Southhampton County and Muzzleloader Hunting

Bob Rudzik writes in Tidewater News on the topic of the Southamption County ban on muzzleloader hunting.

Dallas Jones, the chairman of the Southampton County Board of Supervisors, as well as the county attorney and numerous others have told me that if I feel so strongly about muzzleloader hunting, I need to work on public opinion and gain a majority vote.

Mr. Rudzik has written before on the topic.  He views the restriction as a violation of the right to determine how one wishes to hunt on his land. 

If someone can explain to me a logical reason for maintaining the shotgun-only regulations, I am willing to listen and possibly even change my stand. So far, I have not found one such logical reason, and I have found many willing to talk rationally in support of the landowners regaining their rights.

He's right, just as the ban on Sunday Hunting is a property rights issue.  This year VSSA and a coalition of sportsmen groups attempted to lift the ban on Sunday hunting on private property.  The House Agriculture Natural Resources subcommittee decided to lay the bills on the table.

Apparently the muzzleloader issue divides hunters in Southhamption much as the Sunday hunting issue does statewide.  Let's hope that Southhampton County will lift their ban on hunting with a muzzleloader and that we will soon lift the ban on Sunday hunting.