This thread is a few months old but it caught my attention. There is no hunting on Sundays because there was an overwhelming sentiment against it a few years ago when the state legislature tried to pass it. I talked to my local state Representative(I live in a rural western PA country) about it afterwards and he there has never been potential legislation on which he received even close to as much negative public comments in his office. There are 2(or 3) main reasons the public is against it and they arent religious reasons, but they are all related to how PA has a higher density of hunter than all but maybe one other state. 1-One is recreational time in woods and safety. In Rural PA people like having one day a week where they they can casually go into the woods with no safety fears, hiking, walking dogs, doing casual work around farms and homesteads, even riding horses. Now its true archery hunters arent very dangerous - but for giving archery hunters even advantages isnt popular with many people. 2-Because theres so many hunters getting a deer is often viewed as being limited competition with other hunters, as opposed to be limited by finding time to hunt. Adding Sundays doesnt seem like an improvement to many people in that respect. 3-Families. As someone else mentioned the divorce rate would probabaly go up if Sunday hunting was allowed. Women were more against Sunday hunting then men were. And more than a few hunters(usually men) realize that the Sunday restrictions were probably protecting themselves from their own worst enemy. I get that these reasons anger out of state hunters and and instate hunter trying to get hunt on weekends particularly at hunting camps. But the reality is PA residents(particularly in rural areas where hunting is popular) overwhemingly dont want Sunday hunting for rather practical reasons so its not happening any time soon. And I doubt there will be any more expansions of just archery season because it generally viewed(some what resentfully) that they have large advantage already for getting the large bucks. EDIT: Since Im new and this post might be misconstrued. I am an archery hunter.
All I wish is for an extra week in archery. Don't even care about Sunday hunting so much, but we should be able to bowhunt one of the best weeks of the rut... It's a week too short. Sent from my SM-N920V using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
First off, welcome aboard! Glad to have you. I find this to be pretty ridiculous - especially on private lands. I can maybe see this for public grounds as they are to be shared by everyone including non-hunters. But for private lands where access is limited and people know who is on them it seems more than a bit absurd. The danger presented by archery hunters to any of those items you listed is so low it really shouldn't even be on someone's radar. Gotta be honest - I have no idea what you mean here. Call me crazy, but I don't think it's the job of any government to limit recreational activities due to fear of people getting divorced. Even the thought of this makes my skin crawl. The day I need the government to limit my recreational activities because I fear I can't control my own actions is the day someone needs to get my brain checked to make sure it's still functioning properly. No offense, but I don't think any of those reasons are very practical. If PA residents are truly against Sunday hunting, then more power to them. I personally see zero rationale behind it.
Glad you took the time to reply. I was going to, but decided it wasn't worth it. Every point listed can be negated with common sense (as demonstrated by Justin). There simply is no, I repeat, ZERO, reason for PA to not allow Sunday hunting. Oh, and yeah, our archery season is too short as well
I don't want to cause any friction but Id have to disagree as far as your 3 reasons go. 1. In OHIO Sunday hunting is allowed, in WV, Sunday hunting is only permitted on private land. I am completely ok with Sunday hunting on private land. Whoever wants to go horseback riding can go do so on public land or land of their own. 2. I am not really sure what you meant by this second statement but like I said, limiting Sunday hunting to private lands should have no issues with competition. 3. When I pay for my hunting license, the last thing I want my money going towards is the PAGC focusing on keeping marriages in tact. Allowing Sunday hunting has nothing to do with marriage/families etc. If anything, it will give a father another day to get outdoors and take his kids hunting with him.
Some people here seem to be arguing with me that these reasons are bad reasons. My point is that they are the reasons that voters had and it probably isnt changing, not that you should embrace the rational.(I think I spelled out myself that archery hunting isnt very dangerous at all to locals.) The one point I would differ on the private vs public. There are small lots of land, patch worked in every rural community and thats where people dont want to get shot on Sundays. Thats all private land. And theres still a surprising amount of farmers etc who let people hunt free on their land just for asking who dont want people hunting there on Sundays. If you start trying to make a multitude of rules and expect people to post even more signs and have to worry about your neighbor shooting in the woods - it all becomes complicated. And most people just decide no hunting on Sundays is best for them personally and practically. I totally get that issue issue is in turn unfair to people with large blocks of land and hunting preserves away from homes and farms. But there are a lot more rural residents than there are people trying to hunt private preserves and their votes matter. My point isnt at all to say your wrong to want to hunt on Sundays. Im saying it isnt happening because local voters dont want it for real reasons that have nothing to do with religion. So many of these conversations get bogged down with talk about religion and blue laws - and thats not why these rules remain. They remain because people actually want them for reasons they see as their own best interest. EDIT: Also the Game Commission doesnt make these rules - the legislature does. Stop ripping the PAGC for it.
maybe we should talk to trump! he'll bust their heads in Harrisburg! lol gotta get rid of this old order way of thinking.
