Firearms and Hunting in De VI

"Virgin Islanders are governed by the Revised Organic Act of 1954. Though it has been altered several times over the years by Congress, it doesn't have a second amendment that addresses firearms."

i understand this, but because the VI is still under US law the second amend. still applies under the bastardized guise of the Revised Organic Act. you basically are required to register your gun in the VI. which you do not "have" to do stateside. you have the option though.

so basically, if you want to boil it down. the VI government is attempting to generate a list of all the people who own guns on the island. which will never work, because the criminals will always get their guns. all the list does is help the government when it comes time for them to take your guns. then the only people who will have the guns will be the criminals. sounds like a great idea to me! (sarc)

How long have you lived in Fairbanks?? I lived in Anchorage for almost 4yrs as a kid while my dad was stationed at Elmendorf AFB. Had a great time there as a kid with unbelievable camping trips, skiing and fly in fishing. Still to this day the best fishing I have ever done. Would love to get back up there in May for King season on the Kenai or July to Lake Iliamna for the Red Salmon run or August in Seward for the Silver Salmon and Halibut.......man that was some great fishing.
If you move to the USVI good luck with everything. I lived on St. Thomas for 4yrs and still own my property there. Left all my guns at home except a 9mm. Took and act of congress and urine sample to get legal and I never fired a shot while living there. I can't really imagine hunting on St. Thomas or St. John and have never been to St. Croix. The deer on St. Thomas are the scrub deer type like Key West. I did see a nice 12 pointer on Cabrita Point one day but it still came up to about my hip. Not exactly the black tail deer I used to hunt with my dad for on Kodiak Island that would dress out at over 140lbs. As for dove hunting, I cant imagine getting anywhere on St. Thomas in the brush that would have good sight lines to hunt Dove in the morning or at dusk. I would rather go to the range or throw skeet from the back of a boat for practice with the shotgun then actually hunt dove in the USVI.

Fishing is great in the Virgin Islands but after living in Alaska you would be sadly disapointed with anything having to do with hunting. It would be like going to a USVI beach then going back to Alaska to hang out and snorkel at the beach in Homer.

Most feral animals here are dogs and cats.

I have been in Fairbanks for 4 years up from Seattle. I move around a lot and love to travel. I hate to bring this up again, but honestly what is it like to live in on the islands with the crime as reported in the papers and online? I am truly concerned about it if I decide to move. I plan on doing a pre-move trip in September. Hunting on the island was just an idea, not a necessity for me.

It sounds like some of you are buying guns for protection. I would read up and find out what the law says you are allowed to do as far as protection. As most know this is different in every state. Where I'm from all they have to do is step on your property and you're within your rights to shoot, I don't really think that would hold up in court anymore, but its a reminant from it being a cattle state. What I was told by a couple of different local police here is the law is you sorta have to prove you had not other choice but to fire your gun. For example if they are in your house you have to be as far as possible from any door (trapped) before you fire. Or you have to be able to prove they were going to do you harm before your fire......or you may be in trouble as well.

I would not want to go throw this court system period. It makes much greater sense to me to have some big dogs here (many many need good homes anyways) then to risk have to deal with local police or the local justice system. Comes across as macho and/or stupid to be to insist on carry a concealed gun and holding on to a very outdated admendment then just doing what common sense dictates. People that arent trained to use a gun in stressful situations or have not giving any serious thought to killing someone arent going to be able to go through with it anyways. Get a stun gun or something like that if you want protection, get a gun if you planning on killing someone.

This is a small island. Once you have a gun, presuming you get it legally and register it, word can and does get around. What we have always heard is that it can make you a target for theft. This is like a small town stateside where everyone know your business with the exception that much more of the population is poor or just makeing it paycheck to paycheck and we have an extremely high crime rate based on our population.

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the rock,weed and gas station was going full sale as i was driving by tonight at 10:30, night after night and no one cares.

I care. It makes me crazy. Knowing that some of the readers and posters on the board are involved in law enforcement, is it enough that we put the info on this board or did we jeopardize an on going operation by law enforcement. Back in the states in our neighborhood I knew all the local police officers very well. If I saw something going on I would say something to one of them. They would either check it out or say it's us, don't worry. I haven't been on island long enough to know any of the police officers very well. So what to do? Write the governor?

Have gun, will shoot...

Registering of handguns is required for some states. Such as Michigan.
The USVI process is no more restrictive than many states.

@Sabrina actually 7/8 of hunters harvest the meat and hides of their kills. In fact small islands often call hunters to find help because w/ no predators deer populations run out of control and destroy entire ecosystems. Thus the USVI allowing hunting now. Hunters provide 3/4 of the money that goes to the national forests and the DFG Or DFW. Through tags, benefits, fees, lotteries, and gear. In fact most forest fires are started by careless hikers and kids having campfires un sanctioned and w/ out safety. I hike, I climb , I fish , I hunt. It is society and the spread of people into the wilderness for their “dream homes” that ya killing off entire population of animals. As for the bad shot comment, we are trained and it is customary to not take a shot that cannot be a confirmed kill, if an animal is maimed you travel fir hours finding it to put it down and collect its meat. Sorry fir the rant but getting very tired of our image being tarnished by people that know nothing of the sport, survival of hunting. Everyone’s got no problem buying steak or chicken though huh? Def nothing wrong or cruel about factory farming. Research things you hate thoroughly before you decide to publicly smash on them. You may be surprised. I don’t recall seeing any REI due hardship at any if our forest cleanups or when we dig wells for endangered species in dry areas, or when we clearing out burnt brush or maintaining public forest bathrooms when the government shuts down. I see your point as I shared it with you until the great outdoors saved my life.