ORIGINAL: Ironhed

I can't answer those questions. I don't know.

Ironhed

5,000 acres is alot of acreage to be shut down just becuase "if Sunday hunting were to pass".  I would hope that this particular landowner has hunters that hunt this property asking the right questions and trying to prevent land from being closed on misconceptions and untruths if that is the case. Whether they support the legislation or not.

Unfortunately I have seen some wishing to see land shut down. Doesn't matter if it is the result of inaccurate information or not.  Just to bolster a position.

Doc would still be duckin bullets as he lives beside the Game lands...

ORIGINAL: S-10

When/if Sunday Hunting ever happens it does need to be done statewide IMO for that and several other reasons.

 
I agree. If it is done, should be a clear break. No ammendments.

I agree, having Sundays for just gamelands or state forest would really upset those believing the deer herd is too small now ... and as Bings mentioned (in a comical way).. I can't even image the added problems from even more hunters on the neighboring state game lands..

I'd support state wide all property, long before just public land Sunday hunting..

Another argument we do not discuss here too much is the added cost to enforce game laws for any additional days... especially if it were to include a popular game animal or bird for Sunday hunting. I image there is NOT alot of concern about the number of hunters out now hunting coyotes and crows... add bear, turkey, DEER, or maybe even small game and I can see problems on the horizon..


I'd like to also say once again... I understand the desire of the "working" man to have the extra day... but the hunting tradition in Pa was founded on a foundation of 6 days a week for hunting and has lasted quite a while and we still have more hunters than most states...

maybe many of the smaller states needed that extra day to help control game populations because they do not have the number of hunters we have ????

Do you think adding Sundays to Pa hunting would increase the number of non-residents hunters coming to Pa to hunt that day ... so we would have the current 888K plus how many more from other states coming in and killing additional game animals thus reducing a population that SOOO many already feel is too small ???

I have posted so many times the deer herd, bear numbers and turkey numbers are really great around here... I would image adding Sundays would, within 2-3 years make those numbers like the numbers so many in other areas are already complaining about...


S-10 is already posting about the deer and turkey numbers in his areas..

The PGC felt the need to add spring turkey extra gobbler tags, extended turkey seasons and we all experienced herd reduction, added some bear hunting opportunites and in 2011 set a new state record harvest for bear ... all without Sunday hunting.. do we really want to add a non-working day to allow even more harvesting of game just to make some more hunters happy with being successful at the cost of game populations ?????

Let's get Dr. Alt back and go around the state explaining why we need Sunday hunting to increase harvest numbers of any of our game animals or birds in any of our seasons...

I can not image one single person feels we need more small game harvested...

who feels the turkey population need reduced...

The last thing I would want to be saying is we need more deer killed..

maybe we need more opportunites to kill bears, finding a way to get more hunters would help that if it needed done, the PGC could just add bear as a legal game aninmal during rifle season to reduce numbers.. oh wait = they are already doing that in areas that need more bear killed without Sunday hunting...

There are many many ways to reduce populations or give hunters more opportunites with out Sundays.. simple solution.... add an extra Saturday to any of the seasons already in place..

how many more hunters would be successful with just one more Saturday for deer for example and it would allow many to have that extra day they are wanting ..

I understand the desires of those that work and have limited time and I hope they take a minute and consider the final results of adding Sundays for those of use who have LOTS of time to hunt...

Having another non-work day with the game lands loaded with more hunters would increase my personal opportunites to harvest more game too.... rather than sit here and look out the window on the first Sunday in deer season and watch deer feeding in the pastures I can be out there one more day to shoot one and increase my harvest to 3 deer...

and as mentioned how about the private property owners === they allow you to hunt there now, maybe with added Sundays they would have a larger demand from guys to lease their land and close it to those hunting there for free now...

lots to consider before we just jump on the idea of what it would do personally...

BTW, Doc.  I agree there are ways of working around no Sunday hunting laws as far as harvests goals go.
 
Never disputed that. My point of contention is hunters still supporting direct political regulation of hunting via our existing law.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout



I can not image one single person feels we need more small game harvested...

