Although SB683, part of which contained some Sunday Hunting in Loudon county under the title of “Tick Control” in an effort to reduce the Lyme Disease up in that area, got the attention of the usual cast of anti-Sunday Hunting groups, it appears that it really was a sincere effort at “Tick Control” and not really a back door effort to institute Sunday Hunting.
In any case, Senate Ag Committee member Sen. John Watkins came up with a proposal whereby the bill would be “Continued Until the 2013 Session” and the Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries would come up with a plan for a pilot project for Loudon county which would work toward thinning out the deer in that area. On this basis the bill was unanimously Passed By.
Prior to this bill being heard, a huge turnout of Blaze Orange capped, mostly men, from down around Appamattox were there to oppose the bill which would eliminate “fox -penning”. Apparently, this is primarily a dog training exercise on large tracts of forest land (1,000 acres and up) that does not involved hunting or killing the foxes, and they were passionate that this bill, if passed, would end their sport altogether . In any case, the bill was Passed by, which cleared out the entire hearing room plus a packed lobby.
Bud Vye, RABA & VBF Advocacy Chair
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