Virginia County Bans Rifles for Deer Hunting

[coopdog]

hunter480 Stated

"Of course the opponents of this measure would claim that safety isn`t an issue, what else would you expect?
And it would be negligent to wait for even one hunting accident to occur before a change is made. How many injurys or deaths would have to happen before you`d think it would be time to rethink what weapons are ok`d to hunt with? "

It was stated that there were no accidents during the three years of rifle use and that studies have been done to prove shotguns were more dangerous.

Than you asked a really stupid question..."How many injurys or deaths would have to happen before you`d think it would be time to rethink what weapons are ok`d to hunt with?"

Well, considering thousands more are killed each year in automobile accidents and NOTHING has been done to reduce that number.  Speed limits could be lowered drastically but that would effect peoples bottom lines.  Thousands die each year from smoking and smoking related disease and nothing is done.  Thousands die from alcohol involved instances, and nothing is done.

Taking knee jerk reactions to hunting regulations when nothing has happend is just rediculous.  if they change the laws without proof or statistics now then they won't need proof or statistics to ban our guns in the future. 

It's just one more step in tighter and tighter gun laws.

In the words of Dennis Miller "that's just my opinion, I could be wrong"

[paulie]

If I were to make an assumption[:o] (and it would be just that, an assumption), I would say, there is in some way an anti hunting agenda behind this!  "If you keep chiping away at the stone(hunting) you will eventually reduce it to dust"!!

[dmcianfa]

If they ever tried this hoopla in my neck of the woods (upper penninsula of Michigan) there would be an uproar and possibly a riot to follow.  Politicians would be ousted from office at first available election date and they know it.  If they, god forbid, got something like this to pass and release this burden to the public they would find a large number of people moving to other parts of the country thereby decreasing tax revenue they recieve years later.  I for one would seriously consider moving to Canada as now with more and more liberals looking to get rid of our guns, maybe its time to question where this country is heading and if I even enjoy the "privelages", not rights anymore.[:@]  The day I hunt whitetail with a shotgun instead of my 270 WSM or 243 is the day I quit my job and tell the wife to pack it up.   I puke in my mouth a little even thinking about it!  Shotguns are for small game, rifles for big game where I come from.  Responsibility while wielding the weapon comes first and foremost from hunter's safety, not needless bans that hold no relevence to unproven results!

[VAHunter]

merely a politcal battle pandering to the loudest complainers...the fact that it was brought to vote in regards to a disproven safety issue and still lost, makes me thing that there is yet another hidden agenda against guns/hunting.

[speakerboxx]

When I first moved to eastern Virginia I was stunned that you couldn't hunt with a rifle. In the mountains of West Virginia, a rifle is all I ever used to hunt. Once I did the research and saw that it was a safety issue it was easier to accept. I still think hunter responsibility is the MOST important factor while handling firearms..... With the cartridges folks are using to hunt deer with these days I can see why a slug gun would be safer in certain areas.  I consider myself a younger hunter at 22 and it's pretty easy to adapt to the changing conditions in the sport of hunting. As populations grow we're just going to have to get used to the changing times. Just my opinion, Stay in the woods and stay safe. My first post on this forum!!!

[JOEL]

a slug gun is in not a "safer alternative" to rifles.this is just a way to reduce hunting

[gutpile]

Dont live there, so cant really say if I see a safety issue, But a slug gun can be just as dangerous. 

[PrairieShadow]

Just one more law being put in place to widdle away at the hunting population.

[hilltop]

I did not know counties had the authority to institute such laws. I guess I need to check things out locally.

[kabrevcus]

New member here from Virginia....there are plenty of other neighboring counties that have gone this route to take away or never allowed rifles particularly in low and flat country...so it seems is frustrating for some, but not a surprise.
 
Question, off topic,...why isn't there a Virginia Forum under the States (here)??