No harm, no foul doc.

But you should have known isabella and deer have NEVER gotten along. lol. If he couldve legalized nuclear warheads 24/7 for deer he probably wouldve.

Whats wit da blank post doc? lol.

Looks like something may be in the works.  As Isabella eluded to in his testimony, parties coming together to see if there is any common ground to move forward on.
 
The PFB appears ready to talk.

Yeah dpms, i can hear the sweet talk from pgc, pgcs enabling legislators and the enviro-folks now to the farm bureau behind closed doors.... C'mon guys, you want less deer don't you???

I dont mean to dismiss the position of the legitimately interested hunters among us that support sunday hunting. But the only problem with that is they have just as little say in these matters as any of us and when it does pass it won't be because Joe hunter wants another day to hunt. It has nothing to do with what any of "us" wants either way.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's time to think about getting an extra day a week to do the thing we all love.

For those of you who are concerned about an extra day of hunting reducing an already reduced deer herd, remember, we have been subject to increased/decreased deer hunting opportunities for the last decade and it had nothing to do with Sunday hunting. Antler-less seasons and permit allocations have been radically changed each year by the PGC. They do not need Sundays to further reduce the herd if that is their goal. They can just add more permits and more days to the season. As they have done every year.

My job does not give me the luxury of taking "vacation days".  That leaves me primarily Saturdays for hunting. However, as it stands now, if a family obligation or other commitment arises on Saturday I lose an entire week for hunting.  I am just asking for an additional opportunity to get out in the woods. Will I hunt both days of a weekend if Sunday hunting is permitted? I might, but I doubt it. I can fish both days of the weekend but I rarely ever do. (dang family commitments...) However,  if I can't get out fishing on Saturday I know I can always get out on Sunday.

I am just saying...

"They do not need Sundays to further reduce the herd if that is their goal.:''

Sure they do. Every unit isnt one large plot of public land like 2g etc. And the goals are extreme. In SOME units the extent of reduction with the current tools that COULD be achieved, already HAS been achieved. This is a progressive program, and it was understood that more ways to kill more deer as it was further reduced would be necessary. Every single thing was NOT implented day 1 or even since. Also dcnr did believe it (sunday hunting) necessary and had listed it as something they believed was needed to address the deer herd. It would also be something a bit more "acceptable" at least short term for hunters as opposed to increased allocations etc.

I talked to a few of the land owners who allow me to hunt on thier private property. They are NOT for Sunday hunting.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

here the results on Sunday hunting from the PFSC spring convention...

 
Things are gonna get very interesting within the PFSC. 

ORIGINAL: BloodyHand

I talked to a few of the land owners who allow me to hunt on thier private property. They are NOT for Sunday hunting.

As far as I'm concerned those landowner's opinion doesn't count, being that their private property is posted now. 

They can control who and when someone can hunt their property, so they shouldn't have a say in this matter.  It's not all about land/property owners.  What about SGL's, etc..?

I personally would like to see it. My club is split about 50/50. However if it comes, and it will come slowly if we get it at all. I hope we are all prepared to accept the shortened seasons that sunday hunting will bring.

ORIGINAL: ridgehunter

ORIGINAL: BloodyHand

I talked to a few of the land owners who allow me to hunt on thier private property. They are NOT for Sunday hunting.

As far as I'm concerned those landowner's opinion doesn't count, being that their private property is posted now. 

They can control who and when someone can hunt their property, so they shouldn't have a say in this matter.  It's not all about land/property owners.  What about SGL's, etc..?

You do realize people live in and around SGL's? What do you mean, landowners opinions dont count? They do live in PA and probably pay WAY more in taxes than you do. Let me ask you a question. Does your opinion count? and why should it?
That's what is wrong with this country. It's not about the people anymore, it's about political agendas.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

Regarding Sunday Hunting and HB 1760: A motion was made to support amending the bill to eliminate the word "shall" from bill and insert the wrod "may". This is in referencee to allowing the PGC to promulgate regulations allowing Sunday hunting.
22 In Favor 5 Opposed 2 Abstentions
IF THIS BILL IS NOT AMENDED, WE WILL OPPOSE IT!!!

The question is if the bill was ammended with "may" inserted for "shall" would the PFSC support it and is that okay with its membership?  By stating that they oppose HB1760 and asking for an ammendment, the implication is if the bill is ammended as suggested, they would support it.  

I do not believe that the intent of HB1760 changes by changing "shall" to "may".  Shall only mandates that the PGC address the regulatory transfer which is easily accomplished with [ All the commission has to say is “there shall be no Sunday hunting except for foxes and Coyotes”. ] 
 
I see the PFSC really entering into a sticky situation be playing to different constituants with opposing views.  As I said before, and you confrimed, rough road ahead for them.

