Pennsylvania allows (some) Sunday hunting

[Desk Jockey]

A little news from back east.

Never understood while this law persisted so long in the most hunting focused (hunters per Capita) eastern state. Finally getting 3 Sundays of hunting in deer season.

Interesting that they also require permission to hunt private land. It used to be something of a right to roam state where you could hunt others private land unless it was posted with signs. A group of local boys have been doing a deer drive across the back of my land for years without ever asking for permission. I wonder if they got the memo.

Sunday hunting approved in Pennsylvania

Governor signs bill into law that will allow hunting up to three Sundays each year

www.gohunt.com

 

[PMcGee]

Unfortunately I don’t think the new law will change anything with trespassing.


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[elkstabber]

VA did it in 2014. The fact is that the only states with Sunday hunting bans are from the original 13 colonies. Our state (commonwealth) governments just think "older is better".

I'm glad to see that PA opened it partially. In a year or two you can get it opened up more. Old thinking is best changed with small incremental changes. In VA we still don't have Sunday hunting on public land, but we will get it soon.

 

[MallardSX2]

You will never stop the trespassing in PA. Its unlike anything I have ever seen.

"Oh, I didn't know"
"Oh, I got permission from so and so"
"Oh, I came in here in the dark"
"Oh, I thought this was Frank Smiths Property"
"Oh, the last guy that owed this said it was OK to hunt here"
"Oh, I'm lost"
"Oh, are you sure you know where your line is?"

I have heard them all at one point or another...

 

[Diesel]

I bought 100 acres in the middle of the national forest years ago to get away from it all. I live here full time. People have hundreds of thousands of acres to hunt here on public and timber company land. Yet they surround my property like I have all the deer in an invisible fence keeping them all for myself.

I posted my land after several years because people drove thru on my well roads road hunting and shooting out the windows. Trash and beer cans were littered throughout. I even have bullet holes in the old cabin and have no idea who made those shots.

In Pa you can hunt big game from the first of October to the middle of January. Thats three and a half months. Unlike most western states, where your hunt is limited timewise, Pa lets you hunt different weapons for months. Archery season last 5 to 6 weeks alone. Yet that is not enough. The argument that you cannot get off work to hunt is ridiculous with this many weeks available. Somehow people find the time off to make the trek to hunt western states yet the need Sunday to hunt at home.

The constant intrusion and parade of people wanting to hunt what they think is the honey hole of all honey holes gets to you after a bit. If I drove down to the suburbs and set up my treestand in THEIR backyard on Sunday morning, they might get the point. Sunday is a day of rest and a day I can let my dogs out to run without fear of them being shot.

If they made the law so that hunting on Sunday was for state game lands only, or hunting on your own land, I could see some merit.

As a land owner in Pa. and a life long hunter, I oppose Sunday hunting here without restrictions.

 

[elkstabber]

The argument that you cannot get off work to hunt is ridiculous with this many weeks available.

Diesel, do your kids play any sports? How is it that you don't have busy weekends? Man, Saturdays are full of activities and before VA allowed Sunday hunting we hardly had much time to hunt. Now we do. Sunday hunting has been great for getting families to go hunting together.

 

[BeaverHunter]

I bought 100 acres in the middle of the national forest years ago to get away from it all. I live here full time. People have hundreds of thousands of acres to hunt here on public and timber company land. Yet they surround my property like I have all the deer in an invisible fence keeping them all for myself.

I posted my land after several years because people drove thru on my well roads road hunting and shooting out the windows. Trash and beer cans were littered throughout. I even have bullet holes in the old cabin and have no idea who made those shots.

In Pa you can hunt big game from the first of October to the middle of January. Thats three and a half months. Unlike most western states, where your hunt is limited timewise, Pa lets you hunt different weapons for months. Archery season last 5 to 6 weeks alone. Yet that is not enough. The argument that you cannot get off work to hunt is ridiculous with this many weeks available. Somehow people find the time off to make the trek to hunt western states yet the need Sunday to hunt at home.

The constant intrusion and parade of people wanting to hunt what they think is the honey hole of all honey holes gets to you after a bit. If I drove down to the suburbs and set up my treestand in THEIR backyard on Sunday morning, they might get the point. Sunday is a day of rest and a day I can let my dogs out to run without fear of them being shot.

If they made the law so that hunting on Sunday was for state game lands only, or hunting on your own land, I could see some merit.

As a land owner in Pa. and a life long hunter, I oppose Sunday hunting here without restrictions.

Sounds like you're upset about people trespassing on your land. Not sure why you would be against other people hunting on a day that you choose not to hunt?

 

[PMcGee]

The whole Sunday is a day of rest is BS. If you don’t want to hunt Sunday you don’t have to. Yes I take 2 weeks to go out west hunting every year and I can hunt Sunday’s there. I should be able to hunt whatever day I want in my home state.


