THE "TRADITION BILL" BY REPUBLICAN SENATOR GENE YAW WOULD SET HUNTING BACK TO 2018

 

CONTACT: Hunters United for Sunday Hunting
TELEPHONE: 717-350-6741
EMAIL: huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com
WEBSITE: facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting

Statement from Kevin Askew, Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting (HUSH)

REGARDING REPUBLICAN SENATOR GENE YAW’S FACEBOOK ANNOUNCEMENT

“It’s Time to Bring Back a Pennsylvania Tradition” and Legislative Memo – Returning Firearms Deer Season Opening Day to the First Monday After Thanksgiving

As Executive Director of one of the lead organizations that helped bring an end to the Sunday hunting blue law with HB1431/Act 36 of 2025, signed by Governor Josh Shapiro on July 9, 2025. I have received numerous questions over the past several days regarding Republican Senator Gene Yaw’s Facebook announcement and legislative memo proposing to return the firearms deer season opener to the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

Below are those questions and my responses:

Q: What are your thoughts on Senator Yaw’s announcement to legislatively set the rifle deer opener to Monday every year?

A: Let’s level-set from the start: At Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, we will always advocate for more opportunity, not less. Less political interference, not more.

Nothing has been lost by having Saturdays and Sundays available. As with any other activity in life, if you do not like it, you do not have to participate, regardless of the day of the week.

Regarding Senator Yaw and what he is proposing, the only word that comes to mind is hypocritical. Senator Yaw voted YEA on HB1431, which removes the blue law and gives the Pennsylvania Game Commission full authority to set seasons and bag limits on all days of the week. Only a politician could vote to expand hunting opportunity and then, within eight months, attempt to restrict that same opportunity legislatively.

There is no other word to describe it than hypocritical.

Q: Are you surprised this is coming from a Republican Senator and the Republican Caucus?

A: Not at all. One of the lessons learned through the Sunday hunting fight and when examining hunter issues as a whole is that Democrats have supported hunter-conservation more consistently than Republicans.

Sunday hunting was a Republican talking point for more than 30 years. What was accomplished during that time? Nothing. It took Representative Mandy Steele, prime sponsor and author of HB1431, a Democrat, just two years to do what Republicans could not in nearly three decades: remove the Sunday hunting prohibitive blue law.

Since 2019, there have been at least six different bills and two legislative hearings on this subject. All have produced the same result: no action. Most were sponsored by Republicans.

Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has discussed the Monday vs. Saturday opener at nearly every quarterly meeting between 2019 and early 2026, more than 25 meetings in total. The Commission made the correct decision to expand opportunity. It is up to hunters to take advantage of the Saturday opener or not.

Q: What about the economic argument that businesses, fire companies, and others are suffering because of the current season structure?

A: That argument is hyperbole.

How many businesses have listed on IRS closure forms: “Closing because deer season opens on Saturday”?
How many news headlines read: “Fire company closing because pancake breakfast cannot be held before Monday opener”?
How many churches claim fundraisers failed because of the Saturday opener?

The answer is none.

The “business harm” claim is a straw-man argument.

As Rob Southwick, President of Southwick Associates, a market research and economics firm specializing in the hunting, shooting, sportfishing, and outdoor recreation markets, explains:
“The economic impact of hunting and sport shooting cannot be overstated. If hunting and shooting were a company, the jobs supported would rank as the third-largest private-sector employer in the nation, and the $65 billion in retail sales generated would place it 52nd on the Fortune 500 list.”

Conversations with the Pennsylvania Realtors Association indicate that traditional “label camps” are in the extreme minority. Recreational properties are being purchased statewide for year-round use, summer, fall, winter, and spring, generating sustained economic activity.  

Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier real estate and recreational property market remains popular for people seeking a "home away from home".

A simple review of land-use data for Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier shows that a high percentage of private, non-agricultural, non-residential land in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties is used for recreational purposes, with hunting being a primary activity but including water sports and fishing, hiking, biking, and ATV riding, camping (seasonal/year-round), skiing, tubing, and snowmobiling, etc.

• Sullivan County: Experienced high demand, with median home prices increasing by 48.85% over 3 years as of late 2025, suggesting strong, competitive interest in its rural/recreational market.

• Bradford County: Features a mix of residential and rural, with a median home price around $199,900 as of December 2025.

• Tioga County: Offers access to the "Pennsylvania Grand Canyon" (Pine Creek Gorge), driving, and tourism-related property sales.

Q: What about the argument that the Monday opener supports hunter recruitment and retention because of deer camp tradition?

A: Let’s examine the numbers, keeping in mind that this legislation and position are a return to the 2019 rules and regulations.

In 2010, Pennsylvania had 925,029 hunting license holders.

