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Pennsylvania hunters can rejoice

shanneba

shanneba

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Governor Josh Shapiro signed what he called a “historic” bill on Wednesday, repealing the state’s centuries-old Sunday Hunting ban.

House Bill 1431, sponsored by State Rep. Mandy Steele (D-33), expands recreational opportunities for hunters, including the addition of a seventh day of hunting. The bill garnered bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

Before the bill was signed, it was unlawful to hunt on Sundays, unless you were hunting for foxes, crows, and coyotes. Individual small and large game had certain seasons that allowed for specific Sunday hunting days.

 
One additional day will make a difference in bag limits and boost license sales...really. I grew up in central PA. You never heard complaints of NOT being able to able to hunt on Sunday. Deer harvest was typically a success statewide.
 
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Phaser said:
One additional day will make a difference in bag limits and boost license sales...really. I grew up in central PA. You never heard complaints of NOT being able to able to hunt on Sunday. Deer harvest was typically a success statewide.
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I can't imagine people that have jobs are happy about only having one possible day to hunt on the weekend. The law is stupid and pointless and probably unconstitutional.
 
Bassbob said:
I can't imagine people that have jobs are happy about only having one possible day to hunt on the weekend. The law is stupid and pointless and probably unconstitutional.
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Diehard hunters as long as hunting was allowed planned months ahead for the BIG opening day...time was always set aside from the grind to be in the woods at daybreak. PA opening day of Fall deer season was the premiere event next to a PSU home football game. What has changed...I'd venture to say someone is up for reelection.
 
JMHO, and I know I'm going against the grain, but all God's creatures deserve one day of rest. Yes there was years where in the fall I worked 6-7 days a week. I had to be satisfied with an hour or so here and there.
Phaser said:
Diehard hunters as long as hunting was allowed planned months ahead for the BIG opening day...time was always set aside from the grind to be in the woods at daybreak.
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THIS!
 
Phaser said:
One additional day will make a difference in bag limits
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It's not just one additional day . ( Generally , in most states ) the greatest number of Hunter Hours in the Field is opening day . Not uncommonly as much or more on opening day , than rest of season combined .

Changing Opening Day to Opening Weekend will nearly double the Hunter Hours Afield .

To keep approximate parity of harvest , other modifications will be made . Think shortened seasons , smaller bag limits , etc .
 
Doesn't the PA Deer hunting season open the Monday after Thanksgiving. Deer will already have had 6 days of high pressure hunting on the State Game Lands. Don't see it affecting much for "extra" harvest days.

Left PA 14 years ago. The Monday after Thanksgiving was always a unofficial State holiday it seemed being the first day of Deer Season
 
So my brother started hunting maybe a moon ago and has his free time and sets up his days to hunt but sunday relieves that time and planning. He might bag a deer on a free monday but if you can't be in the woods freezing than you can't get a deer.

And not for nothing sundays off was/is a religious thing and everybodys beliefs should be "respected" not control everybodys lives. And hunting closed on most sundays is a 2A infringement.
 
no life said:
So my brother started hunting maybe a moon ago and has his free time and sets up his days to hunt but sunday relieves that time and planning. He might bag a deer on a free monday but if you can't be in the woods freezing than you can't get a deer.

And not for nothing sundays off was/is a religious thing and everybodys beliefs should be "respected" not control everybodys lives. And hunting closed on most sundays is a 2A infringement.
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Agree, i’m not a big fan of blue laws. People have every right to and absolutely should without any persecution practice their beliefs, but that is to the individual and god, not a mandate for all.
 
I am not a fan of the Saturday opener. I am a lifelong resident of PA, and have been hunting since I was 12 years old, and am now five months short of seventy years old.
My Thanksgiving weekend has been altered by this new change, and I can't think that many small businesses are not affected by it as well.
Long gone are the breakfasts and gun raffles that used to be prevalent.
I used to have Thanksgiving with my family, and then had all day Friday to prepare and tie up any lose ends as well as spend some time with family that had traveled (sometimes great distances) to spend the holiday. I could then leave on Saturday, and drive the 150 miles to camp and set up my stand. Sunday was a day to let things rest and settle down (as well as listen to some football on the radio and converse with other camp members.
I have heard the argument that all that was done was a big drunken drinkfest during the old days, but (at least in our camp) we were not big drinkers and spent the time talking(telling lies) and maybe doing some little projects to make the camp experience better.
This change has not been a good one for me, and I personally know of several hunters who have stopped going altogether because of it. I will continue to hunt because I have always done so, but for any new hunters that have come on, there have been many who have given it up.
 
And plenty of states have the Saturday tradition.

Less dilly dally on Friday, leave Friday afternoon. Hunt Saturday, and drinking and poker Saturday night .

It gives opportunity for the people working M-F . Local businesses in hunting areas do booming business, with the greater number of Hunters .
 
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