During the Hunting and Trapping Regulatory Issues Public Discussion Period November 4, 2008 through January 5, 2009, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) solicited citizens' discussion of regulatory issues.

Many of the regulatory issues listed were submitted by members of the public.

To review the regulatory issues and citizen comments, please click on the issues in which you are interested, below.

Bear

	Change weight restriction on harvested bears.	64 comments
	Add new seasons or change existing seasons.	91 comments
	Suggested Other Bear Issues	1 comment

Deer (including Elk)

	Change opportunities for harvesting bucks.	152 comments
	Create a youth deer hunting day.	55 comments
	Firearms season: Increase firearms season deer hunting opportunities.	117 comments
	Firearms season: Decrease firearm season deer hunting opportunities.	71 comments
	Firearms season: Change firearms season either-sex deer hunting opportunity.	87 comments
	Firearms season: Change firearms season daily bag limits.	63 comments
	Archery season: Change archery season deer hunting opportunities.	73 comments
	Elk hunting: Increase elk populations and hunting opportunities.	54 comments
	Allow taking 3 bucks on private land west of the Blue Ridge.	30 comments
	Allow hunting with handguns during general firearms season.	20 comments
	Continue, or eliminate, the Earn A Buck Program.	41 comments
	Suggested Other Deer Issues	8 comments

Muzzleloader Hunting - Bear and Deer

	Allow muzzleloading handguns with 10 inch barrels or greater to be used during the season.	13 comments
	Allow use of muzzleloading shotguns during muzzleloading seasons.	17 comments
	Increase muzzleloading season deer hunting opportunities.	84 comments
	Decrease muzzleloading season deer hunting opportunities.	44 comments
	Create primitive weapons deer hunting opportunities.	106 comments
	Miscellaneous muzzleloading deer season issues.	31 comments
	Add new seasons or change existing seasons.	30 comments
	Suggested Other Muzzleloader Hunting Bear and Deer Issues	1 comment

Hound Hunting and Hound Training (All Game Species)

	Increase or decrease opportunities for deer hunting with hounds.	729 comments
	Provide training opportunities for deer hounds.	121 comments
	Increase raccoon chase season opportunities in western Virginia.	22 comments
	Establish consistent hound-training opportunities for all species.	63 comments
	Suggested Other Hound Hunting and Hound Training Issues	2 comments

Fox

	Red fox in Albemarle, Culpepper, Louisa, Madison and Orange counties.	106 comments
	Increase fox hunting and trapping seasons.	25 comments
	Suggested Other Fox Issues	0 comments

Coyote

	Allow live trapping and transport of coyotes for use in foxhound training preserves.	57 comments
	allow hunting coyote in national forest year round	30 comments
	Establish a state surported bounty on coyote	34 comments
	Suggested Other Coyote Issues	0 comments

Otter

	Expand otter trapping opportunities.	10 comments
	Suggested Other Otter Issues	0 comments

Raccoon

	Liberalize the raccoon hunting season.	21 comments
	Suggested Other Raccoon Issues	0 comments

Small Game: Quail, Rabbit, and Squirrel

	Limit quail harvest so population can increase.	22 comments
	Provide more quail hunting opportunity after the end of deer season.	6 comments
	Provide more youth small game hunting opportunities.	13 comments
	Provide more squirrel hunting opportunity.	36 comments
	Suggested Other Small Game: Quail, Rabbit, and Squirrel Issues	5 comments

Turkey

	What can the Game and Inland Fisheries do to increase interest in fall turkey hunting?	37 comments
	Reduce fall turkey season in some areas.	8 comments
	Consider changes to the procedures for checking turkeys in the fall and spring seasons.	14 comments
	Extend spring turkey season.	32 comments
	Suggested Other Turkey Issues	10 comments

Waterfowl

	Waterfowl hunting along the Potomac River and Dyke Marsh in northern Virginia.	258 comments
	Suggested Other Waterfowl Issues	1 comment

Trapping

	Modify trap check interval requirements.	16 comments
	Change trap marking requirements.	10 comments
	Modify snare use restrictions.	8 comments
	Restrict trapping opportunities.	47 comments
	Suggested Other Trapping Issues	1 comment

Other or General Hunting or Trapping

	Consider changing feeding laws.	93 comments
	Allow holders of disabled licenses to have the same opportunites as youth	24 comments
	Suggested Other General Hunting or Trapping Issues	7 comments

Issues Not Regulatory in Nature

	Sunday Hunting	533 comments
	Suggested Other Issues Not Regulatory in Nature	8 comments