Proponents for Sunday hunting hit the brick wall they knew they would when bills in the Virginia House of Delegates were pulled Wednesday before even being discussed by the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources subcommittee.

The reason was the patrons of the bills said they did not have enough votes.

Driving along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the Outer Banks of North Carolina will soon cost motorists $120 a year or $50 a week.
The National Park Service announced the amount of the fees Wednesday and said its staff will begin ticketing beach drivers March 15if they don't pay for a windshield sticker or a hanging permit.

The federal government on Tuesday declared the Atlantic sturgeon an endangered species, bringing new protections for this prehistoric fish found throughout the Chesapeake Bay and especially in the James River.

Commercial fishermen and recreational anglers bonded two years ago in a rare showing of solidarity when the groups marched together on the nation's capital. More than 5,000 watermen, charter captains and weekend anglers from the East Coast - even several from the West Coast and Alaska - showed up for the first United We Fish rally in Washington, D.C.

The Virginia Senate has passed Bill 464 allowing Sunday hunting on private lands.

The issue now moves to the House of Delegates, where it is expected to face a tougher battle.

The movement to open hunting on Sundays already has reached milestones, as similar bills in the past have failed to make it out of committees.

By Jim Abrams WASHINGTON The e-Duck Stamp would become a permanent part of federal law under legislation passed by the House Monday.

Since 1934, migratory waterfowl hunters over the age of 16 have been required to buy the federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamps, or duck stamps, at post offices or sporting goods stores.

During a winter that has witnessed huge inshore bluefin tuna catches and some of the best striped bass fishing in several years, nobody was surprised Friday when word spread that a potential state-record rockfish had been caught. Fishing off Cape Henry with Capt. Tim Cannon on the Bada Bing, Prince William County angler Cary Wolfe caught a 74-pounder after a fight of about 15 minutes.

The North Carolina Marine Fisheries and Wildlife Resources commissions have announced how they will hand out $1.99 million in grants this year. The money comes from the state's Marine Resources Fund, which receives revenue from the sale of saltwater fishing licenses. The grants will be divided into three categories:

Starting next month, a drive onto the beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore will require more than a capable vehicle and a little sense of adventure. Motorists also will need to buy a permit.

The movement to open Virginia to Sunday hunting gained momentum Thursday when the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee voted 11-4 to turn a bill over to the full Senate. Similar bills in years past have failed to make it out of committee.