Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance

Painted_Wings · August 17, 2020, 7:00am

This is exactly what the antis want us to do

If ALL of the people who hunt with dogs/hounds don’t stick together, they will be successful. They use the approach of “divide and conquer”. If we let them ban hunting deer with dogs, then foxhunting will surely be next. Yes, there are bad and good amongst the hunting community just like any other community. We need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We must stick together and get our heads out of the sand or we will find ourselves drag hunting with our hounds on leashes.

I guess each field member can become an honorary whip and take a hound on a leash. What a sight that would be. And of course we wouldn’t be able to tie our mares to the trailers when we got back and our geldings would have to be on a 160ft. lead.

EqTrainer · August 17, 2020, 7:00am

I don’t think this is true. The large group of horse people I have as friends and clients would ALL like to see deer hunting with dogs made illegal; they would ALL like foxhunting to stay legal.

Deer hunting with dogs and foxhunting with dogs are like apples and oranges. The only thing in common with the former is the dogs; the only thing in common with the latter is fruit.

It may or may not be interesting for people here to note that many of my neighbors, who abhor deer hunting with dogs, are third and fourth generation on their land. This is not just about newbies moving to the country. If I were a fox hunter I’d be trying like hell to remove the association between what I do, and what the locals do with their dogs when they chase deer. I certainly would not be grouping together with them, because they are no doubt going to pull you right down with them.

Hokieman · August 17, 2020, 7:01am

[QUOTE=EqTrainer;2946028]
I don’t think this is true. The large group of horse people I have as friends and clients would ALL like to see deer hunting with dogs made illegal; they would ALL like foxhunting to stay legal.

Deer hunting with dogs and foxhunting with dogs are like apples and oranges. The only thing in common with the former is the dogs; the only thing in common with the latter is fruit.

It may or may not be interesting for people here to note that many of my neighbors, who abhor deer hunting with dogs, are third and fourth generation on their land. This is not just about newbies moving to the country. If I were a fox hunter I’d be trying like hell to remove the association between what I do, and what the locals do with their dogs when they chase deer. I certainly would not be grouping together with them, because they are no doubt going to pull you right down with them.[/QUOTE]

The right to retrieve law doesn’t include deer dog hunting it includes coon, bear, fox and yet creigh deeds who is running for governor enter a bill that if passed would have stricter penalities on the dog hunter than any other. You can bet that if they get one they’ll be after the others. some can’t distinguish a foxhound from a coonhound to a walker deerhound, they just see a hound and say a deer dog.

Hokieman · August 17, 2020, 7:15am

Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance has updated our website to include a legislation page. go and check it out.

Bob_Kane · August 17, 2020, 7:15am

Smiles

[QUOTE=Hokieman;2950197]
Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance has updated our website to include a legislation page. go and check it out.[/QUOTE]

Derick-
It’s a good thing VHDOA doesn’t enforce its copyright. If it did VHDA would have to read and understand General Assembly bills. How about testifying publicly and answering questions, or is that still secret strategy?

system · August 17, 2020, 7:17am

Here’s the real VHDA. Yesterday they showed up in Richmond to say no to a bill that would allow hunting for ALL on Sunday. Also there to voice opposition was the HSUS. Seems the dog chasers will jump in bed with anyone if they’ll help their cause - even if it’s a well know anti-hunting organization. With VHDA it’s either their way or nothing.

Just getting this out to show what kind of a group we’re dealing with.

Hokieman · August 17, 2020, 7:17am

anti dog sunday hunter mad.

[QUOTE=No-Dogs-4-DEER-2009;2954555]
Here’s the real VHDA. Yesterday they showed up in Richmond to say no to a bill that would allow hunting for ALL on Sunday. Also there to voice opposition was the HSUS. Seems the dog chasers will jump in bed with anyone if they’ll help their cause - even if it’s a well know anti-hunting organization. With VHDA it’s either their way or nothing.