I think PA has a bit more of an issue that many states because our population is higher, meaning more people who share the woods with hunters. But, my personal feelings to those saying they can't use the woods but one day a week, etc., is that those very same people need to start paying some type of access fee to use the land. Hunter dollars are the primary and often times sole source of funding to keep these lands open and purchase new properties. You want to complain about? Ante up. Justin, PA hunting seasons are NOTHING like the midwest. The gun season is often downright dangerous on public ground. However, for those complaining about it and Sundays, it would literally take up 1 maybe 2 Sundays out of the whole year. I like the idea of allowing it either state wide or on public ground. Yes, it may cause a bit of an issue with the wives out there but having the option of hunting either day or both, especially if you get off work on a Friday, look at the weather and its calling for horrible weather. Right now, that means losing your one and only day that week to hunt in what is already a short season.
Religion definitely has a part in it. This topic comes up in PA hunting pages all the time and the majority that are against it say Sunday is a day of rest or the deer need a day of rest. Those obviously aren't legit reasons, so I think it's a lot of church/football people that like to stay home and don't want anyone else hunting "their" deer. Then you do have the non hunters that want the "day of peace" to do other recreations, but I don't see many people using land in the summer time, let alone when it's 30-40 degrees out. I have yet to see an argument against Sunday hunting that couldn't be torn apart in a few sentences. Also, I believe I read somewhere else where the farm bureau is also a big road block with getting Sunday hunting passed.
Thats a fair summation. Although I would say in rural areas where many people own 10-50 acres(a lot of small farms or defunct farms), during rifle deer and turkey season you honestly do not feel safer going outside on Sundays - even on your own land.
Assuming you've participated in a lot of firearms seasons in the Midwest for comparison? I grew up hunting Northern WI firearms season where my grandma wouldn't let me go to the mailbox without orange on and made damn sure I wasn't wearing a pair of white gloves while doing so. So I get it - the woods are crowded with a bunch of people with high powered rifles. That's dangerous anywhere. However it looks like the amount of danger we're looking at has been shrinking for the last 15 years or so... http://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Hunter-TrapperEducation/Pages/Hunting-RelatedShootingIncidents.aspx
If NY of all places can manage to get its head out of its proverbial @ss any state can.... The first step is don't rationalize their nonsense reasoning.
You're right, I haven't. I guess my basis is on the limited experience with hunting right up to the gun opener in Missouri and speaking with the outfitter there who was born and raised in Iowa, then moved to MO to start is deal there because of the tag issues in Iowa. He said at least in those two states, the gun seasons are a big deal, but its not dangerous and pretty subdued in all of the places he's hunted in his lifetime. The numbers are dwindling in PA, but based on data within the last 5 years, its still around 20 hunters per square mile... https://www.qdma.com/hunter-density-across-u-s/
Two quick comments here. I feel that the rural folks are more at ease with hunting than anyone else. They do not go one day a year without hearing their neighbors shooting a gun. Most do not think twice about hunting season or allowing select hunters on their land. They do not have anti-hunting signs up, etc. High likelihood that someone in their family hunted and they understand. Also, I have also not heard of anyone worried about turkey season. Heck, most non-hunters don't even know it is a season. I am one of those rural folks, the two Sunday's in rifle are usually not the weekends' anyone is outside doing yard work or enjoying family time. If I am not in the woods, it does not stop me from doing anything. I will say, I do make sure the wife keeps the kids very close to the house during rifle season, not scared, just common sense from the random accident. From a safety standpoint, will two (2) additional Sundays in rifle make all the difference, for people who do not feel safe? Think about how silly that sounds for a minute. These comments are not personally directed at you.
I know in my area gun season is not that big of a deal anymore. seems that there are way more archery hunters now than gun hunters or people have quit all together.
Short and sweet: ranked with any other state, PA is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to its archery season! Rifle season is what it is...
