Things you need to know about the hound hunting study
by Bill Cochran
Dr. Steve McMullin may not be carrying a whistle or wearing a zebra shirt, but he is in for a lot of refereeing as facilitator of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ study of hunting with hounds in Virginia.
The process has divided hound hunters. Some see it as an attack on their tradition. Others believe the best hope for preserving their sport is to join with the DGIF and address issues that have been giving hound hunting a bad name among landowners and even other hunters.
The task for McMullin, who is associate professor of the Virginia Tech Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, is to make certain the process is clear, fair and meets designated goals.
Here are his comments on several questions I asked:
Q. What is behind the examination of hound hunting in Virginia?
A. The DGIF began this examination in an effort to preserve the tradition of hound hunting while addressing the legitimate concerns of landowners who have complained in increasing numbers in recent years that their rights are being trampled.
Some landowners have suggested that legislation is needed to address their concerns. The DGIF would prefer to have reasonable people from all sides of the issue talking to each other to address concerns. It is better to bring hunters and landowners together to work out their own solutions rather than fighting each other over potential laws and regulations.
Q. Some hound hunters say the process is an effort to outlaw the use of dogs in deer hunting. How would you reply to that?
A. Nothing could be further from the truth. Why would an agency that derives the majority of its income from hunters and anglers want to eliminate a significant number of its stakeholders?
The agency’s goal in this process is clear: to preserve the tradition of hunting, including hunting with hounds, in a manner that is fair, sportsmanlike and consistent with the rights of property owners and other citizens.
All hunters should be concerned about shrinking opportunities to hunt because Virginia’s landscape is changing. Development pressure has gobbled up or surrounded many areas that have traditionally supported hunting, and many of the new landowners are less supportive of traditional uses of the land.
Q. What about the people who say this process is nothing more than an anti-hunting move?
A. I think it is unfortunate that a few folks are preying on the legitimate concerns of hunters with baseless and ridiculous accusations of anti-hunting sentiment in the DGIF instead of working with the agency to address the real issues.
Q. Who are the stakeholders in this process?
A. Everyone who has an interest in hunting in Virginia is a stakeholder. Our goal is to provide ample opportunity for everyone who chooses to participate.
Q. A technical committee has been assigned. What is its function?
A. It consists of DGIF wildlife managers and conservation police. Later we expect DGIF media specialists will be involved. The committee’s task is to research the issues and provide technically sound information to benefit the stakeholders.
Q. Hound hunters say they originally were told that they would be the only stakeholders in an effort to solve their own problems. Now even animal-right’s people will be involved. What’s behind the broader base?
A. The DGIF is bound by law to look out for the interests of all Virginians with respect to wildlife. Hunters, and especially hound hunters, clearly have the most direct interest and will be treated as the most important stakeholders in the process. However, the other people with an interest in the issues must be brought to the table. You can’t resolve issues between landowners and hunters by talking only to hunters.
We will have an advisory committee comprised of a broad cross-section of all interests. Members must agree to pursue the goal of preserving the tradition of hunting, including hound hunting, in a manner that is fair, sportsmanlike and consistent with the rights of property owners and other citizens.
Q. Some hunters will tell you that involving animal-rights people is carrying it a bit far. What’s your take?
A. They have the same right to participate as other stakeholders. We are specifically inviting people who we know have a great interest in the issues to participate in a series of focus group meeting over the next couple of months. The majority of these will be for hunters, and about half of them specifically for hound hunters. One focus group will consist of non-hunters who have an interest in the issue.
Q. What if a person would like to be a stakeholder but is not selected to be part of the advisory committee? What opportunities will he or she have?
A. There is much more to this process than who will serve on the advisory committee. This is a very inclusive process. Everyone with an interest in hunting in Virginia has multiple opportunities to participate, including through informal surveys, public meetings, review of the draft report and by calling, writing on emailing the DGIF.
Q. What is the role of Virginia Tech in the process?
A. To serve as a neutral and impartial manager. We have no stake in the outcome other than to ensure that every effort is made to promote the participation of those who have an interest in the outcome and to also ensure that all interests are treated fairly.
Q. What skills do you personally bring to the table?
A. I have more than 30years’ experience in the fisheries and wildlife profession, first as a fisheries manager and chief of fisheries management for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and for the last 18 years as a faculty member of Virginia Tech’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences.
In Montana, I revamped the state’s process for involving the public in making management decisions. In Virginia I have worked with the DGIF to implement my philosophy of public involvement through the development of the first statewide deer management plan and the statewide black bear management plan.
My career has been dedicated to demonstrating that sound management of fish and wildlife must include both good science provided by professionals and meaningful involvement of stakeholders in determining what benefits we want our resources to produce.
Q. When do you expect a final report and do you see recommendations going to the General Assembly?
A. A draft report should be available for public comment by early next fall. After the public has had a chance to comment on it, a final report will be prepared and presented to the DGIF board.
We have no preconceived plan to take anything to the General Assembly. If any recommendations go to the General Assembly, it will be because hunters, landowners and wildlife managers have worked together to generate solutions to issues that they agree require legislative action.
An ideal solution to the issues surrounding hound hunting would be for hunters and landowners to agree on actions that resolve their own issues.