"Wayne,

The herd has been significantly reduced in many units already without Sunday Hunting. Antler-less seasons have had extra days added and taken away in every unit (without Sunday hunting) The game commission can add extra weeks and even months if they want (Special reg units)."

Hunters in many if not most units are only gonna go so far, and while that still may be TOO FAR, it may well fall far short of pgcs intentions. But, many simply are gonna not shoot does in areas that have been reduced to the extreme, and if pgc wants to go further they have to find ways to get more tags and opportunity into the hands of the willing. Thats not to say that the herd hasnt been taken lower than should be the case or anywhere else will not be in the future. The key for the them is to get more tags and opportunity into the hands of those willing to harvest does as many and as long as pgc deems necessary.

And also as i stated, many areas are not all public lands. 2G was easily raped for obvious reasons. And as for going the route of the sras, most dont have a problem with some reduction in the sras because they are urban, and at least there is an excuse for it. On the other hand there are NO EXCUSES to further reduce the herd in most other areas. If they want less deer for extreme biodiversity and timber interests, there is no legit excuses and they could not withstand the counter political pressures. I really wish pgc WOULD go to something so extreme...basically unlimited tags across that board, because that would be the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. Pgc and there agenda would be finished. They have to be and are concerned with damage control and pr to SOME extent..

"If their goal is to further reduce the deer herd please don't think adding Sundays is the only way possible to accomplish that."

I disagree. This isnt about simply trimming a little here or there. This is about extremism and taking the herd far below cc. To meet those goals sunday hunting is very important piece of their puzzle and in other aspects the sunday hunting option is actually giving many of us exactly what we have long wanted. Careful what you wish for fits here I believe. Dcnr has asked for sunday hunting to be implemented specifically to address the deer herd. And we all know how they love deer.

"Bottom line... adding Sunday is not going to change their deer reduction goals."

But it will help ensure that they are met, or at least come closer to being met, and in a faster manner. Pgc simply cannot reduce the herd to ridiculously low levels across the entire state (see previous deer density goals) without adding more opportunities than currently. They can keep the herd around where its at, and possibly even reduce SOME areas somewhat further. But again, the goals will require extremes. They have private lands, a portion of unwilling hunters and politicians bombarded with complaints from hunters already as it is to overcome. Their goals cant be reached by only adding another 10k tags per unit. Take a unit like say for example 2a.... They can reduce the herd-- and have to levels below carrying capacity of the land. But they will NEVER get the numbers to the ridiculously asnine 10 or12 dpsm as was the previous absurd ridiculous goal stated previously. NEVER happen. But if they add every kid from fresh from the womb on up as they have being able to shoot does + sunday hunting + what is now basically unlimited tags + who knows what else in the near future, they can certainly head alot further in that direction. I have no interest in helping them here, or anywhere else with their ridiculousness. That is why i support NOTHING currently that will kill more does to further the environmentalist agenda. There are changes i would love to see happen, but just cant support right now... Sunday hunting is one of them. But not right now. Not with irrational irresponsible people steering the ship in an obtuse direction.

"I think we are making a mistake combining the removal of the ban on Sunday hunting and the deer reduction policies currently in place"

And i think we are making a mistake by not. We have not had sunday hunting for over a hundred years. We managed to become the state with the most hunters in the nation. While sunday hunting would be nice, the #1 problem facing the hunters of Pa today is an environmentalist derived antideer agenda. Well documented and should not be permitted to continue, let alone fed.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

YEP I had them all backwards in my notes... THANKS for the correction Wayne...

 
Was there simple math involved?

ORIGINAL: MuskyMastr

ORIGINAL: MuskyMastr

I hope we are all prepared to accept the shortened seasons that sunday hunting will bring.

ORIGINAL: dpms

Which seasons if Sundays were added to that particular season? 

I do believe that IF the pgc gains the right to regulate sunday hunting, and IF they do decide to institute it for certain species, it will be a slow process as they have said.

With that, if for example a sunday was added to rifle season eventually, I could see that shortening the season considerably depending on when it was done.

If we added 5 sundays in archery season, I could see up to a two week reduction in the length of archery season.

IF the pgc is simply managing by the numbers and truly has a target harvest for each season, then reduction in season length would counteract the added pressure and harvest of adding sundays.

I personally would give up the 2nd and 3rd weeks of archery in exchange for sundays.

I would give up a week of rifle season to have rifle start on the saturday after thanksgiving and run sat, sun, .....through the following sat.

 
Or with the addition of Sundays, seasons could start on the same "date" every year, irrespective of what day that happens to be, and run for a consistent number of days each year.  As an example, rifle deer season opens on December 1 and runs for 10 consecutive days -- every year.  Archery starts on October 1 every year and runs for X number of consecutive days -- every year.  The general small game season opens November 1 every year and runs for X number of consecutive days -- every year.  And so on and so forth.