[Durham INC] Fwd: SUNDAY HUNTING - LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS VOTE IS MARCH, 2009!

[Melissa Rooney]

FYI -- please read below. Thanks,
Melissa

Melissa Rooney
mmr121570 at yahoo.com


  From: JERRY AND RHONDA DOTSEY [mailto:rdotsey at verizon.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 10:43 AM
To: rdotsey at verizon.net
Subject: Fw: ITS BACK...SUNDAY HUNTING - LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS VOTE IS IN MARCH, 2009!!!  Subject:  Fw: ITS BACK...SUNDAY HUNTING - LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS VOTE IS IN MARCH, 2009!!!  FOHF Members, I recently participated on a conference call with the NC Horse Council (NCHC) regarding various matters of equestrian and other recreational use of private and public lands across the state.  One issue of particular concern that we discussed, legislative proposals to allow hunting on Sunday and/or expand hunting season, has dire consequences for all of us who ride horses, hike, bike, etc., anywhere in the state. The email forwarded below from Jim Bell of the NCHC explains the legislative proposals, and provides information on how we as citizens can make our voices heard.  I ask that you please share this information with your friends and family, and give it the widest possible distribution so everyone can be made aware, and have the
 opportunity to take action. CITIZENS COMMENTS CAN BE MADE IN JANUARY..  THE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION VOTES ON THE PROPOSALS IN MARCH, 2009. Thanks,Rhonda DotseyFriends of Hill Forest - PresidentPhone:  919-471-4553Cell:  919-602-9215  ----- Original Message -----From: Jim BellTo: amy_andrews at ncsu.edu ; apopepac at hotmail.com ; Barb Osland ; betty0705 at aol.com ;carolyn11 at rtmc.net ; ccwadford at earthlink.net ; Clare Reece-Glore ; unitedbiospheres at embarqmail.com ;dancinghorse at mebtel.net ; darrell.mcbane at ncmail.net ; trailrider_3e at yahoo.com ; emily_adams at ncsu.edu ;gbhoit at earthlink.net ; jalar at mindspring.com ; Janet MacFall ; Jim Bell ; molgaard at embarqmail.com ;katydidssh at netzero.net ; Kathy Pennell ; kay.parker at pgnmail.com ; krrobert at cisco.com ;giddyupchubby at verizon.net ; fourbfarm at pinehurst.net ; wintercreek at rtmx.net ; Leslie Kennedy ;pasofino at celito.net ; Margaret
 Moore ; roberts at mebtel.net ; nboles at peoplepc.com ; amyotuel at charter.net ;phillip.pennell at dpsnc.net ; rdotsey at nc.rr.com ; shirley at cherryrealtync.com ; phoxhunt at hotmail.com ;susan.carl at ncmail.net ; sissystallings at bellsouth.net ; tka at akc.org ; Victoria Schindler ;willandjan at bellsouth.netSent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 8:05 PMSubject: FW: ITS BACK...SUNDAY HUNTING  
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The Wildlife Resources Commission have  placed on the website proposed rule changes for the 2009-2010  trapping, hunting, and fishing seasons.  Citizens have the  opportunity to comment on proposed rules changes at public hearings  in January.  The dates are listed in the link below.  Also in January, citizens will have the opportunity to comment on proposed rules changes online at www.ncwildlife.org or by sending a letter to the Wildlife Resources Commission.  Finally, in March the Commission will vote on whether or not to adopt the proposed rules changes.   The proposed rules are below; following them are some points from WRCs own Sunday hunting study completed in 2007; and finally some points you may want to consider if you comment against these rule changes.

