Va. senator calls pastime a 'constitutional freedom'
Feb. 22, 2012
You can't hunt on Sunday in Virginia. It's one of the few states that bans it. The state code itself prohibits the practice, calling it a "rest day for all species of wild bird and wild animal life."
A bill approved by the Virginia Senate that would have repealed the Sunday hunting ban died in a House of Delegates subcommittee last week.
It was an issue that divided Virginians on scientific and moral grounds. But the bill should have passed, and the ban should have been lifted.
It wouldn't have cost state coffers a dime and would have encouraged more people to enjoy a proud pastime. It would have provided more commerce and helped thin overpopulated herds.
The state's ban on Sunday hunting is a throwback to a time when Sunday, like it or not, held more significance than it does today. That's not a criticism of the biblical idea of a holy day of rest or a criticism of people who use Sundays for worship, reflection and fellowship.
But society has changed. Sunday shopping and Sunday employment are commonplace today. It's hard to imagine otherwise.
Varying work schedules mean it's harder to work in hunting activities. The ever-increasing activities of children and families make it harder to find time to teach the tradition of hunting. More time is needed.
"We've designated hunting and fishing as a constitutional freedom in Virginia," said state Sen. Chap Petersen of northern Virginia. "How can you restrict hunting one day of the week?"
State wildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries say there is no biological reason to ban Sunday hunting. And increasing numbers of deer on the Eastern Shore of Virginia show more days to thin the population are necessary.
Sunday hunting could also reverse a trend of fewer hunters in the commonwealth, where hunting license sales have dropped 200,000 in the just over two decades. Studies have shown adding hunting on Sunday would pump almost $300 million into the state economy.
"It is time for the Commonwealth of Virginia to make a decision that the government should not be telling us, as property owners, what we can do on our property, and (when) we can do it," said state Sen. Ralph Northam, a native of Accomack County who today lives in Norfolk and represents the Virginia Shore.
Still, the issue remains sensitive. Parishioners of rural churches worry about the sounds of distant gunfire during worship services. People who enjoy outdoor pursuits ranging from hiking to horseback riding say hunting would interfere with other activities.
A bill that would end the ban on Sunday hunting seemingly is introduced during every General Assembly session. It would be advantageous for advocates to find ways to reach out to those who support the hunting ban and address their concerns so that the idea gets more traction next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment