Deer season may be over in Virginia, but hunting opportunities still abound here in Loudoun County. Goose season is in, and a couple weeks remain for squirrel hunting. And in this part of the state we can actually hunt antlerless deer all winter.
Oh how I would love to take advantage of one or more of the current hunting seasons tomorrow morning!
No such luck; it's illegal to hunt on Sundays in Virginia. Since I work on Saturdays now, I essentially can't hunt at all.
Every year I say I'm going to get actively involved in the effort to get this unjust law repealed. And every year I put it off and get nothing done. Last winter, early in the state legislative session, I appealed to my local delegation. Several weeks later, I got a response from Senator Mark Herring (D-Loudoun) who said he didn't have a problem with Sunday hunting but that there was too much opposition from more rural areas of the commonwealth.
For months, I've been telling myself I needed to get in touch with Senator Herring on this issue again. But, again, I put it off and only a few days ago got around to sending him a hastily-composed email. Here's what I wrote:
Dear Senator Herring:
I know I'm a little late to the game with this, but I'm writing to reiterate my support for lifting Virginia's ban on Sunday hunting. There are many reasons for my position, but I'd like to focus on the economic benefits of repealing this archaic law.
- Raising Public Revenue: Hunters already pay a separate license fee for each different type of hunting (i.e. bowhunting, crossbow, muzzleloader, waterfowl.) Why not charge a separate fee for a Sunday hunting stamp? I would be willing to pay as much as $100 extra and am certain that thousands of hunters from around the commonwealth would as well. People who currently don't buy any hunting licenses because they don't have time to hunt would also be more likely to buy them if there were one more day a week on which they had the opportunity to pursue game.
- Helping Merchants in Related Industries: Clients would be more likely to book a weekend trip with a guide who could offer a Sunday hunt. Hunters would make more purchases of gear, ammunition and other things they need for their hunts (i.e. gas, coffee, breakfast sandwiches), thus helping retailers and the state through increased sales tax revenue.
- Decreased Spending on Emergency Services and Roadside Deer Removal: The highways of Northern Virginiaare littered with dead deer. VDOT pays contractors to remove them. Deer-related crashes often result in injuries and damage that require the attention of police, fire and rescue. In a part of Virginia where the deer overpopulation problem is so severe that hunting is allowed seven months of the year, it is absurd to prohibit hunting on what could be the most productive day of the week.
Please take these factors into consideration (as well as the obvious constitutional issues) during the current legislative session. If you choose to introduce or support any bill to allow Sunday hunting and need help articulating your position, I'd be happy to talk or write more about the issue.
Good luck with everything.
Best Regards,
Matt Coughlin, Leesburg
If you'd like to be able to hunt on Sundays in Virginia, please contact your local members of the General Assembly.
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