THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 5, 1997 TAG: 9702050468
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 46 lines
About 60 hunters and farmers gathered at the Hampton Roads Airport Tuesday night to circulate a petition asking the Suffolk City Council not to ban rifles for hunting.
Suffolk Mayor Thomas G. Underwood wants to prohibit the firing of rifles in the city because of their range and the possibility of accidents. His proposal was prompted by Suffolk's population surge. The hunters and farmers said safe practices are the real issue.
``I'm upset the City Council would even think about changing the law,'' said Howard Thomas, a Suffolk farmer. ``If rifles are banned, we as farmers would experience great economic loss. A ground hog can wipe out nearly an entire crop. I realize the city is growing, but I think the answer to that is hunter safety.''
Those who favor the mayor's idea said that with the city's rapid growth and flat terrain, it's not safe to hunt with rifles. In Suffolk, hunters can use rifles only if they're shooting from an elevation of 15 feet - such as from a tree stand.
Ted Kuhlman, vice president of the Airport Hunt Club, organized a meeting to garner support against the anti-rifle sentiment. He invited Suffolk council members and members of the Marshall Hunt Club. Neither showed.
``This isn't a mudslinging contest,'' Kuhlman said. ``I have friends in the Marshall Hunt Club. I think some of them were angry about that newspaper article (about the club's move to have rifle's banned). . . What we're concerned about is the safety and that's all.''
Game Warden James Pritchard, who oversees the South Hampton Roads region, said most hunting accidents stem from hunters mistaking each other for game or from hunters shooting at night. Pritchard said there were 56 hunting accidents in the commonwealth last year, 2 of which involved fatalities. He said the biggest decline in accidents came when hunters were required to wear blaze orange.
Other hunters urged sportsmen and women to take a hunter education course.
Robert Lewis, who owns a sports shop in Isle of Wight County, said he will be offering several free courses in March. One will be held March 22 and 23 at the U.S. Coast Guard base in Portsmouth. For more information, contact Lewis at 238-2006.
In the meantime, the hunters are preparing to go before Suffolk City Council to argue that rifles, used properly, are as safe as shotguns.
KEYWORDS: HUNTING RIFLE BAN SUFFOLK CITY COUNCIL