BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS TESTIMONY SUBMITTED TO PA GAME & FISHERIES COMMITTEE, SEPT. 10, 2019 HEARING

Pennsylvania Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
www.backcountryhunters.org

September 10, 2019
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Game and Fisheries Committee






Dear Representatives,

The Pennsylvania Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is a nonprofit group that seeks to ensure preservation of Pennsylvania’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting. One of our main tenets is to maintain and enhance public access and opportunity for hunters and anglers.

We understand that the Committee is discussing the issue of Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania. We urge you to support the hunters of our state and give the Pennsylvania Game Commission the authority to regulate hunting on Sundays as they do with the other days of the week.

Sunday hunting would provide increased opportunities for junior hunters and working age adult hunters to become engaged in hunting and conservation. Additional opportunities will lead to better recruitment and retention of hunters throughout the state. Children's schedules today are more rigid than in the past.  Sunday hunting would double the amount of time that junior hunters can spend in the field without interfering with school and team sports, many of which have Saturday activities. Likewise, the work and social demands of many adult hunters limit their time and Sunday may be the only time available to hunt.

Lack of time plays a major role in why many Pennsylvanians leave hunting. Over the past several years, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) has identified a downward trend in hunting license sales over the last decade. In a survey of lapsed hunters conducted for the PGC, lack of time and work obligations were among the most frequently stated reasons for the decision to stop hunting. This was especially true in junior hunters and adult hunters under the age of 35. These are the groups that need to be recruited to maintain and grow Pennsylvania’s hunting population. Permitting Sunday hunting would work to alleviate the diminishing number of young hunters.

Increased hunting opportunities also would lead to increased profits for the rural communities and
businesses throughout the commonwealth. A National Shooting Sports Foundation study found that
Sunday hunting could create over 8,000 new jobs and pump $764 million into the state’s economy.
For these reasons the Pennsylvania Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers supports Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania and SB 147.

Sincerely,

Pennsylvania Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers