Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Wildlife Resources
 
Board
Board of Wildlife Resources
 
chapter
Game: In General [4 VAC 15 ‑ 40]
Chapter is Exempt from Article 2 of the Administrative Process Act
Action Adding Section 320: Reasonable efforts for deer and bear hunting with dogs.
Stage Proposed
Comment Period Ends 7/5/2024
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6/12/24  9:56 am
Commenter: Bill Avery

VOTE NO!! - STONGLY OPPOSE
 

Why are deer and bear hunters being targeted??  Hire more Conservation Officers to resolve issues and prosecute bad actors.  This regulation gives landowners total control and unduly burdens hunters.  Are there laws that prohibit the deer or bear from running onto private land??  Does the state plan to build roads on the property lines of all private landowners??  Does the landowner own the deer and bear??  Is the landowner being asked to take action to prevent the deer or bear from running on their property??  How is this going to be enforced??  This regulation is absurd.  Anyone who has hunted with dogs knows that game runs to places where they are not hunted which could be private land regardless of "the number and breed of dogs, casting locations, timing of hunts, or stander and handler locations".  I'm assuming this regulation is telling me I should tone and shock my hounds if they are working a track onto private land.  The only time I plan to tone and shock my hounds is if I am looking at them and they know I am trying to catch them, otherwise the hound is confused and can be ruined by consistently being broken off of a track.  The state of Virginia and the Department of Wildlife Resources has limited the ability of individuals to build new Dog Training Enclosures that would keep dogs inside a fence and off private land while running, and now regulation is being proposed to limit the locations where a hound can follow a track if a landowner so wishes during an open season.  PROTECT OUR HERITAGE!  VIRGINIA IS A DOG HUNTING STATE!  Protect our motorist by allowing dog hunters to continue to provide population control for the deer and bear populations in the state of Virginia.  Protect our way of life!  Protect our dogs!!

CommentID: 225932