Sunday Update =

Is this on supporting HB1760(regulatory transfer) or supporting the expansion of Sunday hunting, Doc? At the Game and Fish hearing, the PFSC rep said that the PFSC supports the regulatory transfer.  I do not recall him saying that the PFSC supports the exapnsion of Sunday hunting.

Thanks Doc.

On number 1, shouldn't that read "Do you support expanding Sunday hunting" since we already have Sunday hunting.  If the delegates return a "no" that could be interpreted that the PFSC does not support coyote and crow hunting on Sundays?
 
Number 3 is also easily misunderstood.  Hopefully that is explained in detail to the various club members when feedback is asked for.

To tell the truth I was not a member when the coyote and crow hunting came up, so I have no idea who did or did not support that, but I believe that was decided by politicians not sportsmen, so do not even know if the PFSC got involved .. but I could be wrong...

I do know the local guys that hunt yotes and crows on Sunday said they liked it.. but did not want it to be expanded to other species.. especially deer and small game ...

but again these are local folks who do not want to lose the local farms they now hunt that is private land posted but owners will give permission to hunt 6 days a week ..

I hear ya. I saw and heard the confusion as soon as that statement was released. Caught many by surprise.  I do think the PFSC was playing catch up with the other orgs that polled the membership and came out with firm positions on the issue.  The PFSC was always looked at as a leader among sportsmens groups but that have been slow to react lately on contentious issues.  I kinda feel they had to say something, even though they were not prepared to do so.

Just saying that is the PFSC is gonna go with that wording in question number 1, they may be backing themselves into a corner that they do not want to be in.

It did take legislation to allow coyotes and crows on Sundays.  The fact of the matter is Sunday hunting is already legal for certain species.  If the PSFC returns a "no" on question number 1, as it is worded now, they in effect have said that they do not support the hunting of coyotes and crows on Sundays.

Just trying to help you out here.  I would suggest a reword to "Do you support the expansion of Sunday hunting opportunities". 

why dont you support sunday hunting doc?  is it religious, business, tradition, what is the reason?

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

If Sunday hunting becomes the rule.. then I can suck it up and live with it.. BUT I want the politicians making that call.. they are the ones that put the law in place not the PGC

And these politicians are the ones that have to change the law, just as you want.   If the law is changed, it will on the hands of our representatives. 
 
There will be those that blame the PGC, but I tend to think that many of these same folks blame them for others things, already.  Usually in regards to the deer program. 
 
There will some non-hunters/landowners that do not agree with any expansion of Sunday hunting, but it will be the PGC's and hunter's responsibilty to ease the transition and fears that wrongly exist. 

"At the Game and Fish hearing, the PFSC rep said that the PFSC supports the regulatory transfer. I do not recall him saying that the PFSC supports the exapnsion of Sunday hunting."

Not true and you know it dpms! We discussed this already. I watched the meeting live stream. The rep from PennFed stated that Pennfed SUPPORTS SUNDAY HUNTING, But supports regulatory transfer by a wider margin.

He was then asked if they took a recent poll, the answer was they TRIED, but NO! And some of the reps, that were apparently members, were not very happy with that answer.

But yeah, he said they DID support sunday hunting expansion. Base on what, who knows? Probably nothing other than a few higher ups desire to see some more deer whacked to save the environment.

ORIGINAL: wayne c

Not true and you know it dpms!

No I don't know it, Wayne.  If the rep said the PFSC supports exanding Sunday hunting then I stand corrected.  I didn't take notes.  You are so quick to try to discredit those you do not agree with.

Edit:  Just dug up the testimony from the PFSC at the hearing.    He did say that the PFSC is slightly on the supportive side in regards to Sunday hunting.  IMO, the only firm position that the PFSC states in contained in the last paragraph below in regards to the regulatory transfer." Therefore, PFSC wholeheartedly supports a change in legislation that would remove the issue of Sunday hunting from the political legislative process, and instead place it under the control of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, thus allowing it to go through the proposal process that all other season and bag limit changes go through."
 
That is how I remembered it which is what I stated in the previous post.




House Game and Fisheries Committee Hearing
Sunday Hunting
Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Chairman Evans, Chairman Staback, members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Ben Koncewicz. I am here today representing the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. PFSC currently represents over 73,000 sportsmen and women, comprised of 240 affiliated clubs in 40 counties, individual members and 6 statewide organizations.

