air and semiautomatic rifles legal for hunting

For those that may have been following Pa House Bill 263, or for those that did not know, Governor Wolf signed HB263 into law today. Air rifles and semiautomatic rifles will be legal hunting devices by law with the PGC being tasked to regulate their use for hunting.
 
HB263 started as a bill to legalize air rifles for hunting a few years ago. This bill moved well but was recently stalled. There were several other bills to legalize semiautomatic rifles for various species floating around as well. Over the past month, the original HB263 was amended to also include semiautomatic rifles as legal devices without specie restriction. It passed almost unanimously in the senate and was concurred by a large majority in the house. Signed by Wolf today.
 
The PGC now has full authority to regulate both for hunting. I have already sent my thoughts to the Board of Commissioners and have had an exchange with one Commissioner already. Reading between the lines, it appears there is a will on the current board to develop regulations for both for the next license year. Look for air rifles being considered for all small game and possibly groundhogs and furbearers. Look for semiautomatic rifles to be considered for small game, furbearers, fall turkey, and groundhogs. Trapping dispatch was mentioned as well.
 
Big game maybe not the next license year but in the future.

 Airbows are next..  sam

I foresee yotes being the test case for semi's.
No problem with either one of these.  Finally, PA getting out of the stone age as far as hunting regulations go. Now if Sunday hunting would pass, I'd be a happy camper; my wife, not so much.  

mr.crappie
 Airbows are next..  sam

 
This legislation legalizes them as a hunting device. Depending on how the regulations are set up by the PGC will determine if they can be utilized on certain game.

Dpms I'll end with saying Wolf's opposition will not be concerned with anything but saying he promotes the use of automatic weapons and use the AK7 and AR15 as their poster child.

You know these people fight by throwing anything at the wall and seeing what sticks.

I'm in no way against auto loading weapons, just the damage that will occur, by the slobs who will abuse the privilege.

You know there will be those doorknobs using their ARs for the mere purpose to kill for the thrill.

Unfortunate but a fact, the more damage these people create, the more ammunition the anti hunters and gunners have, to bolster their agendas.

Hell who knows, maybe Wolf is betting on the old saying; give them enough rope and, they will hang themselves.

Non hunters hearing antis over and over may think 'trophy hunters' just cut off the heads out in the woods and leave the bodies.
Don't pay attention to their BS.
I hate antis with their made up idiotic drivel.
If you say semi they say automatic military rifle.
Many of them even claim to have found numbers of wounded deer while out hiking ( in all the combined years of hunting how many have you found flopping around ?-they really push the slob hunter thing.
You are correct that non hunting office holders can really misunderstand.( can ya blame them with the loud anti lobby)
Hey -good luck with this - hope ya get some positive changes.
Ok --sorry bout the rant

For those that oppose semiautos for certain seasons because of safety concerns. Please ponder the next few sentences. 
 
During gun rights discussions, the overwhelming majority of hunters support a person's choice to own and use semiautomatic rifles and pistols. Saying that the poor actions of some people should not keep the good people from owning these firearms. When the discussion is hunting, some of these same hunters then turn around and say that the poor actions of some hunters is reason enough to keep the semiautomatics out of the hands of the the good hunters. Saying that the gun is at the root of the perceived concern and not the person. In essence saying that on one issue the person should drive policy then on the other issue the gun should drive policy.
 
Quite the conundrum...... Is it the person or the gun that should drive policy.......

BeenThereDoneThat.
I know I'm making this dramatic, but if I can, imagine what the opposition will do when they are given a chance. And you know, they will get their chance.

 
Same thing the opposition does when it comes to good citizens owning Glocks and ARs. The overwhelming majority of hunters support your and my choice to own them if we wish and not let the poor decisions of others drive policy. We are willing to stand up to the opposition on that front.

Now for your question; it ain't the gun, guns do not kill........

If it is the person and not the gun, then why the flip flop to the gun and not the person when the discussion is hunting and wish for the gun to drive policy and not the person? 

rsquared

With the sheer volume of deer hunters in PA I think semis in deer season would be a bad move.

The densest population of hunters in the woods occurs in the SRA. These areas also happen to contain the densest population centers. Semiautomatics shooting single projectile saboted ammunition has been legal in these areas for deer for years with zero safety issues. 
 
We already allow these in our most populated areas for deer.

 
Yet some have concerns about these in our least populated areas with lower hunter densities. 

BeenThereDoneThat.

Why push the luck, is it for the sport or just the thrill?

Semiautomatic firearms are legitimate sporting devices that have been legal in the majority of the country for decades. They are well entrenched and excepted as normal hunting devices by hunters and non hunters alike. Most non hunters are clueless to what is a legal firearm for hunting in those states as well. There are no measurable safety concerns after decades of use in those states and here in the SRAs of Pa.
 
What this is about is nothing more than a choice for sportsman. 

BeenThereDoneThat.
dpms I can appreciate your feelings with regard to the use of ARs for the sport of hunting.

 
Actually, I support semiautomatic actions for hunting. The AR style is just one of many different designs.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and good luck this gun season.

And you the same. 

I'm hoping they don't legalize it for big game, small game hell yea iv always wanted one of those pellet guns

Hey I love my Gamo .22 caliber air gun. There pretty quiet and hit hard. They'll take out fox squirrels at 25 yards even hit in the body.

Whatchya wanna bet a bunch of yinzers'll be out with their AR's on Monday cause they "heard" or "read" that semi rifles are now legal in the state?