UKC Forums - Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance

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Posted by Hokieman on 08-04-2008 09:16 PM:

Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance

We want to invite all virginia bear hunters to join with us and if you would like for us to come out and talk at your club email us info@vahda.org

Sportsmen and women from across Virginia have banded together to form the Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance. http://vahda.org We are rabbit, deer, coon, bear, fox, coyote, squirrel and bird hunting dog owners. We are Sportsmen that hunt with dogs but know that this is a fight for the survival of all hunting, as we know it! This Alliance seeks to get every Hunt Club and Hunting group to join us in the fight to save our Heritage of hunting with Dogs in Virgina by sending us their membership list and the largest donation possible. No donation is too small. This is a joining of groups NOT a replacement for any group or club. We will work together and be stronger!

Hunting with hounds has been targeted in Virginia. The DGIF has proposed to undertake a study with Virginia Tech. It is of up most importance that all hunting dog sportsman and sportswomen be made aware and ask to join Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance and stand united and fight to preserve your way of hunting for future generations.

Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance has grown to be the largest outdoor sporting dog organization in Virginia! We still have a great deal to do. Our heritage and very culture are under attack. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has advanced the timetable for its hunting dog study. Focus groups that were to have met "after the first of the year" are already finished with the focus group meetings and are now holding private predetermine stakeholders advisory meetings! While they call us alarmist, while we fight to protect our heritage, they are working hard to destroy our tradition of hunting with hounds. Wardens are telling hunters every day that "they" are going to end hunting with dogs in Virginia within five years!

If you want to save your heritage: we need EVERYONE to do the following:

1. Get your hunt club to send us their mailing list with email addresses! Tell everyone you hunt with or know to go to our website www.vahda.org and JOIN NOW!

2. Send Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance a donation now and ask your club to send a donation to help with this fight.

We must get our fellow hunters to help now. Please don't wait for someone else to act. It will only take a few minutes for you to phone your General Assembly members. Even more helpful would be a personal visit to discuss your concerns face to face.

The future of Hound Hunting in Virginia is up to you!

Sincerely,

THE VIRGINIA HUNTING DOG ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Free Membership being offered to all Virginia Hunters who sign up online, go and join today www.vahda.org

Thanks For Your Support.

__________________
United Eastern Virginia Hunting Dog Association
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Posted by Hokieman on 10-02-2008 04:08 AM:

DO YOUR PART AND SHOW SUPPORT FOR HUNTING DOG OWNERS. JOIN FREE TODAY @ WWW.VAHDA.ORG

Posted by Hokieman on 10-22-2008 04:16 AM:

March on Richmond if you value your right to hunt with dogs! We can win this NOW, but you must be in Richmond, October 23rd by 8:00 AM the meeting starts at 9:00 AM.

VDGIF Headquarters

4010 W. Broad St.

Richmond

If you don’t make your voice heard. The Humane Society will tell DGIF what to do! This is not scare tactics, this is the truth! A full page color ad that ran in the Charlotte Gazette (Drakes Branch, VA) on October 18, 2008, the following quote should be enough to fuel your trip to Richmond:

The ugly reality of Virginia’s hound hunting “tradition” means the abandonment of dogs too old or sick to keep up with the chase, as well as widespread trespassing by hunters on posted property.

You must bring your friends and family and put an end to the lies! Take a vacation day now or your future vacations may not include hunting with dogs!

Posted by Hokieman on 10-24-2008 07:01 AM:

October 23, 2008

RIGHT TO RETRIEVE: Va. hunters speak out for law

By STEVE SZKOTAK
Associated Press Writer

RICHMOND — Hunters defended a Virginia law Thursday allowing them unlimited access to pursue their hounds when the dogs run astray on private property.

A hearing on changes to the so-called “right-to-retrieve” law attracted nearly 150 people, many in hunter orange caps and camouflage. Several speakers forcefully spoke against any effort to soften the law, which has run afoul of landowners who object to uninvited hunters traipsing on their land.

Speakers accused the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries of stacking the deck against hunting interests, hewing an animal rights agenda and conspiring to curtail or limit dog hunting, as several other Southern states have done in recent years.

“I am afraid we are witnessing the beginning of the end of hound hunting in Virginia,” said Warren Radford of the Virginia Bear Hunters Association.

The department’s board denied any hidden agenda and said hunters should recognize and attempt to correct the abuses of a few to preserve the rights of all hunters.

“To say I’d be a part of a conspiracy, it would be a lie,” board member Richard E. Railey Jr. said. “We’ll never accomplish anything if we don’t agree there is a problem.”

The board accepted a report on hunting with hounds but did not act on any of the proposals. The most contentious, the retrieval law, would require action by the General Assembly on what many consider to be the most absolute in the country.

The changes would require hunters to make a “reasonable attempt” to contact a landowner before retrieving their dogs; land that was not clearly posted as private property, however, would be presumed to be open.

A coalition of hound hunters — mounted fox hunters to sportsmen who tree bears with radio-collar dogs — has mounted a fierce campaign to blunt the proposals, which include ideas such as the hiring of additional enforcement officers and dog tagging.

They contend their heritage of dog hunting, which dates to Virginia’s founding fathers, is threatened.

“We organized to resist your efforts to destroy hunting with hounds in Virginia,” said Kirby Burch of the Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance, which claims 35,000 members.

Hunters who use dogs to track deer, bears, raccoons and other wildlife argue their dogs need to be retrieved for their own safety. A trained dog can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.

But even fellow hunters have demanded action to amend the right-to-retrieve. Still hunters, for instance, contend their own stealth-based hunts are disturbed by the baying of hounds.

“If you want to know why people are upset, I’m here to tell you why,” said Bobby Smith, a hunter who said he owns 438 acres in Rockridge County. “I’m not against hunting with hounds. I’m against (hunters) going on my property.”

State wildlife officials, who described the issue as the most divisive in their memory, have said they want to deal head-on with complaints about the sport before they have to follow Texas, Alabama, Georgia and other states that have restricted hound hunting.

While animal rights activists have had a say in those battles, the loss of habitat has been a primary source of conflict between hunters and landowners.

The Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals spoke against the right-to-retrieve law, and the Humane Society placed ads in several newspapers to highlight what it said were abuses of hunting dogs.

“Is this the face of a time-honored tradition?” the ad asks under a photo of an emaciated hound.

Posted by Hokieman on 11-18-2008 09:48 PM:

Retrieving a dog doesn't violate property rights
November 2, 2008 12:36 am

It's time for some facts about hunting with hounds.

Virginia is not the only state to recognize exceptions to trespass. All states recognize them.

In some, exceptions are codified and permit farmers to retrieve livestock, hunters to retrieve legally downed game; others permit collection of debris or retrieval of dogs. There is nothing unconstitutional.

Exceptions to trespass involve exigencies, where immediate action is required (e.g., to save a drowning child, catch your dog that dashed into your neighbor's yard, assist an animal or person in distress, or to prevent an accident).

Some call Code 18.2-136 the "right to retrieve" law. That is a misreading; it grants no right.

It is an animal-welfare law. It exists so lawful hunters may immediately retrieve dogs and prevent any harm to the dog or annoyance to a landowner. The hunter must be unarmed, on foot, and must identify himself.

Any other act is a crime. The law is clear and is enforced, though some would have the public believe otherwise.

No law permits violation of property rights. The landowner is protected from liability, and all civil remedies remain available to the landowner.

The vast majority of sportsmen are decent, ethical, law-abiding citizens. They respect property rights, obey laws, and care for their dogs. Those who disobey the law are criminals, not hunters.

A hunter retrieving his hound isn't a "taking" of my property rights; his retrieval demonstrates respect for property rights and love for his hound.

Jessica R. Swan

Fauquier

For more info Email: info@vahda.org

Posted by Hokieman on 12-16-2008 01:36 PM:

Its that time of the year. The GA will be is session soon and we expext to see an over abundance of animal welfare bills introduced along with bills that will effect hunting dog owners in virginia. we need your financial support now.

Help protect Virginia's Outdoor Sporting Heritage!

Send your Donation TODAY!

Checks can be made payable to VHDA and mailed to:

Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance
P.O. Box 657
Powhatan, Virginia 23139

As you can see by a letter written to the editor of the dailypress.com that Peta and Hsus has already started their campaign to get public support.

Dog hunting
December 7, 2008
Let me see the pro-dog hunters now that the season is in full swing. I have over 50 pictures of hunting dogs unfed left in the woods for weeks, not cared for at all. One hunter who came to pick up his dog said if they are hungry they hunt better.

Pro football player Michael Vick is serving time in jail for just the same treatment of dogs or worse. Maybe these hunters need to be punished the same way.

