reswire1

[Hey folks, I'm a property owner in va., an avid deer hunter, and someone who supports the rights of all hunters in va.; but allowing dog hunters to stand in the middle of public roads with loaded weapons is a black-eye none of us can afford to have!! It is perfectly legal for a hunter to "stand" in a public roadway in some counties of virginia with a loaded weapon, waiting for deer to cross. Is this really necessary? Is it pure laziness, or a lack of respect for other people that keeps virginia hunters from stopping this unsafe practice?
The first thing any young hunter learns in a hunter safety course is to keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction, safety on, until you see a clear, defined target, always with a safe "background" to prevent personal injury to others; but in Essex, Caroline and other Virginia counties, loading up your gun and standing in a public roadway is not only acceptable, but encouraged!!! Can you believe this nonsense?
How do you teach your kids to hunt like this when you know they could kill someone, or through careless practice, cause all anti-hunters to take this problem all the way in an already hostile media?
I would love to find someone out there who would be willing to assist me in passing a law that keeps all hunters off the road with a loaded weapon. Hunters should be at least 100yds. from a public road for everyones safety, and if nothing else to keep the sport of hunting from being called a public nusance. I am surprised that PETA has not filmed this activity and put on the major network news stations. If they did that we would all look like a bunch of jackasses. Please help me get a petition started to prevent the loss of the sport we all love!!

ButchA

I don't know if a petition would work. It might "stir the pot" as they say... There are good hunters with well trained dogs, and then there are others that absolutely, without a doubt, PI$$ ME OFF to no end!! [:@][:@]

Out where I hunt in Cumberland State Forest, you'll see a bunch of pickups with dogs. These guys just dump their dogs out, then drive down the road, then up around to the other side of the ridge and wait. The d*mn dogs aren't going to drive deer to them! The d*mn dogs are going to go wherever the h*ll they wanna go! I have had so many hunts ruined due to dogs roaming free, that I just want to scream! [:@]

If I could have my #1 choice of hunting opportunity, it would be the "Cardeer method". Put on the famous "Cardeer necklace", grab your bow, make sure you're as scent free as possible, and just get out there among nature. There is nobody around, no deer dogs, no rifle hunters, NOBODY. Therefore, in the peace and quiet of the outdoors, you can sneak into a deers livingroom - so to speak - and engage in a little one-on-one chess match, with hopefully, a nice sized buck.

Butch A.

deerdogva

in some counties it is already illegal, i qouted right from the manual , this applies to essex but they don't really enforce it every time you see it call the cops don't call the game wardens. that will help the situation. Now caroline dosn't have this rule but in essex it does, check the manual but i think you are right no matter what county your in it should be illegal. now i know these guys are hunting your talking about, but we sometimes put one of the dog drivers out on the road, not to shoot anything just catch dogs so they don't get hit but usually when a guy is holding a gun he is not catching dogs. My grandfather owns a piece in montpilier we use to catch road hunter all the time, we call the game warden several different times. nothing happened, we called 911 and said there was a guy out here trying to shoot us. and the cops came. granted everynow and then we they thing were not around they 'll try to throw some dogs in there. but they're a whole lot more cautious. so if you have problems call the cops and say there is a guy other there on the road and i'm afraid he is going to shoot me. not that you are but it will defenetly slow them down a little. they'll think twice before road hunting. They might still trying to through dogs in there. but they won't road hunt, or will get caught.

this is for essex:

25. No hunting with firearms of game species from within 100 yds. of a road.
i think that rule solves some of the problems there. now just need all counties to have that rule.

deerdogva

hey fellas sorry about the grammar in the last post, i didn't proofread it

Invented

its 100 yards here in King William County

It doesnt work, they still do it... not to mention they will just hide their trucks right off the road and get behind a tree where you can't see them, but they do it. Not to mention they seem to think they can hike their dogs through any piece of property

I'd be glad to sign any piece of paper that limits the time or eliminates the time that dogs are used for deer hunting

Aught Six

I have no problem with road hunting so long as it's legal. Counties already regulate road hunting on an individual basis, and I see no reason why the state should step in. The fewer regulations, the better as far as I'm concerned. I worry about what's best for the game populations, not what's politically correct.

