Virginia Sunday Hunting Hearing Wednesday In Full House Agriculture Committee

This Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. HB 1237,a bill to allow Sunday hunting on private land, will be heard in the House Committee on Agriculture. This is the first time the bill has been set to be heard in the full committee, having been killed in Subcommittee with litte to no hearing in the past.  This is an issue that has divided  the hunting community in Virginia for years, with as many hunters supporting the ban as opposing it.  There is a large portion of the hound hunting community that has worked hard to keep the ban.  This bill however is a property rights issue.  It only allows hunting on Sunday on private property so it would not affect those who like to have Sundays to ride horses or bird watching, because the hunting would not be done on public land.

 

VSSA supports lifting the ban on Sunday hunting.  Twenty years ago there were a half million hunters in Virginia.  Now, there are about half that number.  With the economy being what it is, many people work two jobs and have to work Saturdays.  Allowing Sunday hunting on private property would go a long way to giving those folks an option to hunt.

 

We need your help to contact Delegates on the committee as soon as possible and tell them you support Sunday hunting on private land. Every hunter should support this measure if they want new generations to have the option to hunt in the future. Hunting license sales have dropped from 500,000 in the mid-1970s to 300,000 today. If we don't increase license sales, our hunting tradition will be lost. The only way to promote license sales is by creating more time for hunters to hunt.

Whether you speak to the legislator, an aide, leave a voicemail or write a letter, be firm but polite. Tell them why you want Sunday hunting, in your own words. And be certain to mention that if the number of hunters continue to decline, the sport will be soon be gone, and that Sunday hunting is the best means available to bring more people into the sport. Get your family and friends to call/email/write as well. It makes a big difference.

Please contact delegates on the committee today!
Urge them to support Sunday hunting!

• Delegate Tony Wilt - Rockingham County, Harrisonburg City
  Phone: (804) 698-1026, Email: DelTWilt@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Charles Poindexter - Franklin County, Henry County, Patrick County
  Phone: (804) 698-1009, DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Matthew Fariss - Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell and Nelson Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1059, Email: DelMFariss@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Daniel Marshall - Henry County, Pittsylvania County, Danville City
  Phone: (804) 698-1014, Email: DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Robert Orrock - Caroline and Spotsylvania Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1054, Email: DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Thomas Wright - Amelia, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg and Nottoway Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1061, Email: DelTWright@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Edward Scott - Culpeper, Madison and Orange Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1030, Email: DelEScott@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Luke Torian - Prince William County
  Phone: (804) 698-1052, Email: DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate R. Lee Ware - Chesterfield, Fluvanna, Goochland and Powhatan Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1065, Email: DelLWare@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Brenda Pogge - James City and York County
  Phone: (804) 698-1096, Email: DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Barry Knight - Chesapeake and Virginia Beach
  Phone: (804) 698-1081, Email: DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate James Edmunds - Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Prince Edward Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1060, Email: DelJEdmunds@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Will Morefield - Bland, Buchanan, Russell and Tazewell Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1003, Email: DelJMorefield@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Michael Webert (co-patron) - Culpeper, Fauquier, Rappahannock, Warren Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1018, Email: DelMWebert@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Margaret Ransone - Caroline, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland Counties
  Phone: (804) 698-1099, Email: DelMRansone@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Jackson Miller - Prince William County, City of Manassas
  Phone: (804) 698-1050, Email: DelJMiller@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Ken Plum - Fairfax County
  Phone: (804) 698-1036, Email: DelKPlum@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Lynwood Lewis - Accomack, Northampton, Norfolk and Virginia Beach
  Phone: (804) 698-1000, Email: DelLLewis@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate David Bulova - Fairfax City and County
  Phone: (804) 698-1037, Email: DelDBulova@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Mark Sickles - Fairfax County
  Phone: (804) 698-1043, Email: DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Luke Torian - Prince William County
  Phone: (804) 698-1052, Email: DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov
  
• Delegate Mark Keam - Fairfax County
  Phone: (804) 698-1035, Email: DelMKeam@house.virginia.gov