Virginia needs to change dog-hunting laws. Other states have seen that it is good for the sport.

Maybe dog hunters then will learn how to hunt instead of running the deer down like a trapped victim.

Bill Smith

Posted by Hokieman on 01-03-2009 06:17 AM:

Help protect Virginia's Outdoor Sporting Heritage!

Send your Donation TODAY!

Checks can be made payable to VHDA and mailed to:

Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance
P.O. Box 657
Powhatan, Virginia 23139

Posted by Hokieman on 01-04-2009 05:56 PM:

All Sportsmen Must Become Ambassadors for Hunting

The Hound study has elevated all hunting in the public mind. DGIF has branded you as criminals in the eyes of many. The Humane Society of the United States in the letter to the Hound Study said, ”As the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) points out, the public is opposed to the use of hounds for chasing and hunting wildlife and at the very least supports restriction of this practice, but these sentiment were ignored by the SAC.”

This ultra-radical organization, that has been linked to and endorses the terrorist organizations the Environmental Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), is trying to smear Virginia Hound Hunting.

We have proven that the Hound Hunting community is law-abiding. We also know that there are a few ‘bad actors’ in our midst. Every hunter must do three things:

1. Obey and Enforce the Law

Every hunter must not only obey the game laws, but must report violators in their midst. We cannot tolerate lawlessness among our ranks. The law applies to all who hunt, NO EXCEPTIONS! Make sure that the people you hunt with have a copy and have read the entire game regulation summary! VHDA took a small ad in the publication to show our support for following the law. Report violators! This study has inflamed many people, watch for people stealing dogs, removing tracking collars, shooting dogs and harassing hunters. You must politely demand that the law enforcement officers enforce the law!

The Code of Virginia allows you to retrieve your dog from private property that you are otherwise prohibited from entering. If you do so, get your dog(s) and get off the property as quickly and quietly as possible. After all the property does not belong to you. Leave no trash, close gates and if approached by a landowner, Be Polite! You have a right to retrieve your dog, but please ask permission first if you can.

Often you are in a hurry to catch a dog before he gets into the road or away from you, please remember to stop at the house and tell the landowner why you were there and thank them for being understanding. Do not get into arguments, while the law is on your side you need all the friends you can get!

Meeting the landowners around the area you hunt before the season begins is the best “scouting time” you can spend. Get to know the neighbors! Landowner relations are extremely important! It costs nothing to be polite and respectful of everyone you meet. Treat others as you would be treated is part of the moral code of every one of the
worlds major religions. We, as hunters, must do a better job of respecting people that disagree with us.

2. Educate Your Fellow Hunters

Make sure the folks you hunt with know the law and the rules, and have the correct attitude about exercising their rights! If you let those you hunt with know that you expect ethical behavior, they will either agree or hunt elsewhere. Conservation ethic has been passed down from father to son for centuries. Clubs and hunting groups need to be aware that we are the “original conservationists”, and they must teach the new guy and not just children, the right way (and why) of doing things. If we fail to do this our future in the outdoors we love may be bleak indeed.

The VHDA will begin to talk more about ethical hunting practices, not to preach to anyone, but to develop a consensus Code of Ethics. Remember that while some groups of hunters are not standing with you now, we must be ready to welcome them back into the Sportsmen’s fold because we must be united against a well funded foe.

3. Talk about hunting to the non-hunting public

Everyone who hunts must become an Ambassador for hunting and especially hunting with dogs. The non-hunting person that lives in an apartment or on a quarter acre in a sub-division has the same vote that you do on Election Day. The HSUS and P.E.T.A. are raising hundreds of millions of dollars by misleading folks to believe that they care about animal welfare, when they are radical vegans who want to end the domestication of animals and prevent you from eating meat. They don’t care that your animals are among the best treated and cared for animals in existence. They intentionally mislead the public into believing that what you do when you hunt or in the manner that you care for your dogs is cruel.

You are the best defense against their lies. Most of us love our dogs (my wife sometimes thinks too much) and our pride in them shows. Talk to non-hunters about the care of dogs, how much they love to run, tell them about the role that hunting plays in public safety. Most Virginians have either had an auto accident or know someone who has within the last year or two. Use the information about the economic impact of hunting with dogs on the Virginia economy.

