Northern Neck News article.


From the Wild
By Sgt. Rich Goszka Virginia Conservation Police

More enforcement of Hunting laws

If any of you have been following the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) Hound Hunting Study many of you will know that one of the many recommendations the citizen committee of this study has recommended is that DGIF law enforcement enhance their enforcement of our laws and regulations. Many Virginia Counties east of the blue ridge have passed resolutions supporting hound hunting and also requested the enforcement of existing laws and regulations, including one recently passed by the Richmond County Board of Supervisors. The Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance, which many local hunting clubs in the Northern Neck have joined, has also called for DGIF to enforce the existing laws rather than create new laws.

As the supervising Conservation Police Officer (CPO) in the Northern Neck I am getting the message loud and clear as to what our hunters and citizens of the Commonwealth are asking for. As a result I am putting a plan of action together to further the enforcement of the existing laws and regulations already on the books. The following are the existing laws and regulations that local CPOs assigned to the Northern Neck will actively seek out violations of. I feel that this should be made public in an effort to educate hunters and citizens of the Northern Neck as to what to expect as to the changes in our enforcement practices.

One of the biggest complaints we get every year in the Northern Neck is road hunting, blocking the road or using the road as a form of trespass. The Code of Virginia clearly states that no person shall stop a vehicle in such manner as to impede or render dangerous the use of the highway by others, except in the case of an emergency, an accident, or a mechanical breakdown. A highway is defined as the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel in the Commonwealth. We will enhance our effort to enforce this existing law. The highways of Virginia are designed for vehicular traffic and not for the purpose of hunting. As State sworn law enforcement officers we have an obligation to protect the safety of the general public. The use of the highways for the purpose of hunting when it creates a public safety hazard is a violation of the Code of Virginia.

Currently there is no legal chase season for deer outside of the general firearms season. Many deer hound hunters are using the fox chase season as the loophole in the law to run their deer hounds illegally. Under 29.1-516 of the Code of Virginia it states that the hunting or pursuit of foxes shall mean the actual following of the dogs while in pursuit of a fox or foxes or managing the dog or dogs while the fox or foxes are being hunted or pursued. The following of fox hounds means to travel behind the dogs during the chase. To manage the fox hounds means to be in charge of and give commands and direction during the chase. We will begin to enhance our efforts to enforce the provisions of this law and those that are running their deer hounds during the closed season. If deer hound hunters want a chase season they need to make this known to the DGIF and its board during our public comment period of our regulation cycle.

As to the enforcement of the hunting trespass laws all Conservation Police Officers (CPOs) have access to local tax maps through a computer mounted in their vehicles. CPOs will use this new technology to enforce the hunter trespass laws. Hunters are required to obtain written permission on posted lands or verbal permission on lands that are not posted. Hunt Clubs that lease land or get permission from a landowner for an entire club need to have this permission or lease available for inspection by a CPO. All club members on posted lands must carry either written permission from the landowner or a club membership card. It is the hunter’s responsibility to know whose land they are hunting. This is a matter of respect for all landowners. Obtaining permission prior to hunting will go a long way to establishing better relations with landowners and the image of the hunter.

Many of you are aware of Virginia’s right-to-retrieve law it states that fox hunters and coon hunters, when the chase begins on other lands, may follow their dogs on prohibited lands, and hunters of all other game, when the chase begins on other lands, may go upon prohibited lands to retrieve their dogs, but may not carry firearms or bows and arrows on their persons or hunt any game while thereon. The use of vehicles to retrieve dogs on prohibited lands shall be allowed only with the permission of the landowner or his agent. Any person who goes on prohibited lands to retrieve his dogs pursuant to this section and who willfully refuses to identify himself when requested by the landowner or his agent to do so is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. This law is for retrieval of hounds only. This means a hunter can not wander around prohibited property looking for their dogs. Hunters must know they are there by hearing, seeing or pin pointing them with modern radio tracking equipment. Upon this knowledge they should then immediately retrieve them and leave the property. The right-to-retrieve law is not an invitation to continue the chase.

Finally, it is the mission of DGIF to protect the hound hunting future. We will attempt to do this by addressing problem areas, partnering with other enforcement agencies and to send a message to those that disrespect the time honored tradition of hunting with hounds by violating the laws and ethics of the sport. We can not do this with out your help. You the citizens of this Commonwealth are our “eyes and hears”. We count on you to report violations and to let us know were problems exist. To report a violation call our Wildlife Crime Line at 1-800-237-5712.

For more information on hunting safety and Virginia’s hunting laws and regulations visit the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website at www.dgif.virginia.gov.

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