TScottW99

For anyone with any issues in regards to the changes that VDGIF is planning for next season, here is the list of where the meetings will be held.

http://www.dgif.state.va.us/regulations/docS.html

Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Game Wildlife, Hunting and Trapping Regulation Proposals
March 2003 Public Input Meetings

All meeting times are 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. An informal question and answer period will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the meeting location.
Monday, March 17, 2003

Warsaw Rappahannock Community College 52 Campus Drive

Big Stone Gap Powell Valley Middle School
3137 2nd Avenue East

Tuesday, March 18, 2003
Chesapeake Deep Creek Middle School
1955 Deal Drive

Woodstock Peter Muhlenburg Middle School
1251 Susan Avenue

Wednesday, March 19, 2003

Buffalo Gap Buffalo Gap High School
1800 Buffalo Gap Highway (Rt. 42)
(5 miles south of Churchville in Augusta County)

Warrenton Fauquier County High School 705 Waterloo Road

Thursday, March 20, 2003

Wytheville Wytheville Community College

Grayson Hall - The Commons
1000 E. Main Street

Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Roanoke Northside High School
6758 Northside High School Road

Fairfax National Rifle Association
11250 Waples Mill Road

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

Richmond DGIF Richmond Headquarters Office Board Room 4000 West Broad Street

Thursday, March 27, 2003

Rustburg Rustburg High School 1671 Village Highway (Rt. 24)

The department is holding a series of 11 open meetings for the purpose of receiving the public' s comments regarding proposed changes to regulations governing game wildlife, hunting and trapping. The proposals addressed at the meeting series are those regulations or regulation amendments which the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries proposed at its March 6, 2003 meeting.
A public comment period opened on the proposed regulation amendments on March 6 and will close May 1, 2003. The proposals are available on the department' s web site, www.dgif.state.va.us , at the department' s central and regional offices, published in the Virginia Register of Regulations, and will be available at the public meetings.
The public input meeting series is being held prior to the board meeting of May 1, 2003, at which the Board intends to adopt final regulations or regulation amendments. The 11 public input meetings are supplemental public hearings to the two hearings which occur at March 6 and May 1 Board meetings. Comments received on the proposals at the public input meetings will be summarized and reported to the Board for their consideration at the May 1, 2003 meeting prior to their adopting final regulations.

TScottW99

http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/news/story146326.html

Tuesday, March 11, 2003

Youth-only day no turkey to hunters


By MARK TAYLOR
THE ROANOKE TIMES



Turkey was the talk last Friday evening at the LancerLot Sports Complex in Vinton.

A couple hundred wild turkey hunters converged on the big building for the annual fund-raising banquet for the Roanoke chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Many hunters were excitedly talking about their favorite bird, discussing plans and strategies for the upcoming spring gobbler season. I also overheard a few discussing the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' proposed changes to turkey hunting regulations.

One proposed new rule received high praise: Hunters overwhelmingly support a proposal to hold a youth-only turkey hunting day on the first Saturday in April.

No surprise there. The NWTF is arguably the most youth-oriented of the major outdoors conservation groups. It doesn' t hurt that the youth gobbler day is just a great idea.

Another turkey proposal drew mixed reviews. The game department wants to allow afternoon hunting until 6 p.m. the final two weeks of the season.

The rationale is solid. The change would allow hunters more time in the woods, and also could open up more opportunities for young hunters who can' t chase gobblers before school. Furthermore, there' s no compelling biological argument against allowing afternoon hunting for those 12 days.

Some turkey hunters, however, aren' t crazy about afternoon hunting for one reason: rifles.

It' s no secret that gobblers often head to fields and open areas in the afternoon, after hens scurry off to their nesting sites. The gobblers can be tough to call in to shotgun range. Rifle shooters can have a big advantage.

My purpose here is not to get started on the rifle vs. shotgun debate.

The fact is, rifles are legal for turkey hunting in Virginia. Some hunters hate that law. Some love it.

I expect the game department will hear from both camps in the next two months, as they take in public feedback on the proposed regulations changes.

That' s the way it should be. The game department does an admirable job seeking public comments for its proposed rule changes, and the comments really mean something in this process.

I' ve seen the department' s staff change recommendations based on public opinion. And I' ve seen the department' s board of directors vote against the staff' s recommendations based on public opinion.

I overheard some hunters saying they planned to attend the March25 public meeting at Northside High School in Roanoke to oppose afternoon turkey hunting until rifles are outlawed for spring turkey hunting. Rifle hunters, consider yourself forewarned.

Tazman

TScottW99 thanks for posting this, if I can swing it I will try to go to the Warsaw one.

ButchA

Thanks TScott,

I' ll check out the local Richmond meeting. It' s just down on Broad Street.....

Butch