday starts. Let’s not hunt our shooting preserves on Sundays. Let’s spring our traps before Sunday and not reset them until Monday. Let’s do what it seems the majority says it wants.

“Or Virginia could do what makes much more sense, allow people to make individual choices on whether they’d hunt any day, including Sundays.”

To restrict Sunday hunting because wildlife needs a day of rest is a charade, said Rutherford.

“Does trapping an animal on Sunday provide rest? Does chasing with hounds across the state each and every Sunday provide rest?”