Sunday hunting?
 

Does anyone every remember if hunting was allowed on Sundays? I was just thinking that Sunday hunting for bowhunters should be legal. Heck, you' re allowed to fish, why not hunt. I understand it not being okay during gun season due to the noise but I don' t think a bow would ruin anyone' s Sunday events. I figure that the majority of bowhunters work during the week plus if you have a family that makes it even more dificult to find time during the weekdays. Also, the price for licenses keeps going up; in PA, it' s a little over 40 dollars if you get a doe tag. There' s really not alot of time as well to bow hunt before every other yahoo gets in the field.

I' m just venting, but if anyone else agrees or for that matter disagrees with me, feel free to comment.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

i dont know about your state, but in NY you can hunt on sunday, gun or bow. I think that the Sunday Law should be abolished because it still represents a government where church has influence..well maybe not really, but It did. I Suppose it depends on the state, but I still think everyone should be allowed to hunt on Sunday...:)


BTW, in NY to Get a Super-Sportsman Liscense (Bow, Muzzleloader, Rifle [1 tag], fishing, and small game), its $68. that' s a total of 3 Deer Licenses. one buck, one antlerless, and one either sex. the buck is Rifle only, and the other two are Muzz/Bow. It' s free to apply for a Deer Managment Permit. and you have a choice of 2 WMU' s. so that' s a total of up to 5 Deer tags for $68...plus fishing and small game...I think its a good deal, dont you? :)

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

Hey Joe D -

Are you asking this question because the weather on Saturday was crappy and Sunday was a beautiful day?:D As we were driving home from Sullivan County yesterday I was thinking " it sure would be a nice day to go hunting" .
Remember, you can hunt foxes crows and coyotes on Sundays with a gun. It' s not the noise. According to a couple of game wardens I asked, it has to do with land owners. A lot of land that is open to hunting is privately owned. These people allow hunters but they don' t have to. The game commission is giving them a break from people being on their land on Sundays. They feel that, if they allowed Sunday hunting, a lot of these land owners may post their land. As for crows - PA wanted them to be hunted all year but they are considered migratory. Since they are migratory, they can only be hunted so many days a year. The game commission figured out that 3 days a week would work out and they chose weekend days so more people could participate. I think coyotes are considered pest so you can hunt them all the time. As for foxes, I' m not sure about that one.

At least that' s the story I heard.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

you said it! down with the system. HUNTING ON SUNDAY IS THE LEAST THEY COULD DO IN EXCHANGE FOR ALL THE MONEY THEY GET!

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

there is absolutely no good reason that anyone could give me for not allowing people to hunt on sundays. i don' t buy this give the landowners a break deal. break, from what? most of the people that i know, unless they take a vacation, have to work all week long, and don' t have the time to go out after work. and the, they want to cut the time that i have left to hunt in half? give me a break, that' s just plain crazy. and yes, we are allowed to hunt on sundays in vermont. so i wonder, in states that don' t allow sunday hunting, let' s say i run coonhounds, does that mean i have to call off the dogs at midnight?

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

I wonder if anyone has ever lobbied to change this. There are a lot of hunters who don' t want it either. I think most of them are stuck in their ways and just don' t want change. I would like the chance to hunt deer on Sundays. I only get a little bit of time off and I need every day I can get. The only time I like not hunting on Sunday is the day before buck. It' s nice to be up in camp, hanging out with the guys, sleeping in, cutting some firewood, visiting guys in other camps, etc. It' s like going on a business trip and having one day to yourself before all the meetings start.:D

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

RE: Sunday hunting in PA?
 

So contact your legislator. Only they can change the law.

Here' s some info you may like: PaSportsman.org/Sunday_Hunting.htm

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

Hunting on Sundays? I wish.... I really wish.... :(

Down here in Virginia it is a long drawn out battle that never gets anywhere. The answer is always " NO" . [:@] It' s some ridiculous " Blue Law" or something from probably the year 1873 that has remained current still to this day. (Hey, I' m not originally from Virginia, but I am reporting what the hunting laws are here.

Butch

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

In WV they voted on Sunday hunting...and in EVERY county that voted it was voted down. It wasn' t even close...something like 3-1 against.

