Minutes 01-21-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The NCWRC survey queried landowners on their opinions of deer and the deer population, problems with deer, hunting of deer on land, management of deer on land, other opinions on deer hunting regulations, and overall participation in outdoor activities. Survey results most applicable to the dogging deer issue before the BOCC are detailed below: • Ninety-three percent approved of legal, regulated hunting. • Ninety-two percent agreed that written permission from the landowner should be required to hunt on private land. • Top four reasons cited for not allowing others beyond the landowner or immediate household to hunt on the land were — concern about a hunter injuring another person on the property (66%), concern about trespassing on their property (64%), concern about liability (59%), and thinking that the property was too small for deer hunting (55%). • Landowners with tracts from 5-20 acres were more likely to agree their property was too small than those with more than 20 acres. • Fifty-percent of the landowners strongly disagreed with the statement, "Hunting deer with dogs should be legal in North Carolina", and 61 percent moderately or strongly disagreed. Only 15% strongly agreed with the statement. The recommendations are that the BOCC receive the presentation and background materials as submitted; receive any public comments per usual for a regular agenda item; and take action as it may deem appropriate. Options include: 1) Approve seeking legislative authority to adopt a local ordinance that would ban "dogging deer" in northern Orange County and include the request within its 2010 proposed legislative agenda. 2) Defer seeking legislative authority to adopt a local ordinance in the 2010 session. 3) Create further opportunity for open discussion on this issue among interested members of the public. 4) Other, as determined by the Board of County Commissioners. Commissioner Hemminger said that a citizen sent an email that only 10 states allow this practice and she asked staff about this. Staff is not aware of this and Assistant County Manager Gwen Harvey said that she would find out that information. PUBLIC COMMENT: Jennifer Honeycutt said that she is a resident of northern Orange County and she would like the County Commissioners to ban this in northern Orange County because of safety concerns, property rights, and peace and quiet. She said that land abutting their land is leased to deer hunters each year and they hear dogs running through their property and they hear shooting all the time. She said that she tries to keep her pets confined, but her dog got out and was shot. She said that Orange County does not protect her property rights. She has had