In 2021, Pennsylvania had 857,964.

That is a decline of 67,065 hunters over eleven years, well before the Saturday opener change in 2019.

If the Monday opener and camp culture were the key drivers of recruitment and retention, license sales would not have steadily declined under the old structure.

The data simply does not support the claim.

Q: Camp owners argue they do not have enough time to travel and relax under the Saturday opener. Your response?

A: It is interesting that some camp owners feel something has been taken away. It is even more interesting that this minority believes legislation is necessary to dictate when they travel to or occupy their camp.

Our country was founded on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If camp life brings happiness, nothing prevents people from going more often.

Why does this require legislative intervention?

Closing Comments

To Senate leadership, particularly Republicans, this is simple:

You did the right thing by endorsing Act 36 of 2025 and removing the Sunday hunting blue law. It would be a mistake to undermine that progress because of one rogue proposal.

Regarding alignment with Mr. Randy Santucci and Unified Sportsmen of PA, there are well-documented concerns within the conservation community about their credibility, factual distortions, and past actions related to chronic wasting disease efforts and opposition to programs such as mentor hunting. Policymakers should consider that history carefully.

HUSH Mission Statement - Remove the prohibition of Sunday hunting in PA Title 34 Game Law through education, and influence legislatures to change the law accordingly.

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LETTER TO PGC COMMISSIONERS - SUNDAYS TO SEASONS IN VIRGINIA ARE BENEFICIAL - NAYSAYER CONCERNS NOT REALIZED

 

CONTACT: Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

TELEPHONE: 717-350-6741

EMAIL: huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

WEBSITE: facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting

         Dear Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners,

Please find attached a letter I was provided some time ago regarding the impact of adding Sundays to hunting seasons.  I thought this would be good information for all of you to have in preparation for your upcoming meetings as you look at how/when to implement Sunday hunting here in Pennsylvania.  Please feel free to share as you feel appropriate.

 

I've taken the liberty of highlighting what I felt were the important comments contained in the letter, which was sent from Executive Director Bob Duncan of the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation in 2016.  This was written after the Virginia Sunday hunting inclusion had been in place for about 2 years.

 

Executive Director Duncan stated the following:

 

Virginia elected to largely leave hunting seasons in place as they had existed previously.  They also elected to not change bag limits.

 

Sunday hunting had no detrimental impact upon their deer herd.  And he went on to write that average deer harvests for Sundays more closely approximated the averages for weekdays and far less than Saturdays.  He details that archery and muzzle loader Sundays realized about 50% of a Saturday harvest.  And the Sunday harvest in rifle season in Virginia was roughly 20% of a typical Saturday.

 

He also stated that turkey harvests on Sunday approximated weekday averages.

 

Also included in his comments are Virginia's findings regarding law enforcement activity.  Many had/have concerns about the undue burden Sunday hunting opportunity might have on law enforcement.  In Virginia, those fears were not realized.  Hunting related calls to law enforcement dispatch on Sundays were similar to an average weekday, and in fact only increased modestly from the amount of calls that were received on Sundays prior to the change.  Hunting related arrests trended similarly as well.

 

He closed by stating "In Sum, I can say that Virginia's experience so far with Sunday hunting is that of additional opportunities for sportsmen and women in the field without unacceptable impacts upon our wildlife resources, notable increases in citizen complaints, or other serious law enforcement concerns."

 

I would like to close by saying thank you to each of you for your sacrifice and dedication to conservation.  The efforts each of you put into your position as a PGC Commissioner are appreciated by so many of us Pennsylvania hunters.  Thank you!

 

Kindest Regards,

 

Harold Daub

HUSH Legislative/PGC Advisor

PA SUNDAY HUNTING PROHIBITIVE BLUE LAW WILL END WITH GOVERNOR SHAPIRO'S SIGNATURE

 

CONTACT: Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

TELEPHONE: 717-350-6741

EMAIL: huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

WEBSITE: facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting Applauds Passage of House Bill 1431 by Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting (HUSH) commends the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for passing House Bill 1431, introduced by Representative Mandy Steele (D–Allegheny County), by a concurrence vote of 142 YEA to 61 NAY. The bill now moves to Governor Josh Shapiro for his signature.

Upon the Governor’s approval, HB 1431 will repeal the outdated “blue law” that has prohibited hunting on Sundays for over three centuries. The legislation grants the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) full regulatory authority to manage hunting seasons and bag limits seven days a week, consistent with the Commonwealth’s commitment to science-based, resource-first wildlife management under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

"This bill puts wildlife management back where it belongs in the hands of the trained professionals at the Pennsylvania Game Commission," said Kevin B. Askew, Executive Director of Hunters United for Sunday Hunting. "The PGC's mission is clear: to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations."

