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Sunday hunting could be a benefit

A push is being made to allow hunting to take place on Sundays across West Virginia, with proponents claiming it could bring in up to $155 million in new revenue, and create approximately 2,600 jobs.

Currently, the state leaves the decision up to each county, with 22 of West Virginia’s 55 counties allowing Sunday hunting to take place. Five more counties are set to vote on whether to remove their Sunday hunting ban on Nov. 8.

The thought is a more uniform law could provide the type of environment to turn West Virginia into a destination for hunting. Ohio and Kentucky have, for years, allowed Sunday hunting, and Virginia recently legalized the practice.

West Virginia is well known for its outdoor activities and breathtaking landscapes. Much of the state’s tourism is focused on visits to our state parks, hiking, bicycling, white water rafting, camping and more. Naturally, hunting could be a good fit, and we’re sure dedicated hunters would not mind having that extra day or two available while searching for their animal of choice.

We don’t know if such a move will have as much of an effect as those promoting it say, but if it helps to spread the word about West Virginia and attract more visitors, it couldn’t hurt to look into the idea.

Ultimately, it will take action by the Legislature for such statewide legalization to take place. State lawmakers already have some high hurdles to make their way over when they return to Charleston for their 2017 session, especially with the state’s budget deficit expected to continue increasing.

It might, therefore, take some time for legislators to even begin looking into such a new law, but it is something we feel definitely should be studied.

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