Sunday hunting law hits a snag

The push to get Sunday hunting on the N.C. law books took a hit Dec. 6.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission decided to send the results of a statewide random survey of citizens regarding the issue to the General Assembly without a recommendation that Sunday hunting become law.

The Associated Press released an early news report that day about the WRC’s decision, and tried to make it sound like this was a surprise. Nobody should be surprised.

One of the opponents of Sunday hunting said it would result in having to hire from 36 to 72 extra wildlife enforcement officers. We noted in this column several months ago that likely would occur, although we had no way of knowing the exact figure. Any financial gains (more licenses and hunting equipment sold) would be offset by paying salaries of additional officers.

Religious groups, of course, were opposed, and a few pastors got cranked up months ago to oppose Sunday hunting. No matter how one cuts this matter, hunting during Sunday services will reduce attendance — and the cash flow to the collection plate.

But churches and cost of adding wildlife officers didn’t tip the scales against the WRC’s lack of commitment to this idea. It was the survey that showed 65 percent of regular N.C. citizens opposed, while 25 percent approved; importantly, hunters were split evenly.

Proponents should have been happy they got 25 percent; that’s about 20 percent more of an approval rating than there are hunters in North Carolina. As we noted last month, hunters range between 5 and 6 percent of the state’s total population. Simply put, there’s more of them than there are of us, which leads to the next point:

Whether or not one believes Sunday hunting in North Carolina is a good idea — and the WRC wasn’t about to propose an idea that almost certainly will go down in flames in the legislature — the survey should make sportsmen know we’ve got to do more to involve youths, women and families in outdoor recreation.

You’d never have this problem in Montana or Wyoming, states with few large cities that are mostly rural with majority populations scattered across millions of acres teeming with wildlife. At least 25 percent of the total population out there lists itself in the hunting camp. Western states have a tradition of hunting and protection by using firearms. It’s still a place where a male baby’s first toy is likely to be a cap pistol, and nobody recoils in horror.

North Carolina, on the other hand, has several large cities where gang-bangers are about the only civilians whom regular citizens see using firearms — and not to hunt rabbits. Those regular John and Jane Does were surveyed as well as hunters because they also have a stake in N.C. outdoors. And they’re scared of any gun toter.

A more common-sense approach might be to allow (after 1 p.m. Sunday) non-invasive (sight and sound) hunting with weapons that belong to a group that’s demonstrated for years a commitment to safety and fair chase — bow-and-arrow hunters.

Bow hunters are a relative small group, and archery equipment is silent. Church-goers wouldn’t need to worry about deer hounds chasing bucks through the parking lot and shotgun blasts outside.

Most of us have to take baby steps before we can run.