Just getting this out to show what kind of a group we’re dealing with.[/QUOTE]

Rick you have done nothing but slam Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance and the hunting dog community on every forum. You want to ban hunting with all dogs during your archery and spring gobbler seasons. It was no more clearer than DGIF inviting HSUS to sit in on the focus group meetings or the stakeholders meetings and give their opinions concerning hound hunting. I guess that was just fine with you. No your statement and assumptions are wrong, we are not working with HSUS OR PETA, It just happen that their lobbyist was there to speak out agianst Sunday Hunting as Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance that doesn’t mean we are working with them.

Hokieman · August 17, 2020, 7:17am

[QUOTE=Bob Kane;2950487]
Derick-
It’s a good thing VHDOA doesn’t enforce its copywrite. If it did VHDA would have to read and understand General Assembly bills. How about testifying publicly and answering questions, or is that still secret strategy?[/QUOTE]

Bob your not a Happy man. cheer up pal

Hokieman · August 17, 2020, 7:18am

Richmond Times Dispatch Wed. morning edition.

More than 200 people turned out last night to urge the Charles City County Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution in support of hunting with dogs.

The board voted 3-0 in favor of adopting the proposed resolution.

“I do support the resolution,” Supervisor Gilbert A. Smith said. “I’m an avid deer hunter.”

Jimmy Fitzgerald, one of the county residents who sought the resolution, said the request was made because of concerns that some newcomers to rural areas want to ban the use of hunting dogs.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

Many reply to bobwhite’s calls for help

Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008 - 12:07 AM Updated: 09:41 AM

By ANDY THOMPSON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
The bobwhite quail may be experiencing tough times in the state of Virginia, but the game bird certainly has some high-powered friends.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the board of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, those friends made a spirited pitch to take action against habitat loss and other factors threatening Colinus virginianus.

“For years I have been concerned, as have so many people, with the decreasing population of bobwhite quail,” said former governor Linwood Holton. “I’ve mentioned it to several directors. This is the first time, though, that we’ve been able to get an organized effort, sponsored by the commission, to really take some active participation in restoring the population of this popular bird.”

Holton was referring to the Quail Focus Group that the DGIF put together in December to discuss what could be done to stem the tide of population loss in the state. Holton was a member of the focus group, as was former DGIF board chairman Charlie McDaniel.

He and Holton, speaking on behalf of the focus group, recommended that the board enact a Bobwhite Quail Action Plan “encompassing management, research, education, outreach, coordination [with private and public partners], and specifically addressing environmental and other factors limiting quail numbers.”

Other citizens, including members of local and regional chapters of Quail Unlimited as well as private landowners and hunters, spoke in support of the measure.

A key provision of the plan would have the DGIF establish official bobwhite quail habitats “to demonstrate the effectiveness of habitat management.” Public areas, such as department maintained wildlife management areas, were mentioned as possibilities. So, too, were areas along power transmission lines.

The motion passed unanimously.

The board also heard from Virginia Tech researchers Dr. Steve McMullin and Sara Kozlowski on the findings of the recently completed hound hunting focus-group meetings. The board didn’t vote on any issues regarding hound hunting but presented a timeline for action on addressing the concerns of both hunters who hunt with hounds and landowners.

According to McMullin and Kozlowski, there were a few general findings: 1) Virginia is becoming more urban and suburban; 2) New landowners who come in contact with hound hunters don’t necessarily understand the culture behind it; 3) the actions of a minority of hound hunters are giving all hound hunters, and hunters in general, a bad reputation.

The next step in the process, McMullin and Kozlowski said, will be to set up a survey on the VDGIF Web site to “further gather information about issues and understand viewpoints of various stakeholder groups.” After that, a stakeholder advisory committee will convene to discuss the issues and make recommendations. Once the public and interested parties review those recommendations this summer, the final proposals will be submitted to the board for a vote in October.

The final significant item of business concerned a law passed during the 2007 session of the General Assembly requiring the department to implement a boater-safety education program for all motorboat and personal watercraft operators. According to the law, if implemented by the DGIF on July 1, 2008 as written, all personal watercraft operators must meet specific boating safety education requirements (i.e. must take a class and pass a test). The requirements will be phased in between July of 2009 and July of 2016, depending on the boat operator’s age.

