VCDL has never had hunting as part of its mission. We stepped into it a little bit if it dealt with hunting with firearms. We pushed and got a change to the law to allow CHP holders to carry for self-defense while hunting years ago.
VCDL spent time and energy on the Sunday hunting issue two years ago figuring that hunters would want the freedom of choice as to whether they could hunt in Sundays or not. Boy, oh boy, did we find out that that isn't true! We caught flack from some hunting organizations, one quite big, who liked the Sunday ban and we were told to mind our own business. You could have pushed me over with a feather, but I learned a lesson from it.
Since I don't hunt (haven't since I was around 18) and, to my knowledge, neither does anyone else on the Board, we really don't keep our finger on the pulse of hunters like we do the other aspect of gun ownership. Had I been a hunter I would probably have been aware of the conflict over Sunday hunting. It is just too easy to misread hunting issues when you are not immersed in it. For example, I could see fighting to get the Chesterfield provision removed only to find out that hunting organizations like the ordinance the way it is. You might say, "nah," but that's what I thought about Sunday hunting. If it is a big issue for hunters, why haven't they tried to get this ordinance removed before? Why haven't they tried to get the underlying enabling statute removed at the General Assembly?
We are hardly throwing anyone to the wolves or leaving them to fend for themselves. There are a lot of hunting organizations out there and they can fight out these issues amongst themselves and earn their keep ;-) Meanwhile VCDL will watch all the other aspects of gun ownership.
All that said, should the hunting organizations try to fix a firearms-related hunting law while speaking in one voice, VCDL would most likely add its voice to such a chorus.
i'll address this one since i'm the one who leases land next to chesterfiled county land. I'll tell you why i've never spoken against this ordinance before because to be quite honest i never knew it existed as it is not listed in the Game regs. I knew about the no discharge of a firearm ordinance within 200yds of an occupied dwelling and i knew about no hunting with a bow closer than 100yds of an occupied dwelling w/o the owners permission, i know i can have a loaded rifle or shotgun on a public highway in chesterfield on one of my properties only because i lease property on both sides of the road(we used to have to unload to cross the road) all of these regs and more i know. I did not however know that it is illegal to merely be in possession of a firearm while hunting within 100yds of a county property line. what is hunting is it as peter says the possession of both a firearm and a hunting license? i'll back peter on this and say that its foolish to tell hunters that VCDL supports gun rights just not your gun rights.
I can understand a no discharge ordinance IN the park. Why is it illegal to merely possess a firearm within 100yds of a park if i am hunting. I don't understand is the double speak about hunting vs carrying. Oh i understand that the county is allowed to pass this ordinance because it deals with hunting per se. What i really don't understand is the reluctance to oppose this issue as it still boils down to a firearms carry issue. It doesn't matter in the real world whether I am hunting or merely walking my dog. I can bow hunt within that 100yds just not have a firearm. So this issue is strictly a firearms issue not a hunting issue. To say that this is an issue for the hunters to take care of if they wan't it changed is the type of bullsh!t NRA double speak i'm not used to hearing from VCDL. I understand that opposing this ordinance may be a loser and nothing can be done. But i don't understand why it should not be opposed unless we are afraid of losing and are willing to sidestep issues based on whether they are winnable or not. It also shouldn't matter whether there are any hunters on the board of VCDL, i'd be more concerned over the number of hunters who are members of VCDL.
I'll explain the Sunday hunting thing, self proclaimed(i have a witness) VCDL founder and protector Kirby Burch(you know he handed the orginization over to you and wrote the whole concealed carry ordinance and made it happen all by himself again i have a witness, he also created the internet not really but my witness is of the same opinion) is against sunday hunting because he wants dog hunting to remain untouched. He realizes that the chances of this drop dramatically if dog hunters are running their idiot hounds around the meeting house while church is in session.
"No HUNTER shall transport, possess or carry a loaded firearm within 100 yards of any property line of any county public school or county park, except as otherwise permitted by state law." my first question is does the state give the county the power to erect this mythincal 100yd barrier to guns around the park. i understand if it is within the park. i'm wondering do they actually have the power to encroach on my land. i mean state law allows me to hunt my land right?
edit: never mind they do have the authority § 29.1-527. Counties, cities or towns may prohibit hunting near public schools and county, city, town or regional parks.
The governing body of any county, city or town may prohibit by ordinance, shooting or hunting with a firearm, or prohibit hunters from traversing an area while in possession of a loaded firearm, within 100 yards of any property line of a public school or a county, city, town or regional park. The governing body may, in such ordinance, provide that any violation thereof shall be a Class 4 misdemeanor. Nothing in this section shall give any county, city or town the authority to enforce such an ordinance on lands within a national or state park or forest, or wildlife management area.
(1985, c. 485, § 29-144.5:1; 1987, c. 488.)