By ANDY THOMPSON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
It was a busy day yesterday for the board of Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The group convened for its periodic regulation review, deciding on dozens of proposed amendments to state regulations governing game wildlife, hunting, trapping, wildlife diversity, fishing and fisheries resources and boating.
The amendments considered were first introduced at the July 17 meeting of the board, and a public comment period followed from July 24 to September 24. According to the department, 352 individuals submitted a total of 825 comments during that time.
The vast majority of the interest, 755 of the comments, concerned a few proposed hunting and firearms regulations. And at yesterday's meeting, which included a public comment period, most of the citizens who spoke, and the debate among board members, centered on a couple of issues: the release of captive reared mallards, an expanded muzzleloading season west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the use of unplugged shotguns for hunting non-migratory game.
Dave Burpee of the Virginia Bowhunters Association spoke out against adding a week to the beginning of muzzleloading season for deer because that's also the final week of the first bow-hunting season.
"We spent time with [the VDGIF] working up to where we would be able to have an archery-only season," he said. "The key there is that it would be before the animals were disturbed because of the sound of gunfire, and they change their patterns and it would make it an entirely different hunting experience."
Despite his protestations, the board voted to allow the extension of early muzzleloading season west of the Blue Ridge.
While no one from the public spoke about it, the issue of whether to allow the use of unplugged shotguns for hunting non-migratory game brought the most division among the members of the board.
Bob Duncan, the department's wildlife division director, pointed out that different states are split on the issue. The Carolinas and West Virginia allow the use of unplugged shotguns, while Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Georgia do not. Questions of safety were raised, which Duncan said weren't an issue in states that allowed unplugged guns. Ultimately the board voted 5-4 to allow the use of unplugged guns.
The effective date of that regulation was moved up to Oct. 26 (the standard date for hunting and firearms regulations was July 1, 2008) to allow hunters to use unplugged guns when fall turkey season opens Oct. 27.
The issue of whether to allow the release of captive reared mallards generated the most interest from speakers.
Richmonder Vince Thornhill spoke in favor of allowing releases.
"What these mallard releases can do is give opportunities within the grasp of the average hunter," he said.
Many approved of the recommendation to prohibit captive mallard release for a number of different reasons. Bob Hoffman, of Ducks Unlimited's Great Lakes Regional Office, mentioned the possible spread of disease as a concern whenever domestic and wild animals come in contact. Reid Knight, a doctor from Virginia Beach, mentioned the possible negative effects on the black duck population that the release of captive mallards could have.
In the end, the board decided not to vote on the measure, citing a desire to wait for a forthcoming report by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the issue.
Gary Martel, the director of fisheries, sought a few minor changes for his division, which the board adopted. Notably, for trout anglers, once trout are caught and taken into a fisherman's possession, they cannot later be released. Martel said because the rate of survival of creeled trout is so low, anglers must now either decide to keep the fish they catch or release them immediately. Fishing and boating regulations will go into effect Jan. 1, 2008.
Contact Andy Thompson at (804) 649-6579 or outdoors@timesdispatch.com.
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
It was a busy day yesterday for the board of Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The group convened for its periodic regulation review, deciding on dozens of proposed amendments to state regulations governing game wildlife, hunting, trapping, wildlife diversity, fishing and fisheries resources and boating.
The amendments considered were first introduced at the July 17 meeting of the board, and a public comment period followed from July 24 to September 24. According to the department, 352 individuals submitted a total of 825 comments during that time.
The vast majority of the interest, 755 of the comments, concerned a few proposed hunting and firearms regulations. And at yesterday's meeting, which included a public comment period, most of the citizens who spoke, and the debate among board members, centered on a couple of issues: the release of captive reared mallards, an expanded muzzleloading season west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the use of unplugged shotguns for hunting non-migratory game.
Dave Burpee of the Virginia Bowhunters Association spoke out against adding a week to the beginning of muzzleloading season for deer because that's also the final week of the first bow-hunting season.
"We spent time with [the VDGIF] working up to where we would be able to have an archery-only season," he said. "The key there is that it would be before the animals were disturbed because of the sound of gunfire, and they change their patterns and it would make it an entirely different hunting experience."
Despite his protestations, the board voted to allow the extension of early muzzleloading season west of the Blue Ridge.
While no one from the public spoke about it, the issue of whether to allow the use of unplugged shotguns for hunting non-migratory game brought the most division among the members of the board.
Bob Duncan, the department's wildlife division director, pointed out that different states are split on the issue. The Carolinas and West Virginia allow the use of unplugged shotguns, while Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Georgia do not. Questions of safety were raised, which Duncan said weren't an issue in states that allowed unplugged guns. Ultimately the board voted 5-4 to allow the use of unplugged guns.
The effective date of that regulation was moved up to Oct. 26 (the standard date for hunting and firearms regulations was July 1, 2008) to allow hunters to use unplugged guns when fall turkey season opens Oct. 27.
The issue of whether to allow the release of captive reared mallards generated the most interest from speakers.
Richmonder Vince Thornhill spoke in favor of allowing releases.
"What these mallard releases can do is give opportunities within the grasp of the average hunter," he said.
Many approved of the recommendation to prohibit captive mallard release for a number of different reasons. Bob Hoffman, of Ducks Unlimited's Great Lakes Regional Office, mentioned the possible spread of disease as a concern whenever domestic and wild animals come in contact. Reid Knight, a doctor from Virginia Beach, mentioned the possible negative effects on the black duck population that the release of captive mallards could have.
In the end, the board decided not to vote on the measure, citing a desire to wait for a forthcoming report by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the issue.
Gary Martel, the director of fisheries, sought a few minor changes for his division, which the board adopted. Notably, for trout anglers, once trout are caught and taken into a fisherman's possession, they cannot later be released. Martel said because the rate of survival of creeled trout is so low, anglers must now either decide to keep the fish they catch or release them immediately. Fishing and boating regulations will go into effect Jan. 1, 2008.
Contact Andy Thompson at (804) 649-6579 or outdoors@timesdispatch.com.
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