Virginia House of Delegates Passes Sunday Hunting Bill

The Virginia House of Delegates has voted 71-27 to pass House Bill 1237, which would repeal the state's ban on Sunday hunting on private lands with written permission from the owner. The bill, which the House approved on Jan. 28, would still prohibit hunting within 200 yards of a house of worship, the hunting of deer with dogs and the hunting of bear. With its success in the house, HB 1237 has been referred to the state's Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee for further review.

The bill's sponsor, Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) has said that he hopes that lifting the ban will help the state reduce the population of nuisance deer, while at the same time promoting tourism in the form of out-of-state hunters. Deer hunting annually brings over $240 million to the state, according to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Should the bill be passed by the Senate and then signed by the governor, the hunting ban could be lifted as early as July 1.

Currently, Virginia is one of only six states in the country that strictly bans hunting on Sundays.

For more information, go to the report on NRAILA.org.