mike bell

I posted this in Hunting Politics, but since very little hunting politics actually get discussed there, I thought Id post it here since its archery related.
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Bill to Restrict Archery Goes to Governor of Virginia


A Virginia bill that allows counties to ban the discharge of bows has passed the House and Senate and is on Gov. Mark Warner's desk. Thanks to a last minute effort, the bill exempts bow shooting ranges and bowhunting.

House Bill 2741, introduced by Delegate John S. Reid, R-Richmond, allows counties to prohibit shooting a bow in heavily populated areas. Existing law allows counties to ban the discharge of firearms in populated areas.

A last minute amendment to the bill exempted indoor shooting ranges and allows hunting on land parcels two acres and larger. Those parcels must be in areas zoned for agricultural uses.

“This legislation was driven by safety and ethical concerns surrounding bowhunting,” said Rick Story, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) senior vice president. “Those concerns could have been virtually eliminated by educating legislators and the general public about the stellar safety record of bowhunters and about the high ethical standards of the vast majority of archers. Unfortunately, this bill was introduced and passed very quickly and with little input from the hunting community.”

In response to similar issues, and with the merger of the nation’s two largest anti-hunting organizations, the USSA and several national bowhunter and communications organizations have created the Bowhunter Rights Coalition (BRC). Its focus is to link leading bowhunters and bowhunting groups.

“The BRC is a rapid response network to deal with bowhunting issues at the local, state and national levels,” said Story. “As we gain more members and frankly, more momentum, the threat posed by bills such as the one in Virginia can be averted altogether.”

National and state groups involved with the BRC include Bowhunter Magazine, The Bowsite, International Bowhunting Organization, National Bowhunting Education Foundation, Pope & Young Club, Bowhunting.net, The United Bowhunters of Kentucky and Maryland Bowhunters.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is preparing a BRC website on which it will post the latest news about the assault against bowhunting. It will provide educational materials about bowhunter safety and more. A chat room will also be available to discuss issues and for occasional live chats with leaders of the bowhunting community.

A report from the Humane Society of the United States, released on January 31, lays out the group’s plans to ban hunting in 2005. Aside from previous plans to target bowhunting, HSUS is preparing a ballot campaign to ban Michigan’s dove season for which sportsmen arduously fought.

For more information about how to join the Bowhunter Rights Coalition, call the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, (614) 888-4868 or e-mail [email protected].

duramaxlt

there coming at us from all angles.

kevin1

I don't see that bill passing ,
the financial impact on Virginia's F&W department would impair their ability to manage game . Only a complete idiot of a Governor would sign something like that without checking first .

adams

Here they come. This is the typical crap the anti's use to peck away at hunting. They take a small percentage of hunting and try to ban it. Once they susceed they will more to another little bit of hunting and work to ban it too.

Not so long ago I think it was Charlie P who posted about USHS merging with another anti group and there first priority was to have bow hunting banned. Well here they come. Support your local bowhunting associations as well as other hunters rightS organizations.

For those that think this will never fly, That's fine but get active. That's the problem with hunters in general. We take for granted for what we have and have always had. America is changing and the anti's are mobilized. If we sit back and just keep saying "It'll never fly." we may very soon find that it's our arrows that are no longer flying. Stand up and defend your sport, defeat the antis!

nodog

I don't see how this is any big deal. First, most populated areas prohibit the discharge of weapons (my area does)and two have you ever been around the greater D.C. area. I hunt around Manassas Va. and there are people every where. I don't know how people live there. This only sounds sensible to me. I will agree that in my opinion issues like these should be left to individual responsibility. If you could depend on people to know where and when to shot, that would be best. To fight this may only reinforce the anti's position in the minds of the public. Those people are so packed in there that I think if you shot a bow and missed the target, there would be a better than 50% chance of hitting someone.

Fieldmouse

It won't last long. I've hunted inside the beltway in Va. When you have counties that allow 2 doe/day for a six month period, how long before they really get out of control?

mike bell

Nodog,

Do you bow hunt near Manassas or gun hunt??

I grew up in Woodbridge which was probly fifteen minutes north of Manassas, 15 minutes north of Woodbridge is DC, and I lived in a big neighberhood too. I learned how to shoot a bow in my backyard. We had a nice backstop of plywood with five or six sq. bales of hay infront of it. We never had any problems when shooting. How big is a backyard, 25 30 yards max? Not alot of room, but enough to learn and get all the basics for hunting.

If I couldnt shoot in my own yard, it would be a big deal to me. It wont be long before you wont be able to hunt where you do. I have family in Stafford, they own enough land to hunt on, but its getting crowed around them there too. And it wont be to long before bow hunting is the only thing they can do because of no shooting laws.

But hey, I guess if you dont stand up for your rights, you dont have a right to complain when you cant shoot anywhere unless you pay somebody to shoot on their range.

mike bell

Inside the belt way? Fieldmouse, there are still trees inside the beltway?? Must be out on the west side by Herdon?

nodog

Well, I try to get there for both the archery and muzzleloader season. My brother is a UPS driver and a member of a hunt club there. He sets up the spots. They are all outside of town at least a 45min. drive. He has lost alot of hunting ground around there to development that's why he joined the club.

I can't blame anybody for not wanting to be able to use there back yard to shoot. There have been post on this board from guys that live in areas like that and what they've done.

I think it would be better for hunters in those area's to restrict themselves through legislation. It would cut the legs out from under any anti hunting effort, but I don't live there or in an area that would be affected by such legislation.

Feel free to call me an idiot. Couldn't blame you.

Fieldmouse

Plenty of trees and home owners begging you to shoot the darn deer.