Possible North Carolina Changes....

Sunday Hunting, Crossbows and A Number of Other Changes May Get Sidetracked Today

April 16, 2009

No doubt there was a number of controversial proposals made this year and debated at the public hearings for changes to the hunting regulations but after all the dust settled it seemed a number of them had passed. Legalizing the use of crossbows and the adding of an additional week to the muzzleloader season is what drew the ire of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association and even being organized they could not overcome the support for these proposals by the rank and file hunters across the state. The Wildlife Commissioners adopted these changes based on the public hearings and the public comments so it seemed like too many who had fought for these changes over the years that next year they would happen.

However what has normally been a mere formality in the past today will become a major roadblock and delay the implementation of these rules and possible a number of others. Once the Wildlife Commission approves the rules they are sent to a Rules Review Committee that reviews them and makes sure they fall within the scope of the agency and do not violate the State Constitution if they pass they can be enacted if they don’t they are rejected and sent back to the Commissioners. There is also another scenario that can take place that up until this point has never happened with Wildlife Commission Rules and that is if the committee receives Ten or more letters of opposition to a particular rule or rules then that rule is not enacted and sent to the state legislators for a review. That review will not take place until the next open session of the legislators which is not scheduled until June. There would not enough time to allow the enacting of these rules by the July 1st deadline for the printing of the regulation digest for the 09-10 season.

In addition to the letter writing campaign organized by the North Carolina Bowhunters Association it is believed that a religious group is using the same tactic to block the change to allow hunting on Sunday’s with archery equipment. While I doubt this tactic will prevent these rules from eventually taking place it could delay them for a year and may open a new era of wildlife management where it could take an additional year to pass any changes. I’m sure any group opposed to hunting, trapping or fishing can get ten letters of opposition to any proposed rule changes in the future. Today in Raleigh when the Rules Committee meets we may witness the opening of Pandora’s Box.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

One of the reasons I bow hunt is to avoid the gun hunters.  Nothing against guns but I like my quiet time in the woods!  I hate the fact that muzzleloader will overlap a week with my bow season.  I do not mind the hunting on Sunday idea.  I will still go and worship at my church every Sunday and THEN I will go hunt if possible.  Give honor to Him that gave me the animals to hunt and then go chase them.

I have no dog in the crossbow fight.  I do not have one and will not buy one.  If they want to allow them...fine by me.

I went to our local meeting and voiced my opinions and I hope that things can be decided fairly by a democratic process.  Let the people vote and decide.  Unlike our previous Governor who got the lottery passed without a public vote.  Seems to be a trend building here in NC!

Love playing that string music and sending a Muzzy flying!

I don't mind the extension of muzzloader or any season for that matter. But I do think that the seasons should be seperated. It just seems fair to me for all parties involved. The crossbow addition is fine wth me as well, most avid bowhunters that I know wouldn't switch over to a crossbow anyways, but I do think crossbows are a great way for disabled people to continue in archery. And if someone prefers a crossbow over a compound or traditional then that's fine too. What I don't understand is these no sunday hunting laws. I've asked quit a few people around New England and never got a straight answer other than it has something to do with the "Blue Laws". Does anyone know for certain why hunting isn't allowed on sundays in so many states?

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

Kraig,  I have yet to get a straight answer on the Sunday hunting thing as well.  Everyone I speak to keeps referring to the "Blue Laws" which I though dealt mainly with alcohol.  There are several states here in the deep south that allow Sunday hunting.  No real clue about it either.  You can hunt in TN, AL, FL and GA on Sunday.  Not sure about SC or MS.  I just hope they pass it!

Love playing that string music and sending a Muzzy flying!

Kraig (& y'all) ... merely observin' on the "Blue Laws" question ... my impression has always been that these rules are intended to halt, stifle or delay any "business" on Sundays (for the ideal of "church" and "family", I guess) ...

We in Nodak have had experience with 'em from longer than I can remember (and that's a LONG time!) ... but we've never had a time in my memory when we could not hunt on Sundays ... in fact, businesses bein' open for trade or services in general is a fairly recent thing for us ... I'm guessin' it wuz ... mebbe 15 years ago? ... HOWever, stores such as Waldo's and Homewrecker Depot (and most others) cannot open until Noon on Sunday, and most of 'em (must?) close by six p.m. ...

I can't offer much more than that, from our experiences here ... when I wuz on the road, I found that some towns (Gallup, NM comes to mind) have a tendency for the downtown (old town, along old Route 66 thru town) tend to close early on Saturday and not open at all on Sunday ... but in other NM towns, it's different ...

In AZ it wuz different ... and in CA I seriously doubt if some businesses ever closed their doors (not THAT kind of "business"!) ...

Even our pubs, bars and saloons can likely be open, if they so choose, and the local ordinances or the city council take a formal legal step and pass an ordinance to authorize/allow it ...

As to y'all's other state Sunday Off frum huntin' ... no ... I've never been able to figure that out, either ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

I really like the idea of Sunday hunting. gives me one more day on the weekend to hunt, seeing that most of us work 5 days a week. As far as the extra week of muzzleloader that's great too, but I wish it were the last two weeks in Nov. Not the first two weeks in Nov. that's prime time bowhunting!!

Hunt Hard, Hunt Safe and enjoy what you got in life
Paul Snyder
LM NAHC,NRA,SCI,DU

just FYI, we do have Sunday hunting in SC on private land. It has been in effect for a couple of years and has been a great success for hunters and game management. It has drawn no bad publicity once enacted and you actually hear very little of it now from any naysayer. I hope you guys in NC get it passed. Good luck.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

NAHC-L, NRA

I can't imagine living in a state where hunting on Sunday wasn't legal.  Michigan only had 3 or 4 counties that had that law in force and they finally were changed about ten years ago.

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

Being a man of faith myself, I can actually understand both sides of the issue. However, there are many of us that may have to work six days a week, (mon -sat), which only leaves us one day to actually go hunting. I try to live in the word every day of the week and I do not want to take anything away from that but there should be no reason declare Sunday a "no hunting" day.

Just my .02

Martin

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

I personally am in favor of both Sunday hunting, & Crossbow usage.

Old Cowboys never die, they just keep riding the Range.