All thinking Americans are concerned about the economic well being of our nation. Most Virginians who do not hunt, but have some knowledge of the controversy think it has to do with complaints. We have provided you with all the proof you need to dispel that. See our web site for the complaint number by county. Remember that DGIF has only obtained and average of 179 conviction per year for the last three years for trespassing statewide! Those convictions were not about hunting with dogs they were for All hunting, fishing and trapping. That is less than two per county per year! DGIF has tried to convince anybody who would listen that there are many un-recorded complaints or that local sheriff departments would not do their job and turn the complaint over to DGIF.

The statewide conviction record speaks for it self. With a THREE BILLION DOLLAR state budget shortfall they are asking for more wardens! The bureaucrats want more money, more authority. They grow like kudzu and consume everything. But they have forgotten that you the hunter and fisherman pay their salary! When they begin to remember who they are paid by, we will support them, but not before!

All VHDA Board members are real hunters who own dogs. The VHDA has no paid staff. We pay our own expenses because “We HAVE a dog in this fight!” If we sometimes sound angry, it is because we are! We would prefer to be hunting, teaching our children about the wonders that God has given us and training our dogs. We know that we must have a strong voice or we will lose to people, who not only disagree with you... but hate and revile you because you hunt.

Email: info@vahda.org

Posted by vampire on 01-25-2009 01:52 PM:

Right to Retrieve

MAN! These people kill me. All of you hound hunters out there know dogs can't read a posted sign. The non- hound hunters and non- hunters should know this too. The hound is doing what it is bred to do, to the best of it's ability or we wouldn't use them. When my coonhound gets treed, no matter where, I'm going to get him, legally or not. I, as his owner am responsible for his care, and I am NOT going to leave him to tree all night or spend two days wandering the roads because some whiny bonehead doesn't know dogs can't read.

Posted by Hokieman on 02-01-2009 07:32 AM:

Website is updated in the NEWS

Posted by Hokieman on 02-18-2009 10:32 PM:

The Future of Hunting with Hounds in Virginia Depends on November Elections.

The future of Hound Hunting in Virginia will be determined by the November elections. The success of the Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance has been remarkable for an organization that has only existed for less than two years.

It has been a vindication of the VHDA Board’s decision to concentrate on the legislature rather than oppose the
hound study solely with DGIF. The reasoning was simple. The old saying, “The Governor proposes, but the legislature disposes”, is as true today as it was in the past. The legislature controls the budget and the laws that govern State agencies. The Governor appoints and can fire all eleven members of the DGIF Board. To change policy you must change Governors and then replace the Board members. Currently, only one member of the DGIF Board hunts with hounds.

As the only organization that has taken a stand against the Hound Study from the beginning, we have confronted
the DGIF Board about its misstatements and disinformation concerning the number and type of complaints it was
receiving about Hunting with Hounds. We challenged them on statements about the cost of their ill-advised and wasteful study. We constantly kept Virginia’s Houndsmen informed of the involvement and interest of the Animal Rights Radicals. We have prepared our own study to tell the full truth about Hunting with Hounds in Virginia and expose the distortions mentioned above, but we knew that our best and strongest defense was to get you to contact your friends in the legislature.

All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates (Virginia State Senate seat are not up until 2011) are up for grabs in the November election, which will also give you a chance to elect a Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General. The success that we have enjoyed this year means that every elected official is paying close attention to his or her voters and will listen to you. We will shortly announce our endorsement of Statewide Candidates and House of Delegate candidates and post
them on our web site.

If you want a Department of Game and Inland Fisheries that will promote and defend your heritage and traditions, you will have to get involved in this election! We will endorse only those that have stood by us; those who promise to be there for us must prove it first! We have plenty of friends in the legislature and
running for statewide office that we will support.

The Board of Directors of the Virginia Hunting Dog Alliance, at its December 13th Leadership meeting, voted to endorse the candidacy of Lt. Governor Bill Bolling (www.billbolling.com ) for re-election. Bill has been a true friend and supporter of your outdoor sporting traditions and heritage for many years. At the same time the decision was made to endorse State Senator Ken T. Cuccinelli, II ( http://www.cuccinelli.com ) of Fairfax.

Ken has been a strong advocate of gun rights and is on the Humane Society’s Enemies list! Both of these men have been strong effective leaders on behalf of Virginia’s Sportsmen. We urge you to attend the Republican meeting in your area and become a delegate to the Republican State Convention in Richmond on May 28th. It costs you nothing and it tells your local elected members of the Legislature that you are serious about your Heritage!

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