A New Era for Pennsylvania Hunting

The PGC, with its team of biologists and wildlife managers, oversees all 480 species of wildlife in Pennsylvania, serving both consumptive (hunters and trappers) and non-consumptive (birdwatchers, hikers, photographers) users. While the 2025–2026 hunting seasons and bag limits have already been set, the new law will allow Sunday hunting to be implemented in full beginning with the 2026–2027 season.

“This marks the end of a 343-year-old restriction and concludes a 50-year fight to modernize Pennsylvania’s hunting laws,” Askew continued. “Governor Shapiro’s signature will not only keep Pennsylvania aligned with modern wildlife management standards, it will also bolster the outdoor recreation economy.”

Recognizing Legislative Champions

Askew emphasized the importance of bipartisan collaboration in passing HB1431:

“Much work has been done to get to this point. As one of the lead organizations on this issue, we would be remiss not to acknowledge those who made it possible. Without Representative Mandy Steele’s tenacity and her willingness to work across the aisle with Senator Dan Laughlin, who helped break the Sunday hunting barrier with Act 107 of 2019, this legislation may never have reached the Governor’s desk.”

Respecting Choice and Access

Askew concluded with a reminder that expanding access does not mandate participation:

“There has been nothing lost by offering hunting on both Saturdays and Sundays. As with any other activity in life, if you don’t want to take part, you don’t have to, regardless of the day of the week.”

About Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting (HUSH) is a leading advocacy organization committed to promoting equitable hunting access and sound wildlife management policy in Pennsylvania. For nearly a decade, HUSH has been a driving force behind the movement to repeal the Sunday hunting ban and expand outdoor opportunities for all residents of the Commonwealth.

18 YEA's REPEALING SUNDAY HUNTING PROHIBITION IN PENNSYLVANIA - HB1431 PASSES OUT OF COMMITTEE.

CONTACT: Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

TELEPHONE: 717-350-6741

EMAIL: huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

WEBSITE: facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/DISTRIBUTION 

YEA VOTE FOR REPEALING SUNDAY HUNTING PROHIBITION IN PENNSYLVANIA - HB1431 BY PA HOUSE GAME AND FISHERIES COMMITTEE. 

  

The Pennsylvania House Game and Fisheries Committee on June 3, 2025, advanced PA House Bill 1431, Repealing Sunday Hunting Prohibition in Pennsylvania, with a vote of 18YEA, 8NAY.

The vote was consistent with the Democratic majority voting favorably, along with four Republican minority members supporting.  

View the PA House Game and Fisheries Committee meeting and voting here. The advancement of this legislation is important in helping hunters and farmers.  Over the past years, hunter-conservation identified their number one issue as removing the prohibitive blue law restricting hunting on Sunday.  Agriculture identified its number one issue as being economic, locally and as a whole, through losses associated with crop damage.  

HB1431:

• Removes the blue law prohibiting hunting on Sunday and provides the Pennsylvania Game Commission with full regulatory authority to set seasons and bag limits seven days a week. 

• Provides for a member of the Board of Pennsylvania Game Commissioners who represents the interest of agricultural commodities that pertain to normal agricultural operations and wildlife. That applicant will now have to meet the criteria of being knowledgeable in the area of wildlife management as well as actively engaged in a normal agricultural operation as defined in the Right-to-Farm Law.

• Directs the labeling of natural deer urine for the use of hunting.  The urine must have adequate labeling and testing to ensure they are free of Chronic Wasting Disease. 

• Guides the reporting of harvested animals for crop damage. 

• Strengthens private property trespass rules. 

Statement from Kevin Askew, Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting:

“ Hunter-citizens of Pennsylvania have been asking for an update to the blue law for over 50 years.  I would like to thank legislators for demonstrating their trust in the Pennsylvania Game Commission to do as they are charged and manage PA’s wildlife resources for generations now and future.  Your ongoing courage to change and remove the archaic blue law that prohibits hunting on Sundays will have a lasting effect for current and future hunters.”

“I want to also recognize the efforts of our partnerships with Hunter Nation-PA, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and Representative Mandy Steele (D), Allegheny Co.  Without legislative cooperation, we would not be at the point of ending the 343-year-old blue law and the 50-year benign seven-day-a-week hunting issue.”   

HB1431 will now move to the Pennsylvania House for a full floor vote.  

For more information about this topic, please contact Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, Executive Director Kevin Askew at 717-350-6741 or email at huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com.  View our Blog - https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com/ 

HUSH Mission Statement - Remove the prohibition of Sunday hunting in PA Title 34 Game Law through education, and influence legislatures to change the law accordingly.

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