I am writing to say I am against DWR proposal #7, 4VAC15-40-320 (Dog Trespass).  The counties regulate this through leash laws and the DWR should have no interest in this. The current proposal discriminates against certain types of people or let’s call it what it is, a certain class of people. Most dog bear and deer hunters are blue collar, working people, who pool their resources together to form hunt clubs to enjoy the outdoors. This change in the law singles them out as second class citizens. Anytime one person can be found guilty of breaking the law (dog trespass) and another person does the same thing and they are not charged (mounted fox hunters, coon hunters) that is discrimination. All dogs that chase game go onto adjoining properties occasionally and that can’t be controlled. If it's such a good idea (dog trespass for deer and bear hunters) let’s apply it to everyone. I keep hearing from the DWR board that they need to do this to save dog hunting, but it only applies to deer and bear hunters. The board purposely left fox hunters out of this proposal because the mounted fox hunters are wealthy and they don’t want to go to battle with them. The battle over hound hunting is summed up as a battle of elitist hunters that want the woods all to themselves and the DWR board is buying into it. The opposition to hound hunting had an orchestrated complaint campaign to bring about this proposal. DWR should be concerned with the decline of hunter numbers and this proposal will surely lead to a decline in hunter participation. I have had many hunters tell me that they will quit hunting once dog hunting becomes too problematic. I hunt with several teenage boys who say their generation doesn’t have the patience to still hunt (video games, I-phone) and dog hunting is the only form of hunting that excites them. In closing I ask each board member to take a close look at themselves. I am sure some of you are honestly trying to figure this out, please don’t believe the hype, deer and bear dog seasons are approximately six weeks long and most clubs only hunt on holidays and Saturdays. So, think about it, the people doing all this complaining can’t put up with a few stray dogs crossing their property line for this short period of time? No, their real agenda is to get their hunting competition out of the woods. The DWR hound study identified the Property Rights group as mostly hunters, funny their name doesn’t say anything about hunting? If this was really about property rights, dogs going onto others property, all dogs including your neighbor's dogs should be included not just deer and bear dogs

Dave Williams

5235 Community House Rd.

Goochland Va. 23063

804-240-1947