Five hound hunting proposals approved, 2 rejected by Virginia DWR
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — At a board meeting Thursday morning, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) voted to approve five proposals to regulate hound hunting -- and reject the other two. For decades, there has been ongoing conflict between hunters and private landowners in Virginia as the state tries to keep the tradition of hunting animals with hound dogs alive while protecting the rights of landowners. In recent months, the board has approved five out the seven proposed changes to change the future of hound hunting in the Commonwealth: Approved proposals Support for funding for additional Conservation Police officers Enhancement of Conservation Police officer training and law enforcement strategies Prioritize enforcement of prohibition against hunting outside of open season Enhance outreach to communities, hunters and landowners Enhance educational efforts Proposal six would have addressed property rights concerns by requiring hunting dogs to wear tracking collars when hunting deer or bears. Proposal seven would have required hunters and landowners to demonstrate reasonable effort in keeping hunting hounds off of private property. In a 6-3 vote, the board ultimately decided against the last two proposals, with many saying the first five changes were enough to satisfy both parties. Virginia Hound Heritage President Troy Cook said he was satisfied with the board’s decision. “It's just another step forward and hopefully we can come together with what everybody's saying with some respect, courtesy and common sense,” Cook said. Landowner Matthew Gutmann said he is disappointed and feels the problem will continue. Officials have already started implementing the five approved proposals, this includes incorporating ethics training for hunting hounds and academy classes starting March 2025.
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HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — At a board meeting Thursday morning, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) voted to approve five proposals to regulate hound hunting -- and reject the other two.
For decades, there has been ongoing conflict between hunters and private landowners in Virginia as the state tries to keep the tradition of hunting animals with hound dogs alive while protecting the rights of landowners.
In recent months, the board has approved five out the seven proposed changes to change the future of hound hunting in the Commonwealth:
Approved proposals
- Support for funding for additional Conservation Police officers
- Enhancement of Conservation Police officer training and law enforcement strategies
- Prioritize enforcement of prohibition against hunting outside of open season
- Enhance outreach to communities, hunters and landowners
- Enhance educational efforts
Proposal six would have addressed property rights concerns by requiring hunting dogs to wear tracking collars when hunting deer or bears. Proposal seven would have required hunters and landowners to demonstrate reasonable effort in keeping hunting hounds off of private property.
In a 6-3 vote, the board ultimately decided against the last two proposals, with many saying the first five changes were enough to satisfy both parties. Virginia Hound Heritage President Troy Cook said he was satisfied with the board’s decision.
“It's just another step forward and hopefully we can come together with what everybody's saying with some respect, courtesy and common sense,” Cook said.
Landowner Matthew Gutmann said he is disappointed and feels the problem will continue.
Officials have already started implementing the five approved proposals, this includes incorporating ethics training for hunting hounds and academy classes starting March 2025.
