Pennsylvania: Sunday Hunting Public Hearing Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, October 27, the state House Game and Fisheries Committee will have a public hearing on House Bill 1760, which would remove the statutory prohibition on Sunday hunting.  This hearing will begin at 9:00 a.m. in Room 140 of the Main Capitol and will include testimony from:

·         Brent Miller, Northeastern States Manager, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
·         Joel Rotz, State Government Relations Director, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
·         Evan Heusinkveld, Director of State Services with Mike Budzik and Jeff Watkins, U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
·         Curt Ashenfelter, Executive Director, Keystone Trails Association
·         Rob Southwick, President, Southwick Associates
·         Carl Roe, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Game Commission
·         Skip Seifert, Vice President, Pennsylvania Equine Council
·         Rick Watts, President, Pennsylvania Chapter with Kathy Davis, Associate Director, Tri-Counties Branch, Quality Deer Management Association

This prohibition on Sunday hunting is an old “blue law” remaining in only six states.  The addition of this extra weekend day in the field dramatically increases a person’s opportunity to enjoy our hunting heritage.  This will invigorate essential hunter recruitment and retention efforts.  Some are concerned that allowing Sunday hunting will lead more land owners to prohibit all hunting.  This did not occur in other states that have lifted these archaic bans and it won’t happen here.

Sunday hunting will also bring a much-needed economic boost to rural areas.  Comprehensive research from both the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee shows that allowing hunting on Sundays in Pennsylvania would generate a total annual economic impact estimated at $800 million and create approximately 8,000 jobs. 

Please attend the public hearing to show your support for Sunday hunting.  Also, please contact members of the House Game and Fisheries Committee TODAY and urge them to allow Sunday hunting.  Contact information for committee members can be found here.