PROPOSED RULESH6. Establish a single uniform Deer Season on private lands with a structure matching the current Eastern Deer Season in the counties of Yancey, McDowell and Rutherford and ALL counties east of them (WRC Districts 1-8). The segments of this season would be:Bow and Arrow Season only opening on the Saturday on or nearest to Sept. 10 and ending the fourth Friday thereafter (or the third Friday thereafter if proposal H5 is adopted);Muzzleloading Firearms Season opening the Saturday on or nearest to Oct. 8 (or Oct. 1 if proposal H5 is adopted) and ending the following Friday (or two Fridays thereafter if proposal H5 is adopted);All Lawful Weapons (“gun”) Season opening the Saturday on or nearest to Oct. 15 and ending Jan. 1.H7.  Apply the season structure described in H6 to game lands.H25. Allow falconry on Sundays, except for migratory game birds.*H26. Allow bow hunting on Sundays on private lands only, except for migratory game birds.*
 (State law prohibits hunting on Sundays with firearms, not archery equipment.)H27. Allow bow hunting on Sundays on game lands, except for migratory game birds.**The length of the Migratory Game Bird seasons in North Carolina is based upon federal frameworks that assume migratory game birds may not be hunted on Sundays.SUNDAY HUNTING STUDY (the text below is copied directly from the "Report to the Joint Legislative Commission on Government Operations, North Carolina General Assembly, Hunting on Sunday on State-owned Game Lands in North Carolina, 2006 Studies Act (SL 2006-0248), March 15, 2007"conducted by the Resource Management Institute and and Virginia Tech, funded by the NC legislature).
RMI and VPI surveys of the general population provided the following statistics:  ·         81% of citizens in North Carolina approve of hunting,·         65% of citizens oppose legalizing hunting on Sunday,·         25% of citizens support legalization,·         62% of opponents of hunting on Sunday cite religious reasons for their opposition, and·         58% of supporters cite the belief that hunting on Sunday should be a personal choice as their primary reason for support. RMI and VPI surveys of hunters provided the following statistics: ·         53% of hunters oppose legalizing hunting on Sunday,·         38% support legalization,·         68% of hunters who oppose hunting on Sunday cite religious reasons for their opposition,·         77% of hunters who favored hunting on Sunday cite the belief that hunting on Sunday should be a personal choice as their
 primary reason for support, and·         51% of hunters oppose legalizing hunting on Sunday even if done so with some restrictions on when and where hunting is allowed or on allowable hunting methods. The study conducted by RMI and VPI also provided the following statistics:  52% of hunters oppose allowing hunting on Sunday if use of dogs is prohibited,71% of hunters oppose allowing hunting on Sunday if it is only for bow-hunting,48% of hunters oppose allowing hunting on Sunday even if safety zones are established around churches,67% of hunters oppose allowing hunting on Sunday even if it is only allowed after a certain time (e.g., 1:00 p.m.),81% of hunters oppose allowing hunting on Sunday only for youth hunters (i.e., <16 years of age), and79% of hunters oppose allowing hunting on Sunday if it is only on public lands.In addition to providing opportunities to hunt, trap, and fish, state-owned game lands offer citizens of North Carolina
 opportunities for hiking, wildlife watching, canoeing, camping, mountain biking, and other wholesome outdoor recreational opportunities.  Such activities on public lands (local, state, and federal) would be affected if hunting were allowed on Sunday.  At least 22% of all participants in the general population survey conducted by RMI indicated that they would decrease their non-hunting activities if hunting on Sunday were legalized.If you are against the proposed regulations, please submit comments and you may consider the following:Allowing any Sunday hunting, regardless of weapon, on private land and gameland will virtually eliminate the opportunity for all other non-hunting outdoor recreational activities during the best season for those types of activities (no insects, good temperature, etc.). Lengthening the season (proposal H6) in the Central and Western regions has essentially the same outcome of further limiting other non-hunting outdoor
 recreation, but in more populated areas of the state where the demands for outdoor recreation opportunities are greater and  the land scarcer.Individual private property rights are important and valued, but the vast majority of "private" hunting land in this state is corporate-owned timber or farm land or land pending development, not your neighborly farmer down the road.  The land is typically leased to hunt clubs that submit the highest bid, not to those who will be the best neighbor or best steward. Having an extended season and seven days of hunting increases the value of the lease.  The proposed rule change appears to be driven by greed on the part of large property owners in a time of economic downturn, not by sportsmen and women.WRC enforcement officers are stretched to the limit and often just can't respond to complaints about hunting on private land.  Extending the season and allowing Sunday hunting increases the duration of the
 negative impacts to adjacent property owners, which aren't just associated with the sound of shots, and includeincreased off-road TV traffic and noiseDeerstands set up on shared property boundariesImproper carcass disposal"target" shooting that goes on 7 days a week regardless of seasonThe recent study clearly indicated Sunday hunting, even by bow, it is not favored by hunters and non-hunters.  The study was wide-reaching and fairly conducted, and heard the voices of those on both sides of the Sunday hunting issue.  It seemed to have put the issue to rest for a while for many valid reasons.   However, here it is less than 2 years later and these current regulation proposals seem to be a "sneaky" way to get Sunday hunting legalized, perhaps when people are of the belief that the recommendations of the study would be followed and are not paying attention.    
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