Sunday Hunting

Why can't we hunt on sundays.Theres is probably alot of you guys like me work 6 days a week what would it hurt for us to hunt on sundays.

There was a petition going around for awhile, I even printed some and took them too local shops here in centre county. Im pretty sure poor richards had it also. Not sure what ever went down with that but apparently nothing.

Join a hunting preserve, you can hunt there sundays.

Huh........, Ohio has an archery season that extends into the first week of February now, allowing archery hunters only additional anterless tags and they've been hunting Sundays for over a decade.  During there gun season, which used to last only 7 days,  they even added another weekend to hunt with gun.  It just sounds like they don't want to open Pennsylvania to hunt Sundays and they're going to do whatever it takes to discourage it.

When other states I've hunted, Illinois, Michigan, as well as Ohio, have Sunday hunting, why make adjustments to our current seasons when the above mentioned states didn't and we would have to?
 
I feel that we're just beating that dead-horse again, ..... again, .... again.  The Game commission needs an overhaul.

The Game commission needs an

... enema.



"The whole amish community would be against it because they wouldn't be allowed to hunt."

Bing,  They don't follow the Commonwealth laws anyway, so why should they stand in the way?  They poach, snag, tresspass, and follow their own "ethics" when it serves them best.  Not all, but MANY.  Not to mention, they can always stay in church.  Just because it would be legal to do so, doesn't mean it's mandatory.  If YOUR religion restricts YOUR activities fine, but I believe this country was founded on a belief that it shouldn't restrict MINE.

ORIGINAL: hunt-n-fish

Huh........, Ohio has an archery season that extends into the first week of February now, allowing archery hunters only additional anterless tags and they've been hunting Sundays for over a decade.  During there gun season, which used to last only 7 days,  they even added another weekend to hunt with gun.  It just sounds like they don't want to open Pennsylvania to hunt Sundays and they're going to do whatever it takes to discourage it.

When other states I've hunted, Illinois, Michigan, as well as Ohio, have Sunday hunting, why make adjustments to our current seasons when the above mentioned states didn't and we would have to?

I feel that we're just beating that dead-horse again, ..... again, .... again.  The Game commission needs an overhaul.

 
Those states and any that allow Sunday hunting have thier seasons setup for Sunday hunting.  Pennsylvania currently does not allow it "in most cases" and it's seasons are setup as such.
 
Add Sundays and 900,000 hunters chomping at the bit and things will change.
 
 

ORIGINAL: T.T.

The Game commission needs an

... enema.



"The whole amish community would be against it because they wouldn't be allowed to hunt."

Bing,  They don't follow the Commonwealth laws anyway, so why should they stand in the way?  They poach, snag, tresspass, and follow their own "ethics" when it serves them best.  Not all, but MANY.  Not to mention, they can always stay in church.  Just because it would be legal to do so, doesn't mean it's mandatory.  If YOUR religion restricts YOUR activities fine, but I believe this country was founded on a belief that it shouldn't restrict MINE.

 
So true.  But aren't they guilty of stealing anyway.  Don't they take there under 16 y.o.a. hunting with them just so anyone in the group can shoot bucks that are under AR and tag it with the kid's tag? 
 
I've been told this by several of my friends who live in the western part of the state.  If this is so, then no wonder the land is sterile of wildlife.

ORIGINAL: T.T.

Her situation is one of the reasons I'd like to see it start on private property only for a few years, to try to judge the impact.  That way, people accustomed to utilizing the public lands for such activities can continue to do so.  The proverbial "bone" to throw to the non-hunters, as it has been explained to me.

 
This is exactly what Ohio did to get the idea accross.  It was all public lands and the private lands had to sign-up or agree with the state about Sunday hunting.   Very political issue this idea of Sunday hunting.  As long as the current commission stays 'on', they will retain this way of thinking.  Pa. needs to move ahead and embed into the commission actual hunters and fisherman, real outdoorsman or outdoors people, with the common sense and smarts to make the states wildlife better and outdoor community appreciate what they have.  Lets face it, it's all the revenues from license sales from resident and non-resident sales, P-R tax monies and other federal outdoor related taxes that go to buy the statelands we have to hunt.

ORIGINAL: jlh42581

Vote Jeremy Hoffman for Executive Director

 
Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

ORIGINAL: hunt-n-fish

Not so. I used to live in Ohio before Sunday hunting began and after it became statewide.  Absolutely not true.  I still have 3 friends who are ODNR wildlife officers.  They will even tell you that the state wanted it years ago, it was the opposition from the farm bureaus, etc.  The hunting season is terribly more liberal with it's dates now, then ever before 'no' Sunday hunting.

1) Small game for example used to run from November 15 to the middle of December.  Now it starts the first weekend in Nov. and goes through the end of Feb. 

2) Deer season used to last only 6 days with gun.  They tried a 2nd full week for 2 years then went to a 2nd weekend for the past few years.

3) Archery season went from the first Saturday in Oct. and ended the last day of Jan.  Now it's the last Saturday in Sept, and has been for awhile, and goes through the first weekend if Feb 3.

These are just few of the examples.  Illinois had Sunday hunting for as long as I can remember as well as Mich. which has a 2 full weeks, 14 days, of deer gun.

Alot of this change stuff is what they want us to believe.