Contact Andy Thompson at (804) 649-6579 or outdoors@timesdispatch.com.

Hokieman · August 17, 2020, 7:20am

Urgent Please Respond

We need the names of Hunt Club and Kennels that keep more than 20 breeding females that sell even one animal a year!

wateryglen · August 17, 2020, 7:20am

My 2 cents.

Seems to me you could list every single foxhunt in Virginia. And many beagle & basset packs maybe even! Many hunts don’t “sell” hounds but “accept donations to the hunt” whenever they give away a hound. Wonder if these Defacto sales will count…?

I heard that MFHA is not getting involved in this “state” issue because they don’t want to get involved in State only issues but only regional or federal or larger issues?!!! How do ya’ll feel about that!??!! Does anyone know officially what MFHA’s stand is BTW? They’ve been suspiciously quiet seems to me. But they sure jumped in a few years ago when Caleefornya had their big hullaballoo didn’t they?! What’s up!? And what about the Sportsmen Alliance? What’re they doing?!! Anyone!?

system · August 17, 2020, 7:20am

VA’s new anti-hunting group…

Here you go…

HB 1456 Hunting; persons with bow and arrow or crossbow may hunt on Sundays. Summary as introduced: Hunting with bow and arrow or crossbow. Allows persons who hunt with a bow and arrow or crossbow to hunt on private lands on Sundays. VHDA Strongly Opposes any form of Sunday hunting. This bill is merely an attempt to put the camel’s nose under the tent.

Need to keep an eye on our new anti-hunting group. http://vahda.org/legislation.htm

JSwan · August 17, 2020, 7:20am

Don’t feed the trolls…

Hokieman · August 17, 2020, 7:20am

A DANGEROUS BILL!
Delegate Robert D. Orrock, Sr.
® - House District 54
HB 538 Commercial dog breeding operations; definition, penalty.

Summary as introduced:
Commercial dog breeding operations; penalty. Defines commercial breeders as persons who maintain 20 or more unsterilized adult females for commercial breeding purposes. Commercial breeders will be required to: (i) apply for a business license from their respective locality; (ii) cooperate with inspections by animal control officers to ensure compliance with state and federal animal care laws; (iii) create a fire emergency plan and install fire safety measures; (iv) maintain records of animal sales, purchases, breeding history, and veterinary care; (v) dispose of dead dogs and confined waste in accordance with law; and (vi) maintain no more than 50 adult dogs at one time. Commercial breeders that violate any of these provisions are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Pet shops must ensure that their dogs are purchased from dealers that are properly registered and licensed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This Bill reads in part: “Commercial breeder” means any person who breeds dogs as companion animals and who maintains 20 or more unsterilized adult females for the purpose of commercial breeding during any 12-month period. It may require many hunt clubs and individual to have Commercial Zoning on their property to keep their dogs. A similar requirement on Gun Dealers put thousands of small dealers out of business!

ACTION:

If you have more than 20 breeding females and sell even one puppy, or your hunt club keeps that many together in one kennel regard less of who or how many people keep them please send us an email at info@vahda.org and give us the Kennel name or Hunt Club name and County. We want to use the information to testify against the bill next Wednesday morning.
Come to Richmond on Wednesday, January 30, to show your opposition to this bill. We don’t need speakers because time for speakers is limited but your presence will make a great deal of difference.
Call the following Delegates and tell them you strongly oppose HB 538! Morgan (Chairman), Cox, Sherwood, Ware, R.L., Wright, Orrock, Saxman, Hogan, Scott, E.T., Marshall, D.W., Lohr,

KPF · August 17, 2020, 7:21am

Well, I’m late to this party as I hardly ever read the Hunting board, but felt I should offer my 2 cents on this.

I don’t foxhunt or deer hunt. However, I grew up galloping around on the local hunt’s trails and jumping their jumps (my trainer was a hunt member and her property adjoined the hunt trails). So I am definitely a supporter of foxhunting.

