I oppose these proposed bills as they place an unnecessary financial burden on tax paying hunters in Virginia that are already paying just to hunt. Those that can afford this type of tracking equipment are already utilizing it, but to mandate that all houndsman purchase it is insanity. Not to mention, expecting that this type of technology works correctly 100% of the time with the addition of the proposed mandatory purchased equipment to “hold hunters accountable” is laughable at best. I live in the country and am surrounded by hunt clubs (that I don’t hunt with), and have yet to have a single issue with a hunting dog or a hunter. The community strays wandering in my yard cause more of an issue, but I don’t hear the animal activists on that issue?

At the end of the day, houndsman and anti-hunting folks can go on about these issues for days, and ultimately not solve anything. Consequently, these proposed bills will not solve any of the problems at hand, it will only impede the law-abiding hunter’s ability to continue to enjoy the sound of the hound. I was raised on that sound, some of my earliest and most fond memories were with those hounds. Most of those memories including me riding on the jump seat of a single cab pickup surrounded by my dad AND step dad. Do you think anything else would have allowed me those memories? If I didn’t have that ability, lord only knows what I would be doing now. I learned what responsibility was at a young age by caring for those hounds year around; washing water buckets, cleaning lots, feeding, etc. Do you really want to take that chance away from todays younger generations that so desperately need salvation and guidance? Please don’t let the corrupt DWR ruin this tradition for the majority of us that are law abiding and genuinely care about our hounds and neighbors. These “reasonable efforts” are far from reasonable to all, and only benefit the transplants and those that refuse to see life from more than their own point of view. Oppose these bills!!!!!!