Which WMA are you talking about I ask b/c online gives Wildlife Management Area: General Rules and Regulations but each WMA has there own as well ?
The ones posted at the location would be the final word .
Last season the Mattaponi specific rules were replaced with the General WMA rules at the proptery.
But the internet vdgif website still shows wma specific rules that contradict whats posted on the property.
So, lets say the WMA specific rules still apply -
would this rule prohibit the chase season??:
IT IS LAWFUL TO CHASE OR RETRIEVE GAME (EXCEPT FOR DEER AND BEAR) WITH DOGS ON THIS WMA ONLY DURING AUTHORIZED HUNTING SEASONS THAT SPECIFICALLY
PERMIT THESE ACTIVITIES.
*********************************************************
Chase-Only Season
NO RACCOON MAY BE TAKEN EXCEPT DURING THE FIREARMS SEASON.
Continuous open season statewide (including Sundays) except on Department controlled lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and on National Forest lands.
The rule doesnt say only during "firearms season" as I've read the laws to say on other topics.
Whenever I ask a game warden about any issue thats open for debate, they roll their eyes and tell me to stop trying to find a way to beat the law. Well, the law either allows it or it doesnt. And the department should learn to put the right legal laws on the property.
I can see why you are asking the questions and any answer has to start with call the regional office # 1 @ 804-829-6580 and ask . Are we talking about a waterfowl dog or a hound dog ? I ask b/c a waterdog is a partner on the hunt and not a tool that gets thrown in the box when not being use .
WMAs IMO are hunting grounds for one on one type of hunting and I would want rules keeping hunt clubs with pack dogs out or at least done by permit only on our WMAs .
My mention of the **** chasing would just be an excuse to take my lab for walks on the WMA out of season.
There are miles of trails/forest roads and it would offer me a place to walk the dog off leash with in close proximity to my house. Where as county laws prohibit off leash dogs on any of the public parks/trails nearby.
In fact, one county park has a nice 10 acre field that would be awesome for training, but I've been run out and threatened to pound the dog and jail me, if I returned with the dog off leash.
Each public property has its intended use and I can understand that. I just grow frustrated as I see properties unused because of such restrictions. As is the above mentioned field. It's cut, fertilized, maintained with tax payer money and only once on over 20 occasions have I see anyone use it.
I've been using it on 30' check cord for mini pile and some obedience drills lately.
I think I'll just go, double check the posted signs and use the property with in those rules until told differently and hope the tax collector - i mean CO doesn't ticket me.
The WMA rules are in place for a very valid reason. WMAs were purchased for wildlife conservation and recreation as a secondary use (see WMA study on dgif website for more on this). If DGIF allowed anyone to take their dogs onto WMAs for off leash walks, it would be a madhouse. Everyone and their brother would be out there allowing their dogs to run deer during fawning season and busting turkeys and quail during nesting season. You may not care about turkey nesting, but they are sitting on nests right now and the more disturbance they get the more likely they are to abandon nests. Going later in the summer and busting a flock of poults will open them up to increased predation, etc. Same for deer fawns. If you want to train your dog, find a local farmer that has a hayfiled and ask politely. You might be suprised what you can find with a bit of legwork.
I understand it is frustrating, but I'm sure you have heard of the "tragedy of the commons". You may be doing what is right, but there are others that will abuse it. From a law enforcement/management standpoint, its easier to prohibit all from doing something on public lands than to try to catch/stop only those who are abusing the area.
A major pet peeve of mine is saying you are ****/fox/etc. hunting as an excuse to not follow the rules. If you are truely **** hunting, more power to you. We need more people hunting them and keeping them away from nests. But if you are lying to get your way, then sorry. We all need to make sure we are policing our own and encouraging ethics, not bending the rules to get your way.
To answer your question, the CO will most likely go with what is posted on the kiosk, but with a bit of research they may find this post and realize that you knowingly violated the rules:biggrin:
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