idahoelkinstructor

Double Creek, being a church going man myself I try not to hunt on sunday as well. Most of the time elk camp is half day or a full day away from my home, so going home for church is not an option. On those days I just try to hang around camp and do things with my family. But I admit I have hunted and shot elk on sundays in the past. Even if I didn't believe in religion my body can only take so much of what the rocky mountains can dish out. It seems like on my typical 2 week hunt that after 5 or 6 days my body is so tired. My mind still wants to go go go but my body says rest rest rest. That is why I hunt my butt off during the week and when or if others show up for the weekend I let them go for it while I cool my heels in camp.

thesource

That's fine - being a church goin' man, if you want to take Sundays off, you should do it. But why would you want to deprive others from their desire to hunt on Sunday, particularly those who only get weekends off?

I don't get it.

MOTOWNHONKEY

I hunt Sundays and take Jesus with me in my heart. I find the solitude lets me talk and pray without interruption. Of course unless a big kansas buckcomes thru. God understands our schedules and knows our hearts.

idahoelkinstructor

Whoa hold on just a second, if it seems that I might have implied that I want to deprive others of hunting on sunday I am so sorry. I don't or wouldn't do that at all. I was just saying that I understand and do about the same as Double Creek. I am not saying that we need to make a nation or state law stateing that we can't hunt on sundays. I believe in freedom of religion and same goes with hunting. If you want to hunt sunday I say go for it and if you don't well thats your choice too. Like I said in my first post I was surprized to learn that certian places in the United States didn't allow hunting on sundays.

Rhody Hunter

its because they like to impose there religious beliefs onto the rest of the world.If you want to hunt on Sunday you should be able,if you want to go to church thats fine to.They assume every one is christian but there not.If your jewish i believe there sabath is on Saturday.What if your musslem,buddist,atheist ,agnostic or a whole aray of non christian religous beliefs.Laws like thes should be stricken from the books.What ever happened to seperation of church and state?

NHBuck

"State and local regulations banning various activities on Sundays are called "blue laws." The origin of the term is uncertain. It has been said variously to have originated in the color of the paper on which a code of laws for the early New Haven, Connecticut, colony was printed or to have derived from the concept of being "true blue" to the law. Whatever the origin, these measures, which are based on the biblical injunction against working on the Sabbath, have been traced back to fourth-century Rome, when Constantine I, the first Christian emperor, commanded all citizens, except farmers, to rest on Sunday. The first blue law in America was enacted in the Virginia colony in the early 1600s and required church attendance.

About three-fourths of the states still carry on their books laws imposing some kind of Sunday restriction on such activities as retail sales, general labor, liquor sales, boxing, hunting, or barbering, as well as polo, cockfighting, or clam digging. These laws have been challenged in federal courts as a violation of the Sherman Anti-trust Act and the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion. The Supreme Court has upheld them, starting with McGowan v. Maryland (1961), ruling that though the laws originated for religious reasons, the state has a right to set aside a day of rest for the well-being of its citizens.

Nevertheless, Sunday blue laws have declined since the 1960s. A number of states have repealed them, and many municipalities have long ignored those still on their books, simply choosing not to enforce them."


Here in NH they allow Sunday hunting but some of the other States I hunt do not. ( WV, ME, NJ). The original intent at the time was valid based on those lifestyles. However with all laws they need to be reviewed from time to time. A populated State like Jersey where some counties ar flooded with shoppers at the malls they are probably great at reducing road traffic and folks probably like them for that reason. No 1 hr commute to go 5 miles. But a few thousand hunters are hardly likly to cause traffic headaches. With todays work schedules they should allow hunting 7 days a week.

adams

It's illegal to hunt in Maine on Sunday so I reserve that day to hunt New Hampshire. The only real effect the law has on me is it limits my options for hunting on Sunday's.

hoyt3

virginia is the same way. some folks are petitioning to change it. I think it may be a long time before it changes. I don't see a need for it, but I am extremely lucky that I can hunt very frequently during the week.

thesource

Idahoelk -

sorry if that came off harsh. Not intended.

I'll give you a good one. My father in law hunts every Sunday during bowseason, but always tells me he's staying home during gun season because "he doesn't believe its right to hunt on Sunday."

Can you say "Burned out"?

dsheally

There is no hunting here in Maryland on Sunday except on 2 Sunday's per year.
One is in bow season on private land and one in rifle season on private land.