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[Diesel]

I don't know how we used to do it. Raising kids, having a job, keeping up with the honey do lists. Yet we somehow managed to get some hunting in and had to travel some at times to hunt to boot because there was little big game in my area at the time.

Everyone has priorities. I applaud you for putting your kids first. And I am happy you can hunt in your state everyday.

I realize there will be those who take a different position on the topic. I am merely pointing out some reasons why it may have been this way for all these years and why I am opposed.

One more point. In the early days of this country, religion was more central to people's lives and Sunday was set aside as the Lord's day. A day of rest, a day to spend with family. And so the limits established for bars being open and hunting and other activities were common , especially in the 13 colonies. Today religion is less important to many and those "blue laws" are disappearing. While I am not a particularly religious man, I can see the point of those land owners that are. and their reasons to oppose.

YMMV.

 

[Diesel]

Guys,
I am not mad at those who want to hunt on Sunday. I am simply stating the reasons why I am not for it.

Is it still OK to have another view?

 

[elkstabber]

Diesel, I appreciate hearing your perspective. But, we live on a farm and we really appreciate that its now legal to hunt on our land every day of the season.

We absolutely hated that the law kept us from hunting our land on Sunday.

Even weirder is the trapping law. In VA we are required to check each trap daily in order to release or dispatch catches. For a number of years I was required to shoot coyotes in my traps on Sundays. But, if that coyote was standing next to my trap I wasn't allowed to shoot him. Yep, that might be one of the dumbest laws ever. I'm glad that VA finally fixed it in 2014.

As recently as 1976 there were counties in VA that prohibited fishing on Sundays. Whew! Talk about dumb.

But, dumb blue laws aren't gone yet. I think it's still illegal to buy, sell, or trade a vehicle on Sunday in PA. Yet, it is legal buy, sell, or trade motorcycles. Is that blue law still in effect in PA?

 

[Hunt41]

I welcome the change to allow some Sunday hunting! Mostly for other hunters who have limited opportunities.
Myself, I always liked the day off.

 

[Diesel]

Diesel, I appreciate hearing your perspective. But, we live on a farm and we really appreciate that its now legal to hunt on our land every day of the season.

We absolutely hated that the law kept us from hunting our land on Sunday.

Even weirder is the trapping law. In VA we are required to check each trap daily in order to release or dispatch catches. For a number of years I was required to shoot coyotes in my traps on Sundays. But, if that coyote was standing next to my trap I wasn't allowed to shoot him. Yep, that might be one of the dumbest laws ever. I'm glad that VA finally fixed it in 2014.

As recently as 1976 there were counties in VA that prohibited fishing on Sundays. Whew! Talk about dumb.

But, dumb blue laws aren't gone yet. I think it's still illegal to buy, sell, or trade a vehicle on Sunday in PA. Is that blue law still in effect in PA?

I sure don't know all the blue laws, so I can't say which ones still exist. We as a country are moving away from such restrictions. Hunting restrictions for Sunday in Pa will eventually disappear sure enough. That is the reality and I will of the planet soon enough too.

Times are a changing. Just this year Pa opened rifle season on a Saturday instead of Monday. It was the least shooting I have ever heard for an opener. The weather was good so that wasn't it. I am curious as to the harvest totals and the opinions of the hunters on whether they like Saturday as opener or not.

Every change has effects. In rural mountainous parts of Pa, the local small businesses depend on the business generated by hunters. Small convenience stores, bars, restaurants, gas stations etc. need that boost in revenue to make it thru the rest of the year. Just changing the opening day has had a huge effect on those businesses.

In the past, hunters came to the big woods and camps on Friday evenings. The bars and meat stores and gas stations were busy as everyone got their supplies. Saturday was for scouting, getting firewood, watching football, playing cards and all the camp stuff, hitting the taverns. Sunday was for big meals, shooting the breeze, telling the old stories and prepping the kids. Money was spent and the local economy got its boost. Kids were introduced to the traditions and most hooked on the experience. AND then the hunt started on Monday (In Pa Kids have Monday off to hunt). Most headed home that night but some hunted Tuesday. The old guys and dedicated hunters kept on hunting.

With just changing the opener to Saturday, now most hunters rush up to camp on Friday evening and don't have any camp life because hunting starts in the morning. They hunt Saturday and there is a steady stream of traffic headed back home that night. Kids don't get the full experience and therefor not as likely to take it hunting up, business gets less of a boost, and camp life will fade away.

Not all change is good and there is something to be said about traditions.

For all of you younger guys that will not get to experience how it was, my deepest sympathy.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Guys,
I am not mad at those who want to hunt on Sunday. I am simply stating the reasons why I am not for it.

Is it still OK to have another view?

