Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania appears to have a chance

Sunday hunting could finally happen in Pennsylvania — more than just three days a year.

Members of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, an association of the state’s farmers and powerful state lobbying group that has opposed Sunday hunting for years, said they would step aside as long as several key pieces of legislation are approved in tandem.

They want stricter penalties for trespassing hunters and a more streamlined process for harvesting deer that are damaging crops.

“Our opinion now is that, as long as our suggestions pass, we’ll be open to allowing Sunday hunting,” said bureau spokesman David Varner.

At the same time, state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, is revving up efforts to eliminate Pennsylvania’s age-old Sunday hunting ban. Pennsylvania is one of only 10 states that ban or restrict Sunday hunting, according to the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation.

In 2022, the latest figures available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there were almost 845,000 licensed hunters in the state.

Steele is seeking co-sponsors for a bill that would allow hunting every Sunday during approved hunting seasons. Steele said authority should fall to the game commission rather than the Legislature to decide how many Sundays hunting is allowed.

Under current state law, the Legislature must approve hunting seasons and harvest limits each year.

“Hunters are the original
conservationists,” Steele said. “They are committed to protecting nature and have a deep understanding of balancing our wildlife populations with what our beautiful Pennsylvania lands can support.”

A hearing will be held shortly after the House reconvenes March 18.

In 2019, Pennsylvania ended a total ban on Sunday hunting when lawmakers approved three dates for the sport — one during the rifle deer season, one in archery deer season and one in bear season.

Tentative dates for this year are Nov. 17, Nov. 24 and Dec. 1.

The ban dates back to the early 19th century, when blue laws prohibited Sunday activities to encourage people to go to church and relax with family.

“Back in the day, our members voted against Sunday hunting because it was supposed to be a day of rest,” Varner said.

Now, they’ve agreed not to block the change pending policy approvals. State Sen. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland, has worked with the Farm Bureau to see the initiative through.

Rothman, chair of the state’s game and fisheries committee, plans to introduce the bureau’s recommendations in March. They include adding a Farm Bureau seat to the game commission and implementing the stricter trespassing penalties, among other issues.

“Currently, if a hunter goes on land and hunts without permission and you call the state police or the game commission, it’s a slap on the wrist,” Varner said. “That doesn’t deter many people.

“We don’t want to throw people straight in jail, but we want a stricter penalty so there’s not repeat offenders.”

The bureau also wants to streamline programs that protect crops from damage by burgeoning deer populations.

Farmers whose crops are being damaged can get a permit from the game commission to harvest deer outside the regular hunting seasons under certain guidelines. Deer harvested under that program, however, must be cleaned and turned over to a game warden, who takes them to a butcher, where it is processed and given to a food bank or other charity.

“That’s a lengthy process when, sometimes, there’s 20 to 30 deer on your land,” Varner said.

“It helps the farmer and the game commission if the farmer would be allowed to shoot and gut the deer and take it to the butcher, whether it’s one or five deer. It cuts out the middle man.”

State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View, said she is open to discussion on Sunday hunting. She supported the 2019 legislation that opened limited Sundays.

“I would like to see what we’ve learned from that expansion now that we have a few years of data,” Williams said.

“I hear a lot of feedback from constituents about Sunday hunting, so I am glad that Rep. Steele is starting the legislative conversation around this issue.”

Steele said she expects significant bipartisan support for the bill. Early on, six Democratic politicians have signed their support. They include state Reps. Dave Madsen, Ben Waxman, Tarik Kahn, Nancy Guenst, David Delloso and Jim Haddock.

Pennsylvania’s experience with limited Sunday hunting is proof that the ban should be overturned, Steele said.

“Decisions to allow three hunting dates have remained successful,” Steele said. “Regardless, the game commission still has limited authority over Sunday hunting despite the governance they have over other aspects of hunting.

“Under this legislation, the game commission will have the authority to decide when and how Sunday hunting is permitted, with the best interest of wildlife management and environmental preservation in mind.”