A push is on in both North Carolina and Virginia to allow Sunday hunting. Bill Cochran of the Roanoke Times published a letter from the Dan Genest, the President of the Fly Fishers of Virginia that explains why he opposes hunting on Sunday.
"I am opposed to Sunday hunting, because I fly fish for trout. The start of hunting season coincides with some of the best times of the year to trout fish. Some of the best places to trout fish are in streams that flow through our National Forest. Coincidentally, those are the same places many hunters like to visit. Sunday hunting would take away the one day each week when I know I can fish safely on the Jackson River, North Creek or numerous other trout streams across the state. "
I also fish areas adjacent to game lands and always try to be aware of my surroundings, making very sure I do not look at all like a deer. Skittish wild trout seem even harder to catch while wearing blaze orange. Mr. Genest suggests an alternative:
"Here is my proposition: Allow Sunday hunting. But don’t allow hunting within 500 yards of any stocked, delayed harvest or special regulation trout stream on any day of the week. That way I and hundreds of others can fish in peace and hunters can hunt on the millions of other acres available to them."
Many of you may know that my father is a Baptist Minister here in the Carolinas so you can bet he's not crazy about the sound of a .30-06 punctuating his sermons. Although it might give some of the pew sleepers quite a start. (For the record he is not that crazy about folks who skip church to go fishing either.)
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