Respect for your point of view, my friend. I am on the other side. I have family and property in PA but live in New York. Have tried to get some buddies to come hunt with me in PA but it doesn’t work because we can’t make a 3-4 day weekend out of it like we can In NY. I have heard that it costs PA upwards of $750 million in lost hunting related revenue (food, gas, lodging, etc.) because it keeps people out of the woods. You could say that those people are mostly out of state or casual hunters and maybe you don’t really care to have them hunt PA. However, at a time when we need to be adding more hunters to sustain our pastime, blue laws are just an anachronistic impediment IMO.

I am speaking from first hand experience of someone that has to leave work Friday, haul ass to PA to sit Saturday AM and Evening and then can’t hunt Sunday unless I come back to NY. That alone makes me hunt my NY options more and makes it marginal for me to buy a PA tag each year. I average 2 deer a year bow hunting and only 2 deer in the last 5 years hunting in PA because of the Sunday restriction and how it impacts my hunting.

 

[PMcGee]

I sure don't know all the blue laws, so I can't say which ones still exist. We as a country are moving away from such restrictions. Hunting restrictions for Sunday in Pa will eventually disappear sure enough. That is the reality and I will of the planet soon enough too.

Times are a changing. Just this year Pa opened rifle season on a Saturday instead of Monday. It was the least shooting I have ever heard for an opener. The weather was good so that wasn't it. I am curious as to the harvest totals and the opinions of the hunters on whether they like Saturday as opener or not.

Every change has effects. In rural mountainous parts of Pa, the local small businesses depend on the business generated by hunters. Small convenience stores, bars, restaurants, gas stations etc. need that boost in revenue to make it thru the rest of the year. Just changing the opening day has had a huge effect on those businesses.

In the past, hunters came to the big woods and camps on Friday evenings. The bars and meat stores and gas stations were busy as everyone got their supplies. Saturday was for scouting, getting firewood, watching football, playing cards and all the camp stuff, hitting the taverns. Sunday was for big meals, shooting the breeze, telling the old stories and prepping the kids. Money was spent and the local economy got its boost. Kids were introduced to the traditions and most hooked on the experience. AND then the hunt started on Monday (In Pa Kids have Monday off to hunt). Most headed home that night but some hunted Tuesday. The old guys and dedicated hunters kept on hunting.

With just changing the opener to Saturday, now most hunters rush up to camp on Friday evening and don't have any camp life because hunting starts in the morning. They hunt Saturday and there is a steady stream of traffic headed back home that night. Kids don't get the full experience and therefor not as likely to take it hunting up, business gets less of a boost, and camp life will fade away.

Not all change is good and there is something to be said about traditions.

For all of you younger guys that will not get to experience how it was, my deepest sympathy.

I hear this argument from some older guys I hunt with up north and I don’t get it. Nobody has to go home Saturday or Sunday. They can stay and hunt. I don’t think it has anything to do with the day the season opens. We still all go up Friday night have some beers at the cabin then get up and hunt Saturday. We still go out Saturday night and Sunday to the local establishments. I think it has to do more with hunters themselves not the seasons dates. If I could hunt Sunday’s I’d probably hunt up there more often but it’s tough to drive over 2 hrs to only be able to hunt Saturday.


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[AK Troutbum]

I never really understood the whole idea of not being able to hunt on Sunday’s, especially when it was set up and regulated like it has been in PA. where there were just certain species that you could and couldn’t hunt on Sunday. Also, if you are going to have those laws, why stop there, why not restrict fishing on Sundays as well? Or even take it a few steps further and shut down everything on Sundays, so folks are practically forced to rest?


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[Hmr]

I sure don't know all the blue laws, so I can't say which ones still exist. We as a country are moving away from such restrictions. Hunting restrictions for Sunday in Pa will eventually disappear sure enough. That is the reality and I will of the planet soon enough too.
Times are a changing. Just this year Pa opened rifle season on a Saturday instead of Monday. It was the least shooting I have ever heard for an opener. The weather was good so that wasn't it. I am curious as to the harvest totals and the opinions of the hunters on whether they like Saturday as opener or not.

Every change has effects. In rural mountainous parts of Pa, the local small businesses depend on the business generated by hunters. Small convenience stores, bars, restaurants, gas stations etc. need that boost in revenue to make it thru the rest of the year. Just changing the opening day has had a huge effect on those businesses.

In the past, hunters came to the big woods and camps on Friday evenings. The bars and meat stores and gas stations were busy as everyone got their supplies. Saturday was for scouting, getting firewood, watching football, playing cards and all the camp stuff, hitting the taverns. Sunday was for big meals, shooting the breeze, telling the old stories and prepping the kids. Money was spent and the local economy got its boost. Kids were introduced to the traditions and most hooked on the experience. AND then the hunt started on Monday (In Pa Kids have Monday off to hunt). Most headed home that night but some hunted Tuesday. The old guys and dedicated hunters kept on hunting.