 
You must have a very small imagination then.
 
Why on God's green earth would hunters not want to harvest more pheasants, which are small game by the way, rather than  have them eaten by predators?

This is considering that EVERY PA hunter goes out on Sunday. Do all PA hunters currently go out on Saturdays? After a hunter gets a deer it's unlikely they'll be out chasing doe on a Sunday.

1. Number pa deer hunters--888,187
2. 9 year avg buck kill----127,861
3. Hunters still hunting---760,326 divided into 2,100,000 acres ----2.8 acres per hunter

As you said, most hunters would be out on Sunday if allowed. It would be a total mess and a nightmare to try to enforce anything but statewide hunting.

It does suck having a Marketing job and trying to squeeze in much hunting time. However, it is my experience that once established in them, those jobs tend to pay very well which gives the individual more money than most to afford some high dollar hunting trips so the trade off is not all that bad.

ORIGINAL: S-10

This is considering that EVERY PA hunter goes out on Sunday. Do all PA hunters currently go out on Saturdays? After a hunter gets a deer it's unlikely they'll be out chasing doe on a Sunday.

1. Number pa deer hunters--888,187
2. 9 year avg buck kill----127,861
3. Hunters still hunting---760,326 divided into 2,100,000 acres ----2.8 acres per hunter

As you said, most hunters would be out on Sunday if allowed. It would be a total mess and a nightmare to try to enforce anything but statewide hunting.

Well there has to be a solution to how both sides can be happy. I tried to throw out a random idea that might work. Rather than shoot down my idea with a quick google search which I could have done, why not use some brain power and let's work on a solution that would work, so that something could be done?

Not shooting it down, just presenting the facts as to why it won't work. The cold fact is at the present it appears to be a dead issue. You can travel to Ohio or to New York as I have done for years, your job does hurt your time afield but you knew that when you choose that field of work. The flip side is it should pay much better than most jobs which will enable you to take some high dollar hunts if you choose. Life is all about tradeoffs, nothing we say here will change that fact.

ORIGINAL: Esox_Hunter

How about we just remove a ridiculous blue law from the books and carry on much the same way as 43 other states have?

 
Quit trying to simplify things.  The next thing you know you'll will want someone other than the state to sell wine and hard liquer.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

Once again it is an area (WMU) thing .... and I would not count the retired guy

are they going to work that extra day for FREE or didn't they say ?????

Don't remember the specifics. The WCOs did not work the same areas of the state and mentioned that many a Sunday are spent working already. Or something to that affect.

ORIGINAL: Dr. Trout

I have seen a few comments from different WCOs stating it would not increase the burden on them. Two active and one retired.

Once again it is an area (WMU) thing .... and I would not count the retired guy

are they going to work that extra day for FREE or didn't they say ?????

Got checked on a Sunday before about 10 years ago.
They were already working on Sundays in Archery..

Retired guys dont work-  they just hunt and fish- on weekdays too when most everyone  else gotta work--just cut grass and do chores and have a little chuckle on weekends.
  Only problem is havin to carry around the big two sided sign that says 'the end is near' all the time.

It is all about deer for many of those that oppose this.

And more importantly its 110% about deer for the biggest and most influential players that support this. Some of the politicians, Pgc and dcnr.

You're assuming that anyone in favor of Sunday hunting feels the herd should be reduced more? That's an unfair statement to make.

NO ... what I am saying is that adding Sundays will increase the harvest...that's a fact ....
and many are complaining it is too small now.....and thus are against Sundays being added...

what I am saying is many hunters do not want the herd reduced more and that is why they do not want Sunday hunting and most probably would not want my suggestion about adding a Saturday either...

I should just ignore the "bullets past my house remark" if that is all you have taken from what I have posted ... but ... if you go back and read my replies you will see I mention several things and reasons I and many others around here are against hunting on Sundays.

So if this is going to turn again ... into I am just against it for safety reasons, I see no reason to continue with any suggestions or ideas on my part ...... gheezzzz