THE PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUE
Deer & bear hound hunting in Virginia
Finding a fair balance between a hunting tradition and private-property rights
A long-standing problem
Deer and bear hunting with hounds is a long‑standing Virginia tradition. But when hounds and hunters cross onto private land without permission, landowners lose the peaceful use and control of their property.
VPRA does not seek to eliminate responsible hound hunting. We support hunting as part of Virginia’s heritage, conservation, wildlife management, and outdoor recreation. Our concern is simple: no one should have to surrender control of their private land for someone else’s recreation.
Rights vs. Traditions
We respect Virginia’s hunting heritage—but not at the expense of private‑property rights.
Virginia’s current laws give deer and bear hound hunters broad access that too often results in hounds and hunters entering private land without permission. This leaves landowners and leaseholders with little real control over who and what is on their property.
DWR’s own standard
In its 2008 report, Hunting with Hounds in Virginia: A Way Forward, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) set a clear standard: hunting traditions must be balanced with the rights of private landowners. DWR recognized that when hounds and hunters repeatedly trespass, landowners lose the peaceful use and enjoyment of their property.
In its 2008 report, Hunting with Hounds in Virginia: A Way Forward, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) set a clear standard: hunting traditions must be balanced with the rights of private landowners. DWR recognized that when hounds and hunters repeatedly trespass, landowners lose the peaceful use and enjoyment of their property.
What DWR has documented
For more than 15 years, DWR has been studying conflicts between hound hunting and private‑property rights. Their own reports and stakeholder processes show a consistent pattern: the problem is real, ongoing, and growing.
2008
2016
2023–2024
2024
First technical report identifies serious conflicts between hound hunting and private‑property rights, and calls for better balance and accountability.
Second major study confirms that the same problems persist and that landowners continue to report trespass, fear, and loss of control over their land.
Extensive stakeholder process again highlights ongoing conflicts between hound hunting and private‑property rights across Virginia.
New data show incident reports reaching record levels in many parts of the state, with landowners increasingly frustrated by repeated trespass and lack of accountability.
Taken together, DWR’s own history of reports and stakeholder work makes one thing clear: this is not an isolated or temporary problem. It is a long‑standing conflict that demands real solutions.
The question is no longer whether the conflict exists—it is what Virginia will do to protect both responsible hunting and the rights of private landowners.