The Shadow
Dear Editor,
The VA Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is considering new regulations that will require dog hunters to use GPS tracking collars and to “make reasonable efforts” to prevent their dogs from entering property where they are not permitted.
These proposals make sense and are the only way to protect the tradition of hound hunting in Virginia. Without regulation that requires dog hunters to respect private property we risk losing this tradition altogether. It’s not too much to ask for ALL HUNTERS to simply hunt the property where they have permission and respect the rights of those who do not want hunting dogs on their farm.
Hound hunting has already been banned in 42 other states and it could happen here as well. Other southern states (Georgia and Florida) have adopted regulations in the recent past that have enabled dog hunting to continue while at the same time limiting it to property where the hunter has permission to hunt with dogs. Here in Virginia the complaints related to hunting dog trespass increase every year and, if left unregulated, the bad apples that allow their dogs to hunt property without the permission of the landowner are going to ruin this for everyone.
-Chris Patton, Colonel USMC (Retired)