Mr. KPF is an avid deer hunter and has 4 hunting dogs. 2 are ones he’s had for years and the other 2 we took from a friend of an acquaintance last year after the guy quit hunting and was going to “get rid” of them. One was almost starved, not intentionally, we discovered the female who he shared a kennel with would beat him up and steal his food. So we separated the two and started feeding the skinny guy table scraps along with his regular dinner. Now he’s fat and happy, even during hunting season, as are the other 3 dogs.

Now, whoever is saying that people mistreat their hunting dogs, starve them, etc… let me tell you that when I cook dinner, leftovers go in a bowl in the fridge for our hunting dogs. Our 3 HOUSE dogs don’t eat as well as the hunting dogs. Why? Because those 4 dogs are outside dealing with the cold and are burning calories routinely, as opposed to the 3 lazy house dogs who lounge on the couch all day in front of the fireplace.

Also, they’re kept in a concrete floored kennel with nice warm doghouses, which right now are full of shavings so they can stay toasty in this cold.

Our dogs are always vaccinated and attended to. One of our females was attacked by another dog last year and had over 200 puncture wounds. She immediately went to the emergency vet and we spent about $900 getting her well. It was worth every penny, that dog has worked hard for Mr. KPF for years, and we felt we owed her the best of care.

We’re not the only ones who treat their hunting dogs this way. There are two of our neighbors that have packs and both are as well tended to as ours. These guys spend serious time and money on these dogs. They don’t have any reason to mistreat them.

As far as lost dogs on your property… we own 30 acres in the middle of about 600 vacant acres and find our share of other people’s dogs. I bet this past hunting season we caught about 15 dogs. Each time I put them in a spare stall and called the owners and each time they came and got them. It happened so often I started calling my spare stall the Doggie Guest Suite. As far as my horses, they’re not bothered by dogs. Horses as a rule should not be bothered by dogs in my opinion.

And yes, I see hunting dogs on the side of the road sometimes during hunting season but I see lots of other dogs hit as well. Also the deer/car problem is a bad one where I live, and I’d rather the hunters control the population and prevent some of the deer from entering the highway. I’ve never seen a deer related accident that stemmed from the deer being chased by a dog, mostly they are does being chased by bucks during mating season.

I just wanted to voice my opinion because in my county there has been much debate about this issue lately. And like everyone else has said, foxhunters need to stay apprised of this situation because once big brother steps in, y’all will probably be next on the chopping block.

Bob_Kane · August 17, 2020, 7:21am

WARNING & ACTION Request: HB538 (VA PAWS) - Stop HSUS Breeder Regulation Bill

This was yesterday’s news, but apparently not everyone received it.

Dear Virginia Dog Owners,

VHDOA has updated its General Assembly bill status page at http://vhdoa.uplandbirddog.com/stater.html The most important change is that Delegate Orrock’s HB538 “Commercial dog breeding operations; definition, penalty” was reported from his subcommittee on Tuesday morning to the full House Agriculture Committee. A number of you composed truly impressive statements against this bill and used VHDOA’s General Assembly contact page to email them. Thank you.

Bill supporters overwhelmed opponents to the bill at the subcommittee hearing, both in numbers and with complementary, well rehearsed and on-message statements. Opponents not only weren’t given equal time, we had only four non-paid dog owners speak against the bill, compared to eight lobbying savvy government employees and non-profit paid animal activists. Surprisingly, the Virginia Hunting Dog Owners’ Association (VHDOA) was the only animal owner group to speak against the bill.

HB538 is the HSUS’s VA PAWS bill, make no mistake. Local animal control, SPCA and other activists were guided by Washington HSUS employees, one of whom also spoke for the bill and may well have helped orchestrate the deceitful HSUS “Virginia is for Puppy Mills” campaign.
http://www.tiny.cc/vQiB2

Note especially the inflammatory assertions that

“the vast majority of puppies sold in Virginia come from puppy mills run by unlicensed breeders whose lone objective is making money, not the welfare of the animals.”

and

“…the HSUS reported Friday that only 16 of Virginia’s more than 900 commercial puppy dealers hold federal licenses.”