Absolutely rediculous. Nothing stops a body from going to church on Saturday.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

More info on Sunday Hunting events in 2003 at this link:

Sunday Hunting News 2003

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

The printable version is out at that link. If you really care, print a couple or just one and drag it to a copy center and start showing others how silly it is that PA still isn' t moving to strike this 17th century law from the books in 2003.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

I think the no hunting on Sunday is a joke as well. I' ve talked to some folks and it seems the general feeling is that it gives " certain people" a day to go for a hike or walk their dogs without having to worry about being shot. I' ve hunted WMA' s and seen plenty of " people" walking their dog' s 7 days a week though. The funny part is they always seem to walk their dogs at sunrise and sunset, and no matter how much blaze orange you have on these " people" always seem to walk right by/under your stand without seeing you.

Massbowhunter

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

i' m all for hunting on sundays , the only problem with it imo is there would probably be more people out in the woods ,but that could be good to in some instances!

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

I see people walking their dogs and even riding horses on Saturday while I' m on stand. It doesn' t seem to bother them at that time. Like I said, if they are worried about disturbing the peace, I don' t think a bow would bother anyone.

Here' s some food for thought: The game commission is always saying about how they are trying to reduce the buck to doe ratio, especially in the special reg. areas, but when most people that do hunt can hunt, it' s forbidden. That makes no sense. We are the ones paying the high costs for the liceses and it seems like our cries fall on deaf ears.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

I agree with the sunday hunting. Most of the time it is the only time that i can hunt. I am now going to school in utah, and am able to hunt on sundays. whoopee. But i am suprised, with all of these mormons, we can still hunt on sundays. And PA isn' t a very religious state. Im from the north east.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

This is a good post Joe D. Those links are very informative. I have to wonder why the law makers want to avoid this topic so badly. What don' t we know?

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

In maine according to a warden I had spoken with a couple of years ago the deer harvest was at the total # of animals taken that the biologist said was healthy for the heard. If they opened Sunday to hunting they would have to shorten the season to off set the # of animals harvested on Sunday. It' s a lose lose situation. longer season w/o Sunday hunts or shouter season with Sunday hunts. I' m lucky enouth to live close the New Hampshire so I can hunt Sundays as a non resident.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

Sure would be nice to have 2 days a week to hunt all day if I wanted. It gets frustrating rushing home from work on weekdays to get that last hour or two of hunting before dark.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

I would love to hunt on Sundays.

I used to live in Idaho, great hunting on Sundays there. Then I lived in Ohio, after I left they made it legal to hunt on Sundays. (after people complained enough, it did work for them.) Apparently being the " squeaky wheel" actually does get you greased!

Now I have been in Maine for 15 years, but I can' t hunt on Sundays,....still!

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

Hunting on Sundays would be awsome... It would be nice for a college student like me to be able to visit the woods more than 2 or 3 times a season

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

In response to Adams, I would definitely take hunting on Sundays over a longer season. It still would allow people to enjoy something they love to do. No matter how long the season, most people can only make it out on Saturdays. The whole rushing home and getting in a stand with an hour left of legal hunting is more of a hastle than a joy of hunting.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

here in MD. they opened up 2 sundays for hunting but it is in the counties that need it the least the central counties that need it the most have the most antis and the most opposition to it. I think Governor Ehrlich has stolen a page from the antis and gotten a toe hold . Gota start somewhere i guess

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

Yesterday would have been a nice day to be afield.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

Here' s another one to read through.

Sunday Hunting Talking Points

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

That' s a good link, Ruffed-Grouse. I especially like this point:

45 % of all hunters in PA own rural property and this law keeps them from using that property only because of what day of the week it happens to be.


If you bought a license and bought the land, what' s the deal? You could post it and you would be the only one out there. That would certainly reduce hunter/non-hunter conflicts.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

We should all start crow hunting every Sunday. Maybe that would get some attention:D:D:D

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

If I could find a use for the crows I' d hunt them more often. I used to hunt them alot with my grandfather when I was a kid. We had alot of fun.

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

They are actually a challenge to call in. They are very wary.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

RE: Sunday hunting?
 

Time to write a few e-mails if you get a chance. Sounds like the issue is finally heating up again and more letters are needed so it doesn' t get ignored again.

e-mail Addresses for the G&F Committee are now easily available and sounds like the Committee recently passed over an Amendment and Bill that would have finally brought PA up to date with NY, OH, and 40 or so other states that treat hunters fairly and treat Sundays just like every other day of the week, without even asking for input from Sportsmen.

Even if you don' t live in the State, do fellow hunters a favor and at least drop a line to the two chairmen to tell em how PA is at the bottom of your list for ever buying a NR License or spending your tourist dollars since PA cuts your available time to hunt in half while 40 some other states are begging for those dollars and treat hunters just as fairly as everyone else.