With just changing the opener to Saturday, now most hunters rush up to camp on Friday evening and don't have any camp life because hunting starts in the morning. They hunt Saturday and there is a steady stream of traffic headed back home that night. Kids don't get the full experience and therefor not as likely to take it hunting up, business gets less of a boost, and camp life will fade away.

Not all change is good and there is something to be said about traditions.

For all of you younger guys that will not get to experience how it was, my deepest sympathy.

I’m right there with you Diesel. As a PA resident and landowner as well, most people from other areas just don’t understand how it really is here.

 

[camping1601]

I sure don't know all the blue laws, so I can't say which ones still exist. We as a country are moving away from such restrictions. Hunting restrictions for Sunday in Pa will eventually disappear sure enough. That is the reality and I will of the planet soon enough too.

Times are a changing. Just this year Pa opened rifle season on a Saturday instead of Monday. It was the least shooting I have ever heard for an opener. The weather was good so that wasn't it. I am curious as to the harvest totals and the opinions of the hunters on whether they like Saturday as opener or not.

Every change has effects. In rural mountainous parts of Pa, the local small businesses depend on the business generated by hunters. Small convenience stores, bars, restaurants, gas stations etc. need that boost in revenue to make it thru the rest of the year. Just changing the opening day has had a huge effect on those businesses.

In the past, hunters came to the big woods and camps on Friday evenings. The bars and meat stores and gas stations were busy as everyone got their supplies. Saturday was for scouting, getting firewood, watching football, playing cards and all the camp stuff, hitting the taverns. Sunday was for big meals, shooting the breeze, telling the old stories and prepping the kids. Money was spent and the local economy got its boost. Kids were introduced to the traditions and most hooked on the experience. AND then the hunt started on Monday (In Pa Kids have Monday off to hunt). Most headed home that night but some hunted Tuesday. The old guys and dedicated hunters kept on hunting.

With just changing the opener to Saturday, now most hunters rush up to camp on Friday evening and don't have any camp life because hunting starts in the morning. They hunt Saturday and there is a steady stream of traffic headed back home that night. Kids don't get the full experience and therefor not as likely to take it hunting up, business gets less of a boost, and camp life will fade away.

Not all change is good and there is something to be said about traditions.

For all of you younger guys that will not get to experience how it was, my deepest sympathy.

It wouldn't surprise me if it goes back to a Mon. start. The difference compared to years past was more than I expected. Camps empty till Fri. night and I don't recall hearing of any hunter breakfasts or dinners. Those dinner events were pretty standard at rural fire halls the weekend before.

 

[Diesel]

Respect for your point of view, my friend. I am on the other side. I have family and property in PA but live in New York. Have tried to get some buddies to come hunt with me in PA but it doesn’t work because we can’t make a 3-4 day weekend out of it like we can In NY. I have heard that it costs PA upwards of $750 million in lost hunting related revenue (food, gas, lodging, etc.) because it keeps people out of the woods. You could say that those people are mostly out of state or casual hunters and maybe you don’t really care to have them hunt PA. However, at a time when we need to be adding more hunters to sustain our pastime, blue laws are just an anachronistic impediment IMO.

I am speaking from first hand experience of someone that has to leave work Friday, haul ass to PA to sit Saturday AM and Evening and then can’t hunt Sunday unless I come back to NY. That alone makes me hunt my NY options more and makes it marginal for me to buy a PA tag each year. I average 2 deer a year bow hunting and only 2 deer in the last 5 years hunting in PA because of the Sunday restriction and how it impacts my hunting.

Glad you take part in both states and agree we need all the hunters we can get to keep it going. Kids especially as they are the future. Also glad there are guys like you who buy land in Pa. and hunt here.

I guess I just don't like change. The old traditions worked for me and is what started me hunting many moons ago. Don't fret, Sunday hunting will be here shortly.

 

[Diesel]

While I know there is no holding these changes back, I don't have to like it.

The Pa game commission is struggling to find a reversal to declining hunter numbers in Pa. Unfortunately the new changes have not helped. It may be a little early to make that claim, but recruitment will not come from more days available to hunt.

Kids and others need to be drawn into hunting by the whole experience. Not much allure for a kid to sit in the woods in the cold or rain on a chance to get a shot alone. It takes all the activities and freedoms and to be away from the routine of everyday life. It has to be fun, exciting. There has to be a build up of anticipation so strong that it is hard to go to sleep. It is peer review the day you get home on who got "their deer".

As we go thru the different stages of maturing as hunters, our priorities change. It is the experiences, not the kills that we will remember.

Anything that limits the experience will be at the detriment of hunting. So no more Sundays off or changing openers to Saturday limits the time to be exposed to other aspects to the hunting traditions.

It is my belief that kill the traditions and you will lessen the draw for new folks to be attracted to a way of life so dear to me.