By JIM ECKSTR0M

news@bradfordera.com

A state senator’s bill would fully repeal Pennsylvania’s prohibition on Sunday hunting, transferring full authority over wildlife management decisions to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie County, introduced Senate Bill 67 to repeal the Sunday hunting ban, a measure the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) now supports, provided agricultural concerns are addressed by the legislature as well.

‘For eight years, I have fought to remove this outdated prohibition and expand opportunities for hunters,’ Laughlin said Monday. ‘Through open dialogue and collaboration, we’ve built a consensus. I am pleased that the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau now fully supports this effort and is calling for its passage.’

Chris Hoffman, president of the PFB, called the bill a key piece of legislation developed in collaboration between wildlife groups and the agricultural interests to improve wildlife management and address deer overpopulation.

‘These measures will help farmers better control deer populations, protect their crops and support the long-term sustainability of agriculture in our state,’ Hoffman said.

Laughlin’s bill — a réintroduction of legislation from 2024 — would have Pennsylvania join the 39 states that have no limits on Sunday hunting, including New York.

While Act 107 of 2019 permitted hunting on three Sundays, a full repeal is necessary to provide greater access for sportsmen and -women, align Pennsylvania with neighboring states and support conservation efforts, the senator said.

‘The Sunday hunting prohibition is one of the last remnants of our commonwealth’s antiquated ‘Blue Laws,” Laughlin said. ‘Hunting is a longstanding tradition, a vital conservation tool and an economic driver for rural communities. It’s time we fully eliminate this restriction.’

Laughlin emphasized that the bill’s support is tied directly to measures addressing agricultural concerns, including solutions to mitigate wild-life related crop damage.

The state Farm Bureau’s endorsement is significant in the effort to modernize Pennsylvania’s hunting laws, as one of the roadblocks has been farmers viewing Sunday as one day that hunters are not afield on or adjacent to their land and near their livestock.

‘The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau has been a key partner in ensuring that this legislation addresses the concerns of our agricultural community,’ Laughlin said.

Andy Bater, PFB state board director and chairman of its Wildlife and Fisheries Committee, said delegates voted to remove their opposition to Sunday hunting in exchange for ‘implementation of significant statutory and regulatory changes addressing crop damage from wildlife and hunting management on farmland. This policy shift has fostered unprecedented collaborative efforts between Farm Bureau, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and statewide hunting organizations.’

Laughlin said expanding Sunday hunting would also provide greater access for individuals with disabilities who rely on companions to assist them in the field. For many, Sunday is the only available day to participate in the sport, he said.

Except for the pursuit of foxes, crows and coyotes, it’s illegal to hunt on Sundays outside of what has been three consecutive Sundays in November, bridging the fall archery season, the

Hunting… page A-8

A reintroduced state Senate bill would fully repeal the ban on Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania.

File photo black bear firearms season and the first weekend of the traditional firearms season for deer. The PGC has the authority to set the three dates Sunday hunting is permitted.

Laughlin’s bill also aims to address the process of reporting deer carcasses killed for crop damage, increase penalties for trespassing and remove the requirement for hunters to carry written permission when hunting on private property on Sundays.

MEANWHILE, EFFORTS continue from some quarters to move the opening day of the firearms deer season back to the Monday after Thanksgiving.

State Rep. Brian Smith, a Republican from Jefferson County who says he is a hunter and business owner himself, has sponsored a bill that would force the opening day change by putting such policy decisions in the hands of the legislature.

In 2019, the PGC changed the start of rifle season from the Monday after Thanksgiving to the Saturday, giving hunters the whole weekend and, for many, not forcing them to take time off from work or find childcare options. The PGC has argued that the change has been beneficial in hunter retention while the state Farm Bureau also supports a Saturday opener.

Advocates of moving the opener back to Monday cite lost revenues for local businesses and fundraisers formerly associated with the weekend lead-up to opening day. They also argue that the time between Thanksgiving Day and a Saturday opener leaves little time for family gathering combined with getting ready for the first morning.