HSUS and its allies have taken the November 2007 well publicized large breeder raid/rescue operation in Hillsville, Virginia to tar all breeders with the same black brush. Junior Horton was not USDA licensed or inspected, a clear violation of federal law. But he had a business license, a 500 dog kennel permit and was well known in the county seat. Local animal control officers (ACOs) were obviously derelict. They didn’t inspect him, nor did they call USDA about him, as he wasn’t one of the 16 VA breeders recorded on the APHIS website. ACOs sat on their hands doing nothing until HSUS swooped down with its reporters and TV cameras.

HSUS has taken advantage of scumbag Michael Vick’s heinous dogfighting crimes, whipping the Carroll County situation into a public frenzy and using Virginia’s frenetic short sessions and unsophisticated part-time legislators to gain something they’ve failed to the push through the U.S. Congress. HB538 requires the licensing and frequent, unannounced inspections of moderate sized breeders that sell at retail, as well as wholesale. This was HSUS’s and PETA’s primary goal in the twice failed PAWS bill, the licensing and inspection of retail sale hobby breeders of any size to set a precedent.

Federal regulation applies to only those breeders with more than three females who sell at wholesale, i.e. to a middleman or to a pet store. HB538 destroys that crucial retail-wholesale distinction and threatens all dog breeders. Do not assume that because HB538 appears to apply to owners of more than 19 females and with fewer than 50 total dogs that those figures can’t and won’t be changed.

HB538 will cost Virginia taxpayers a fortune and produce nothing positive. It attempts to substitute VA ACOs for federal inspectors on a small subset of breeders. Not only will this require promulgating new USDA engineering type kennel regulations, hiring new animal control officers and training all of them, other HB538 provisions include requiring a veterinarian to approve all breedings and the establishment of a female 1 1/2 - 8 year-old restricted
breeding window. Taxes are already high. This will create a large unfunded mandate on localities. There is also no animal husbandry or veterinary basis for such rules and nowhere in the U.S. are there such intrusive anti-breeding restrictions. Virginia is for legislators who don’t understand the bills they vote for, particularly when the lobbyists and sensation seeking press are working overtime.

HB538 very nearly passed the full House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, 1/23, but its vote was postponed until 1/30/2008, when it will be the first bill on that agenda. HB1570, Del. Hull’s MSN bill on which AKC has alerted, stands no chance of passage. Please focus all your efforts on HB538. If HB538 is reported out next Wednesday, it will become Virginia law.

ACTION REQUEST:
Concerned Virginians need to pull out all the stops to defeat HB538 and do it quickly. Along with sending emails or calling the HOUSE Agriculture Committee via http://vhdoa.uplandbirddog.com/VA.AG.Ctmes.html send your personal delegate a copy and call him or her. Ask them to voice HB538 concerns to Agriculture Ctme members ASAP.

We also need to fill the seats of House Room C at 8:15 AM on 1/30/2008. Bill supporters and those opposed will be asked to stand. We simply can’t let the antis continue to outnumber us on standing head counts. The General Assembly Building is on the SE corner of 9th and East Broad Streets in Richmond. Allow enough time. Close-by parking after 7:30 AM is tight. The entrance is on the back side.

Lastly, bill supporters and opponents each have been given five (5) minutes to restate their case on HB538. I’m attempting to coordinate opposing dog owners to most effectively and efficiently use that time. If you wish to speak as part of an organized group next week, please email me your best 15-20 second argument against the bill for possible integration before Sunday 6:00 PM. Constituents of committee members are particularly welcome. Freelance efforts aren’t banned, but they are discouraged as they will reduce our allowed time and dilute or confuse our message.

The world is governed by those who show up.

Please forward and cross post widely.

Hokieman · August 17, 2020, 7:21am

[QUOTE=Bob Kane;2963403]
This was yesterday’s news, but apparently not everyone received it.