VAhuntr

Maybe I am reading the regulations wrong but according to my VDGIF book and the VDGIF website, shooting/hunting from or in a roadway is already illegal in every county, city and town in the state. Sounds like these laws need to be enforced.

http://www.dgif.state.va.us/hunting/...ting_With_Dogs

Here it is almost at the end of the page in big bold letters.

Shooting From the Road is Illegal

Shooting at wildlife from a vehicle and/or from or across a public road is illegal. Penalties include: fines, license revocation and confiscation of firearms.

reswire1

Thanks vahunter, everyone else!
Please don't misunderstand me. I don't want to take away dog hunting, even though people use them to illegally tresspass my land; I just believe standing in a road along with 20 to 30 other hunters, waiting for deer is a little bit too much. In essex county all you have to do is put one foot on the grass and you can pull the trigger. This came directly from the game wardens. I believe that is why they won't waste their time trying to patrol these areas. When they pull up the hunters jump one foot in the ditch and they are legal. He has to see them shoot will both feet are on the road. It's legal to ride around with a loaded weapon in the truck as well. What hunter safety course reccomends this? Does virginia have hunter safety courses at all? If they do, why dosent' the director of hunter safety try and pass laws that make all people a hell of a lot safer. Some say leave it alone, no law is a good law. I say fix the problem before we loose all hunting rights altogether. If you think that knucklehead in wisconsin who shot those other guys didn't hurt your hunting rights, think again. One idiot shooting an innocent person in a car will screw us all. I say make hunter safety rules, hunter safety laws! You can hunt with your dog, hell I might even hunt with you, but I refuse to hunt with people that risk killing their neighbors. I won't turn dogs loose on your posted property either, I don't care who has lived where, longer than who, common sense is plain common sense. Thanks for all the responses. Lets' git'r'done!!!!

VAhuntr

reswire1,

I'm not disputing what a warden has told you but I still think they are not enforcing the laws already in place. I would get the wardens name who told you that only one foot needs to be in the grass and talk to his supervisor. In the regulations, the very first heading under the title "UNLAWFUL METHODS" is: Discharge a firearm, crossbow, or bow and arrow in or across or within the right-of-way of any road.
Now I do not know the specific right of way laws but I do know they extend outward from the center of the road, taking up a few feet of unpaved property on each side.

I would be pissed about the dogs on my property too. Why don't you set up video of these clowns shooting from the road? A few years back, my buddy saw a guy shoot a deer from the road on posted property. He got the vehicle tag and contacted the game warden. This guy was convicted of shooting from the road and a couple of other things as well. The conviction was based solely upon my friends testimony, not the warden seeing anything. I just hate to see more restrictions placed upon us when we already have laws in place that could work if enforced.

VA HEAD HUNTER

All good points but lets be totally honest. 100 yards is not a safe distance for any gun if the hunter is not safe. but i do agree that hunting in the middle of a state maintained road is unnecessary for 2 reasons. number one safety for people and 2 safety of the dogs and deer. why speciffically do a dog drive close to traveled roads? if a dog gets hit or a deer gets hit by a car then how is that safe. plus what about the person who hit the deer? and how is it a succesful hunt if you end up with a deer that is so bruised and broken that you cant save the meat? i dont know of counties that allow this practice. i do know of the ditch law which means you can hunt from the side of the road but i have never heard of hunting on a road but thats beside the fact. the fact remains that there are more than enough deer to satisfy the tags issued and for the hunters who excersize thier privliege to hunt but it still all boils down to the one holding the firearm and his/her actions. i believe strongly that the term hunting accident is the most rediculous term. if your safe then you wont have accidents. if people followed the game laws and county ordinances then accidents would not happen. i also truly believe that alot of people dont realize the velocity and range of the weapons they use. all these things are factors but i honestly believe that you wont get the support needed to fill enough signatures to stop road hunting cause the more laws that get passed about hunting the more it jeapordizes the hunting season also we have one of the longest deer seasons then any other state from october to january especially for general firearms and we need to keep it that way. i believe the problem will be and can only be solved by safe hunting.