Please help my local hunting preserve! Just sign!

There's a reason it's called "public land", because it is used by the public. The increase of pubic land usage by non-hunters has increased dramatically in the last few years, not just in Virginia, but across the country. Those folks pay taxes, support the local businesses, stay at the local hotels and eat at the local restaurants, thus supporting the local economy over the whole year, not just during the hunting season. I'm a avid hunter who hunts a multitude of public and private property. I also have to share that public land with horseback riders, bird watchers Fat tire and Mountain bikes, etc, etc. Seems to me, they have just as much right as I do to use land, that is technically, owned by us all.
 
@buck460XVR, your argument makes no sense because the hunters didn't say they wouldn't share with other activities at that time of year. They are NOT the ones CLOSING the season for certain activities and not sharing. Unless I'm missing something give it some more thought. signed
 
That’s the issue. It’s not about hogging the whole thing. It’s that it’s been pushed upon us after financing the creation of it. Archery-only for Va is 1 month. The area around the food plots have been taken for 3 weeks by a horse/dog competition event. We need to bring back the season.
 
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zipspyder said:
@buck460XVR, your argument makes no sense because the hunters didn't say they wouldn't share with other activities at that time of year. They are NOT the ones CLOSING the season for certain activities and not sharing. Unless I'm missing something give it some more thought. signed
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I read the linked petition before I posted and several times since. I've yet to see anything in it about the season being closed, only that the easy access fields are being used and supposedly "undermining the hunting sport of archery pushing hunters into ‘unethical shooting zones’ deeper in the woods." What makes hunting in the woods unethical? Having to walk a little farther? Having to wait for a clear shot? Someone afraid they'll get lost if they get off the road/field?

Then there's these statements.....
These same fields are the advertised dove hunting fields, where the season begins one month prior (September), tapering off when migration ends in November. Other examples of mismanagement include a 'sight-in’ range with unenforced rapid fire from non-sporting rifles, which unnecessarily scatters game. The list goes on. In the background, dozens of horses on the weekends travel the preserve uprooting game, going off designated paths, leaving human scent, crossing infront of, behind, and around hunters - including myself personally.
Recreational horseback riding as a specific example should not be allowed due to horses startled by nearby/random gunfire will jump, buck, run, etc. posing an avoidable risk to both riders and others on the property irrespective to a stance upon hunting opportunity.
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They don't want Dove Hunters, folks sighting in deer rifles or even occasional folks recreating in the area. They want the area to themselves as if that is going to improve their odds. Sorry, but field trials are hunters too, as are dove hunters, as are folks sighting in rifles. All pay the same Sporting taxes as archery hunters. Archery Hunters didn't buy this land on their own. The thing that tops off this whole disboggled link is the picture of a spring turkey hunter at the top of the page asking for folks to sign a petition to save their bow hunting. Sorry, I see a unsuccessful bow hunter that is trying to blame his lack of success on someone else and not his own bow hunting skills.
 
From what I read it's just weekend.

The VDGIF permits on an annual basis ‘field trial’ competitions, which monopolize 6 of the 8 fields for three of the four achery-only season weekends


I find this interesting

sponsored by the hunter licensing fees, equipment taxes, etc.,

There is more than hunters licensing fee paying, so who's included in equipment tax and etc?
 
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