Deer dog hunting is a tradition many South Carolina families have passed down for generations, legal today only in Game Zones 2 and 3. But every hunting season, some property owners deal with the same problem: hunting dogs crossing onto their land without permission, again and again, with little accountability for the hunters responsible.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources recently finished a round of public listening sessions on the conflict. Now the issue moves to the South Carolina General Assembly, which could take up new proposals once the legislature reconvenes in the new year.

Here's what gives this fight a real shot at a fair outcome: the people on opposite sides are already talking to each other. Attorney Chad Fuller, who represents property owners through the Property Protection Alliance of South Carolina, put it plainly: "We do not want deer dog hunting to go away, period. What we do want to have is respect for our property rights."

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree the real fix isn't new restrictions, it's follow-through. As Rep. Robby Robbins, R-Dorchester, said, "I do believe personally that it's an enforcement issue, and how do we best enforce the laws that are on the books right now?"

South Carolina already has trespassing laws on the books. What's missing is the funding and staffing to enforce them consistently, so responsible hunters can keep their tradition alive and landowners can stop dreading every hunting season.

Sign the petition to demand the South Carolina General Assembly fund real enforcement of existing trespassing laws, before another season passes without a fix.