RALEIGH, N.C. – Ending the 140-year-old ban on Sunday hunting with guns in North Carolina has one week to stay alive at the Legislature.

A Senate judiciary panel scheduled debate Tuesday on the proposed repeal. The bill is on a long list of bills up for consideration during the General Assembly’s so-called crossover week. Bills unrelated to spending or taxes that don’t pass one chamber by Thursday are unlikely to be heard again until 2011.

North Carolina is one of 11 states that restrict Sunday hunting.

Bill supporters argue it’s an archaic law that prevents hardworking citizens from being able to hunt on what may be their only day off. But a 2006 consultant’s report found that two-thirds of the state population opposed lifting the ban.

The legislature is considering whether to allow hunting on Sundays, the N&O reports.

John McCain and Barack Obama spoke about hunting and fishing in a Q&A with Field & Stream magazine:
     
      Q: Do you hunt and fish?
      OBAMA: You know, when you’re in the South Side of Chicago, there’s not too much, too many opportunities for hunting and fishing. When I was a kid, I grew up in Hawaii, and so I would go fishing with my grandfather. And when I got older, actually, we did spearfishing there, which was sort of a combination of hunting and fishing. You know, we would snorkel. I didn’t scuba dive at the time, but I would snorkel and (use a) spear gun. And some of my best memories are going down there with friends of mine. In Illinois, I haven’t gone hunting and fishing.

      Q: Do you own a gun?
      MCCAIN: I do not. I have used weapons most of my adult life in the military from when I first entered the Naval Academy, being out on the rifle and pistol range. I carried a pistol in combat. Never got a chance to use it (laughs). So I’m very familiar. But I just haven’t gotten into hunting. I have a son who’s a hunter.
      Q: Do you fish?
      MCCAIN: Oh, I fish all the time. I fish for catfish. I fish for bass. I fish for bluegill that all are on our property and in Oak Creek, which is our property up in northern Arizona. It’s on Oak Creek. Also, there is a fish hatchery that’s down from us – not on the property – obviously the state fish hatchery, trout, but I have to admit to you I’ve never caught one of their trout. Maybe they’ve never put them into the creek near our home. … I fish in the creek, and we have a pond that we have fish in, as well. We have one catfish who I’ve hooked at least 10 times who always is able to get to the piling of our little dock and break the line. He must have at least 10 hooks hanging out of his mouth. We do stock it with catfish.
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