News 14 Covers the Sunday Hunting Ban
The Sunday hunting issue continues to dominate the conversations of many hunters across the state. Today I was part of a group that was interviewed by News 14 Carolina on the subject.
Despite the fact the study shows that close to 3 out of 5 hunters support the restriction on Sunday hunting I was the lone voice at the gathering that supported the current law. Granted the interview was set up for 9am on a Sunday morning and many of my fellow supporters were probably in church or on their way to church.
Many believe that the only reason to oppose changing this law is based on a religious view but that is not my biggest concern. As stated in earlier posts ( NC Wildlife Punts, & Fallout ) the biggest obstacle for me is the fact that we would be blocking a lot of other land users out. North Carolina enjoys some long deer season in the majority of the state. Firearm season runs most of Oct till Jan1st for the eastern third of the state the middle portion has November till Jan1st, the mountains has the shortest season running about a month. Adding Sundays will in effect deny many other land users ( Hikers, Bikers, Horsebackers, etc.) the opportunity to enjoy the land without fear of encounters with hunters.
Land deals like we just recently saw with International Paper maybe jeopardized if other land users, that make up a good portion of non profit groups that partnered with wildlife, decided not to in the future.
Those who support over turning the law will cite that much of the monies used are generated by hunters which are partially true. Excise Taxes collected on the sale of firearms and ammunition are given back to the state wildlife to support these types of projects. I know that not all those firearms and ammunition are bought are purchased by just hunters.
As divisive this issue is among hunters it will be an uphill battle to get it over turned. I’m sure they will continue to fight and try to get lawmakers to overturn this law. Will this be the year? I tend to doubt it will be seeing where the study shows this as a very polarizing issue, over whelming support to not change, and very few fence sitters on the subject.
I was glad to be able to join my fellow hunters this morning at the Carolina Outdoor Sportsman store and to have a News station that wanted to get the story right. The reporter Ashley Smith worked hard to understand the issue from all sides and to get a good story to put on TV. I was amazed at the fact that all of us were given about 5 minute interviews and it was cut and pieced together to accurately depict our views. Of course I wish I got more air time and I’m sure my appearance will boost their ratings. Here is a link to the story and the video as well. I’m the handsome guy in the Red Plaid shirt. Now had I known there was mule deer in the state I might have rethought my opposition to lifting the Sunday ban.
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Congrats on the TV appearance. No matter which side of the Sunday hunting issue you’re on, it’s good to see the debate taking place in North Carolina. It’s more of a non-issue here in Virginia, where I seldom here any serious discussion of Sunday hunting.
Comment by Matt — December 11, 2006 @ 7:48 am
[...] A fellow blogger and friend, Moose from over at Moose Droppings, on Sunday was interviewed by a local television station that is covering the debate on the North Carolina Sunday hunt. He was one of several hunters interviewed and claims to be the only one who spoke in opposition to overturning the law that bans Sunday hunting there. Visit his blog and find links to the story and a video clip of the compiled news story done by Ashley Smith of News 14. [...]
Pingback by Black Bear Blog » Blog Archive » Sunday Hunting Poll For Pennsylvania Shows Not Much Support — December 11, 2006 @ 10:26 am
Moose, you address some good points and I am glad you got a chance to voice them. Looks like the interview went well.
Comment by Steve — December 11, 2006 @ 10:41 am
Matt if your looking for some folks who are working on overturning it in Va check out this website VAdeer.com Whatever you do don’t tell them I sent ya you might not be welcomed LOL Bill Cochran writes a fair amount about the topic as well. http://www.roanoke.com/outdoors/billcochran/wb/12970
Comment by Moose — December 11, 2006 @ 10:27 pm
[...] Black Bear Blog has the story today about how Pennsylvanians are not interested in over turning the ban on Sunday Hunting. Of course I have had a number of posts in regards to what has happened recently in North Carolina on this topic. I was interested to see that South Carolina hunters also have a Sunday Debate going on because in the palmetto state you can only hunt private lands on Sunday. Mike Willis, a spokesperson for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, said there has been little discussion about or movement toward lifting the Sunday hunting restrictions. The department oversees hunting regulations. [...]
Pingback by Moose Droppings » Tis the Season… To Review Sunday Hunting Bans — December 11, 2006 @ 10:56 pm
[...] no secret to those who know me or read my blog that I’m opposed to lifting the ban on Sunday hunting. I read Mike Marsh’s (well known NC Outdoor writer) article today and his opinion on why the ban [...]
Pingback by Moose Droppings » Lifting the Ban to Save Our Sport? — January 28, 2007 @ 10:24 pm
[...] fate would have it I was sitting next to one of the pro supporters who was on the local TV news with me a while back. We’re friends and have even hunted a time or two together and talk on line some. The question in [...]
Pingback by Moose Droppings » What’s the Difference Between A Bird and An Arrow? They Both Got Feathers — January 10, 2008 @ 2:46 am