 
How many hunters does Ohio have??  Illinois??  Much, much fewer than PA.  And they have big deer herds.  Put 900,000 hunters in the field in those two states during thier deer seasons and you would see a drastic increase in the harvest and you could be sure that the repective game departments would be looking hard at a solution.
 
Everyone wants to compare Sunday hunting to states that already have it.  You can't.  You have to look at how Sunday hunting would effect Pa exlusively.
 
Grouse:  Can our grouse populations sustain a season that is effectively doubled?  No.
 
Turkeys: 4 extra high harvest days in the spring? We have 5 saturdays now.  No.
 
Deer: 1 extra high harvest day? Maybe, with a cut in doe allocations.
 
Fall turkey:  An extra 3-4 high harvest days depending on unit? No.
 
You could go on and on.  Many other states need hunters.  That is why you can shoot many does in alot of them.  And thier liberal seasons are set as such.  Pa has plenty of hunters right now to effectively manage it's game resources.
 
Look at adding these high harvest days to our current seasons and how it would effect the harvest in Pa.  Do not compare Pa to other states with much different demographics and game populations.
 
 

Hunting on sunday is a great idea wish they would allow it  maybe some day??

 I would not want sunday hunting.... i can see both sides... i understand wat dpms is saying. our state is getting hit way to hard with hunters... yeah the first year it would be great second yeah its still a good thing.... the 3rd year your going to need that extra day to see the number of deer you see now... its not worth it... give the deer a break 
 
As of a religion reason.... im no religion expert but the religions i know of sunday is a day for relaxation? some people like me consider hunting relaxing...
and im not sure if i read this above but i think someone said the amish wont hunt on sundays due to religion, but why do they go fishing on sundays?
 
A day for hard working men and women to get out? Yeah it would be nice to have that day.THen because they work 6 days a week and hunt the 7th they will be in divorce court along with everyone else...
 
My opinion goes both ways... yes i would hunt on sundays if they passed it,but i dont think our deer herd needs that right now...its getting pumbled with  bugs,poaching, and hunters like us. 

I vote no Sunday hunting. My family owns 2 farms that hunters use through the season. I know they would not allow Sunday hunting. My family observes Sunday as a 'day of rest'. I know in this day and age it seems old fashioned, but even if Sunday hunting was allowed, I will not hunt.
 
I completely understand why sportsmen would want Sunday hunting, especially if you do not have the traditional mon-fri shift. But if hunting is your passion, thats what vacation days are for. IMO

  How many of you speak of the "Day of Rest" when it serves your purpose (no sunday hunting) but work on Sunday??? Do you also tell your boss you will not work it is a day of rest. You will not have to worry about Sunday hunting you will be jobless.
  Setting hunting seasons on relegious grounds is a totally out of whack system.
  Before you guys jump down my throat I am in no way belittleing any ones relegious beleifs. What you beleive is what you beleive. If you feel through your relegious beleifs you shouldn't on Sunday so be it. But why do all hunters have to be restricted beacuse of those same beliefs.
  If you own land and do not want Sunday hunting , then post it as such.

ORIGINAL: Maga2120

 I would not want sunday hunting.... i can see both sides... i understand wat dpms is saying. our state is getting hit way to hard with hunters... yeah the first year it would be great second yeah its still a good thing.... the 3rd year your going to need that extra day to see the number of deer you see now... its not worth it... give the deer a break 

 
Remember, it is not just the deer.  I believe other species would be impacted more without shortened seasons.  Especially the grouse and turkeys.  The deer seasons could be adjusted for with doe allocations being cut.

dpms....give me a break!  I'm so tired of the PGC propoganda I'm ready to puke!  What do you base your assertions on?....Let's see some scientific evidence.  Since we're apparently basing policy on opinion here, let me chime in w/ mine....
 
Grouse....what friggin' grouse???!!!  There aren't any now, so what difference does one additional day per week to NOT see any make?
 
Turkeys....this is the one game animal that is abundant in this state, and, IN MY OPINION, the regulations for hunting them have been far too restrictive already.  Are you implying that a few extra days per season to attempt to harvest ONE bird is going to decimate the population?  Get real. If only it were that easy...
 
Deer....talk about mixed signals.  I was under the impression that the state wanted them all dead anyway, so why the restrictions?  Again....a few extra days in the fall, and 2 additional days during rifle season is going to make a difference?...please.
 
 
It must be nice to have your days off during the week and proclaim that those of us who do not are out of line for wanting 2 days/week to hunt instead of just one. We only get a set # of saturdays now as it is, and if the weather sucks or if you have a commitment on any one of them, you're SOL for two weeks.  (before you jump me, I love hunting in foul weather, but wind like we had on several saturdays already this year, including last saturday, can screw things up royally).
 
I used to live in upstate NY for a few years, and I loved having the option to hunt on Sundays.  I don't remebre there being this drastic lack of game either....hmm, wonder how that could be? If your issue is the number of hunters in this state, give it a few years.  With the steady decline in this number (you stated 900K...remember when we had 1.2+ milllion not long ago?..), you won't have to wait too long before that number is a fraction of what it is even now....and THAT is not an opinion, that is a FACT!  How many more hunters have to hang it up before we're at a level that your comfortable with?
 
 
I'm so sick of getting nothing but restriction after restriction from the PGC...how 'bout throwing the rank and file a bone once in a while?
 
back to you Bob....
 
Zug