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By JOHN LEWIS PITTS
Rappahannock New* Special Writer
Area hunters and those interested in hunting issues will get a second chance to be heard by the staff of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Thursday in Vienna.
The game department held a public meeting for this region on Feb. 1 but it was so poorly attended — because advance notice was so short — a decision was made at that time to try again. The meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. at the National Wildlife Federation Building at 8925 Leesburg Pike (Route 7).
“This is the time for all citizens to air their concerns, desires and gripes,” said Charlie Taylor, outdoor columnist for The Fauquier TimesDemocrat. “Last year’s Northern Virginia meeting was the largest citizens meeting held in 1992.”
By contrast, the Feb. 1 meeting brought out only about a dozen people, with a half-dozen of them taking the opportunity to speak.
Among the topics of discussion that have been coming up at the statewide meetings:
• A longer, black-powder muzzleloader season for deer.
• A 24-hour bear chase season.
• More opportunities to hunt does during deer season.
• New measures to control the deer population on private land.
“Those who do not attend have no one to blame but themselves for changes they may not like,” Taylor said.
The state’s muzzleloader season now lasts one week before the start of the regular season. It has been suggested that the season be extended up to three additional weeks. Also, the black-powder season has been bucks-only, but 77 percent of hunters recently surveyed by the Virginia Deer Hunters Association would like to see a doe tag added to the season.
The bear chase season was Sept. 5-Oct. 3 in the 22 counties where bear hunting is permitted.
Bear chasing — “chasing without
93.9%