Sunday hunting is not a new topic for this Committee, or the Federation. It has been debated in club meetings, division meetings, official hearings, hunting camps, and in the field. It is an issue that stirs passionate and varied opinions when being debated.

There are those here today that will talk to you about the merits of Sunday hunting and there will be those opposing any changes to the current system. We are not here today to debate the pros and cons of either side of the issue itself. What we are here today to support is a change to the way the issue is decided.

There was a time when even the mention of Sunday hunting was strongly opposed by a vast majority of PFSC members. However, recently that opposition has been softening, and as an organization, the PFSC’s direction has moved from being divided down the middle, to now being slightly on the supportive side. Support goes even higher when the discussion turns to “who should be deciding the issue of Sunday hunting.”

Sunday hunting regulation is currently controlled by the legislature. PFSC believes that whether or not we allow hunting on Sunday should be decided based on wildlife management recommendations, and not decided based on political opinions. The decision should be decided by our wildlife agency through the season and bag limits process, like all other hunting seasons, dates and times.

A large majority of our members are not supportive of an all-out removal of the Sunday hunting prohibition with the legislature setting the “when’s and where’s” of what species may be hunted; however, they are supportive of a change that removes the decision making process from the legislature and gives it to our wildlife management agency.

Therefore, PFSC wholeheartedly supports a change in legislation that would remove the issue of Sunday hunting from the political legislative process, and instead place it under the control of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, thus allowing it to go through the proposal process that all other season and bag limit changes go through.
Again, thank you for allowing us the time to testify here today. I’d be glad to try to answer any questions you may have."

Not to keep draging this out but the real problem I see is that they had the REAL FIGURES as recently as last year but as Wyane said "some one" must have decided to put the organization out on a limb by ignoring those recent polls, and made that statement

And as Wayne also mentioned they are "hearing" the repercussions from that move now..

We shall see what happens in September with the PFSC...

EDIT ===

I went back and found this that I posted last year after the fall convention.. soo here are the votes and subject matter from that meeting....


now where is all this support for Sunday hutning coming from...

A resolution submitted by Cambria Co. to support Sunday Hunting of huntable species on Gamelands was also improperly worded, and therefore not voted on,

however the delegates voted on the concept of the resolution, which passed with 16 yeas, 13 nays, and 4 abstentions.

I'd hardly go around saying that vote shows a strong support for Sunday hunting from the MEMBERSHIP ... plus it was for GAMELANDS ONLY .....

Just for the record here's the report about the Spring convention THIS year.. nothing on the agenda about Sunday hunting..

Here's your Spring 2011 Convention Report:


There were a total of 39 delegates present and voting.

Resolution #1 Junior & Senior hunters to abide by the same antler point criteria:
For the resolution -- 17 Against -- 22 Resolution failed.

Resolution #2 Remove county treasurer from antlerless license application procedure and go to point-of-sale
antlerless license issuance system:
For the resolution -- 24 Against -- 13 2 -- abstentions Resolution passed.

The following motions were made from the floor:

A motion to support directing the Legislative Budget & Finance committee to study the establishment, implementation and administration of fees for the consumptive use and degradation of water, as requested
by the Fish & Boat Commission:
Passed with unanimous support.

A motion to wait for the Fall 2011 Convention before joining the Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation:
Passed with 35 in favor 4 opposed

A motion to allow the PFSC Board to endorse political candidates running for local, state and federal office:
Failed with 33 opposed 6 in favor

A motion to extend sincere thanks to Don Heckman, PA National Wild Turkey Federation delegate to the PFSC for his years of support:
Passed unanimously


Don is an extremely dedicated person who has given 35+ years of his life to the PA wild turkey and those who
hunt it. He will be moving to Arizona sometime this year and will be sorely missed.

I am sure this move (making a completely false statement) that someone made is going to hurt the PFSC very much and they will lose even more members...

that part is a shame == but right is right == and a few making an important decision, like a postion on Sunday Hunting, for many is not going to be a winning situation for this group....
but we shal see.. I'm done now

ORIGINAL: wayne c

No big deal.

 
Not a big deal but I don't read their testimony as officially supporting the expansion of Sunday hunting.  I do see a firm statement supporting the regulatory transfer, however.