Dog hunting has been a long time hunting tradition in the state of NC and hunters have this right to hunt using this method. However, times have changed since the heydays of dog hunting. Once rural areas are now more populated and highways are much busier. This creates an incompatible situation with regards to dog hunting.

This petition is for the stretch of highway 15-501 between Aberdeen and Laurinburg, NC. Deercroft and other golf-home communities now occupy once prime hunting areas and the traffic between Aberdeen and Laurinburg has increased significantly over the years along this stretch of highway. Dog hunting along this area is not compatible with the increase in automobile traffic and peaceful home settings along this stretch of highway.

Dogs don't understand nor care about the threat of traffic or where private property boundaries are. Dogs run deer with blinders on and as a result, put motorist along 15-501 at risk of hitting deer or dogs crossing the highway. This endangers their lives and the lives of others. Furthermore, these hunting dogs disrupt life on private property in many ways. Not only do they disrupt still hunters on private lands but these hunting dogs have been know to kill landowner's livestock and pets and create undue stress upon homeowners due to these hunting dogs running all over their property. It has also been observed that some of these hunters have no respect for private property and speed up and down roads tracking their dogs with radio collars. Often times, these hunters trespass to retrieve their dogs and in some bold cases actually hunt illegally on private property.

In summary, this is a petition to stop dog hunting on the NC Sandhills Game Lands in the vicinity of highway 15-501 between Aberdeen and Laurinburg. Even if this area was off limits to dog hunters, they would still have plenty of areas in which to hunt as there are almost 59,000 acres of land in the Sandhill Game Land area. If you would like to see dog hunting stopped on the Sandhills Game Lands in this specific area, please sign this petition and spread the word for others to sign. Only a strong voice from homeowners and landowners in this area can affect this change. If you sign and also live in this affected area, please make a note of it in the comments section. This petition will be shown to local Wildlife Commissioners to help strengthen our position.