Since
our first grassroots meeting on March 11, 2018, Hunters United for Sunday
Hunting has organized into 8 regions and all 67 Pa. counties. We have over 17,000 members to include a
Farm/Ag Liaison team and chapter. We
also have established an out-of-state hunters chapter for all non-Pa residents. We have been able to attract and gain nearly
3,000 members weekly in this short time.
The
Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, National Wild Turkey Federation,
United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, PA Quality
Deer Management Association, Unified Sportsmen of PA, Pheasants Forever,
Allegheny County Sportsmen and other private clubs have joined in support of
Sunday hunting.
The
purpose of my address is to ask you as the commissioners and Pa. Game
Commission agency representatives to issue a statement or press release
demonstrating the agencies support for Sunday hunting and emphasis your ability
to manage wildlife regardless of the day in a week.
As
you are aware, 52 percent of hunters support Sunday hunting.
Studies show TIME is the biggest factor for people when it comes to hunting.
Our
research indicates that there is overwhelming support to allow Sunday Hunting
in Pa. Both in the farm and Ag community
as well as the general hunting population.
Hunters
United for Sunday Hunting mission is to remove the prohibition of Sunday
hunting in Pa Title 34 Game law, through education and influence the
legislatures to change the law accordingly.
A
fresh statement from the game commission will help support this education
effort.
The
legislature and the Governor have proven their willingness to update PA Title
34 Game Law as recent as March 13, 2018, with Senate Bill 135 by updating and
allowing hunters to use leashed dogs to track big game animals that have been harvested.
We
understand the Pa Game Commission are the subject matter experts for the
management and conservation of Pa’s wildlife.
You have the biologists, wildlife experts, scientific studies, etc. to
determine what is right, what is wrong; what needs to be corrected and what
doesn’t. Legislators have no experience in this area. The transfer of full regulatory control to
Pa. Game Commission only makes senses. This is the best solution for game
management in Pa. Cherry picking
species, days and seasons only waste time, energy and money for all involved
year-after-year, season-after-season.
The
biggest perception is that Pa. Farm Bureau does not support Sunday hunting or a
change in the law. The facts show
different. For example in the recent
Senate Bill 135 to allow leashed tracking dogs, the Farm Bureau did not oppose,
therefore supporting a law change to allow the use of tracking dogs.
A
more recent example is Senate Bill 123, Allowing Falconry on Sundays currently
in the Game and Fisheries Committee. The
Pa. Farm Bureau does not oppose this bill either. Again, demonstrating they support Sunday
hunting.
As
you consider drafting the requested statement it is important that you know the
facts. There are not as many roadblocks
as you may think.
We
all are erecting the same puzzle, we all hold a piece for the future of
conservation in Pa. Our organization,
Pa. Game Commission, and Pa. Farm Bureau.
We can all work on this together for the benefit of all the 480 Pa.
wildlife species, or not. If we don’t
then the result will be lost effort, energy, time, on all our parts. Resulting in stagnation and no forward
movement on management and conservation efforts here in Pa.
I
recently read a quote by author Matthew Scully that fits this situation well. He wrote - “Sometimes tradition and habit are
just that, comfortable excuses to leave things be, even when they are unjust
and unworthy.”
Again,
I ask that Pa. Game Commission as an agency to issue a statement in support of
Sunday hunting, not for the sole reason we are asking for one, but because it
is the right thing to do for the agency, hunters and the future of conservation
in Pennsylvania.
I
thank you for your time.
https://www.facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting/
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