PA Sunday Hunting ban repealed?

[Bonasababy]

Anyone following this action out east, where one of the few states that still has blue laws--preventing any hunting on Sundays--was up for being repealed?

Looks like a Senate bill passed just the other day, with some allowances to the farm bureau and others who made demands in exchange for their support.

From afar, it looks like some of the old arguments against dropping the ban--for example it would create safety issues (I know, pretty weak!) were discounted with evidence from a few sundays that were made open by another bill a few years ago--no safety issues at all for those few sundays that were open.

Any PA folks that can speak to whether this is it, does their house need to pass as well, can the governor veto? The farm bureau's demand for wide open ability to farmers to shoot deer at anytime if causing damage looks like it passed too--doesn't that create a bad situation where it's impossible to verify such killing is actually taken when real damage occurs? Seems like an open invitation to shoot deer anytime they want for any reason.

Always been interesting to me--and I would guess many on this board --to know some live in a place where you can't hunt on sundays.

 

[Scott85]

Can’t stand the farm bureau. They have been a road block for many good hunting bills.

 

[Mallardsx2]

The farm bureau has been a thorn in hunters sides in PA for a loooong time.

 

[Keep on]

My understanding is that a bill has passed the PA senate, and one is now up for consideration in the PA house. Both chambers need to pass the bill and it could be vetoed by the governor, but as I understand it, he has stated that he will not veto if it passes the house and senate. This has been a political can that they love to keep kicking down the road. I'm not holding my breath.
I will mostly be sad to see the ban go away when it eventually does, but purely for selfish reasons. The USFWS doesn't count Sundays against our waterfowl seasons, so we get over a week added to the overall length of the duck season, allowing for more calendar weeks to hit the migration. However, if I worked a regular Mon-Fri schedule I'd be heavily in favor of ending the Sunday ban.
It's probably going to happen in the next year or two, but holy cow will minds be blown. LOL. There is still an uproar in PA from the same old farts who will be heavily against allowing Sundays, from when they went from a Monday deer opener to a Saturday, and that was years ago.

 

[popeyoung12]

Blue laws for Sunday buying cars, beer, and hunting is insane last century stupid. And these are the same states where 1st cousin wedding are legal?? Lol.

 

[wvhunter304]

Thank God for Sunday hunting. It has been so well received here in WV. Hopefully, Pennsylvania puts to rest the antiquated blue law.

 

[Bob-WY]

I'd be more interested in the wffect on the deer kill. For thise that work M-F this basically ads a day, so does it double hu table days for some? If so does that change the deer kill significantly?

 

[Mallardsx2]

I'd be more interested in the wffect on the deer kill. For thise that work M-F this basically ads a day, so does it double hu table days for some? If so does that change the deer kill significantly?

Yes. Big time.

 

[wvhunter304]

Yes. Big time.

Didn't have any significant changes in WV.

 

[wvhunter304]

No correlation between Sundays afield and harvesting too many deer.

As an American, I think decisions should be made in favor of the working man. I work pipeline and the occasional Sunday is the only day I get off.

 

[Bonasababy]

I'd be more interested in the wffect on the deer kill. For thise that work M-F this basically ads a day, so does it double hu table days for some? If so does that change the deer kill significantly?

Not sure it would be huge increase. I would guess it's a zoo on Saturdays? At least on some public lands? Id guess pressure would be more spread out. People who might shoot one on Saturday might hold off with another day to hunt.

 

[pabearhunter]

Not sure it would be huge increase. I would guess it's a zoo on Saturdays? At least on some public lands? Id guess pressure would be more spread out. People who might shoot one on Saturday might hold off with another day to hunt.

Maybe they would have to back OFF SOME OF the doe permits !!

 

[Two Trax]

My guess is that most of the replies supporting it are not landowners. Pa has very weak trespass laws, really nonexistent. I own several hundred acres and completely understand and support no Sunday hunting. At least I know one day a week I can utilize my own land as I see fit without worry of a trespasser shooting myself or my dogs whom are often with me.

If they want to open state game lands for Sunday hunting, then I am fine with that, but let us landowners have one day we can enjoy our property without risk of incident.

 

[Corn king 60]

If (and it will) the bill passes all it does is give the pa game commission the ability to include Sundays in the seasons. Game commission will love it. It fits right into the slaughter of the doe population agenda they have.one thing not many people seem to understand is the property rights issue included with this bill.unless they change it any dog runner that has a dog run onto property they don’t have permission to be on, they can enter said property day or night to retrieve their dog. I’m a farm owner and 20 years ago was not in favor of Sunday hunting,but hunting out west has changed my mind,if they adjust the length of the seasons to account for it. For example our early archery is a 7 week season that just turned into a 8 week season if the game commission doesn’t adjust it. There are other things in this bill that are schetcy that I could go on about,but I’ll just give myself a headache

 

[wvhunter304]

My guess is that most of the replies supporting it are not landowners. Pa has very weak trespass laws, really nonexistent. I own several hundred acres and completely understand and support no Sunday hunting. At least I know one day a week I can utilize my own land as I see fit without worry of a trespasser shooting myself or my dogs whom are often with me.

If they want to open state game lands for Sunday hunting, then I am fine with that, but let us landowners have one day we can enjoy our property without risk of incident.

This was the same argument in West Virginia and was found to be absolutely baseless and unwarranted?

Do you honestly think trespassers obey a Sunday prohibition?

You can utilize your land seven days a week how you see fit. You can even not allow Sunday hunting in your land and NOTHING would change for you.

You would just no longer be able to dictate how Others UTILIZE THEIR LAND AS THEY SEE FIT!

 

[Two Trax]

This was the same argument in West Virginia and was found to be absolutely baseless and unwarranted?

Do you honestly think trespassers obey a Sunday prohibition?

You can utilize your land seven days a week how you see fit. You can even not allow Sunday hunting in your land and NOTHING would change for you.

You would just no longer be able to dictate how Others UTILIZE THEIR LAND AS THEY SEE FIT!

Yea I absolutely do not believe just because someone chooses to trespass, they would also automatically break another law by adding hunting on an illegal day to their bad deeds.

I DO NOT and NEVER did dictate how others use their land. Those laws were passed by the government, not me.

Opinions vary, you have yours and I have mine.

 

[PAGOAT]

Hopefully it passes, but any change in PA is the end of the world to a lot of people here. An extra couple days a season to hunt and people will be shot if they go for a walk or all the doe will be killed . Now if you would really like to start a discussion bring up the topic of changing the opening day of gun season from Monday to Saturday.

 

[Two Trax]

If PA would put some real teeth in trespass law, I could support it. How about a $3,000 fine and loss of hunting privilege for 3 years for trespass? Certainly people would think twice, especially after a few examples have been made.

 

[Mallardsx2]

If PA would put some real teeth in trespass law, I could support it. How about a $3,000 fine and loss of hunting privilege for 3 years for trespass? Certainly people would think twice, especially after a few examples have been made.

You still would have to fight off the Amish. They don’t abide by English law.

 

[Two Trax]

No Amish around here. Actually They pretty much stick to themselves but they are pretty hard on the deer population.