LETTER TO SENATOR MARIO SCAVELLO - SB318 FALCONRY & SUNDAY HUNTING BLUE LAW REPEAL COSPONSOR

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

717-350-6741

Senator Mario Scavello

Senate District 40 serving Monroe (part) and Northampton (part) counties

Senate Box 203040

Harrisburg, PA 17120-3040

Room: 20 East Wing

POC: Christine Zubeck 717-787-6123 or czubeck@pasen.gov  / 570-620-4326 mscavello@pasen.gov

Mr. Scavello;  

I am writing this letter in regards to Senate Bill 318, Allowing Falconry on Sundays that you have introduced this legislative session.  My name is Kevin Askew, the executive director of Hunters United for Sunday Hunting. 

As one can conclude from your co-sponsor memo. You recognize the effort underway to streamline, bring a change and update PA Title 34 Game Law regarding the hunting on Sunday prohibition and the need and the ability for the Pennsylvania Game Commission to be able to set seasons and bag limits for all participating sportsmen regardless of how they choose to hunt.  Be that with a rifle, bow, or in this case falconry.  

The fight to bring hunting on Sunday has never been about a particular species or season. It is not about deer, it is not about specific seasons, it is not about this firearm or the other. It is about the increased opportunity based on the PGC’s resource first model and the North American Model of Wildlife Management.

Falconry is part of this.  Your legislation is astute in that it recognizes that falconers are currently in violation of the law if they choose to fly their birds on Sunday. Why should falconers have to risk being in violation of the law to feed or exercise their birds on any given Sunday? 

“[SB318]This legislation is being offered because these birds of prey are wild and need to fly and eat daily.  A falconer who wishes to take his or her bird of prey out in the wild, even for daily flight and not to hunt, would still be in violation of the Sunday hunting prohibition.”

Understandably, you have introduced similar or the same legislation in previous years.  The law is flawed and needs to be corrected.  Revisiting this issue every year is not the proper way to advance this legislation.  Changing/updating the law will save much-needed legislative time, effort, and money.  Exempting by law species and/or days is not the best way for our wildlife resources to be managed. 

There are 25 conservation organizations that support removing the Sunday hunting prohibition blue law and full regulatory authority to be given to the PGC.  

The immediate request is that you consider the above and understand what updating the law and removing the Sunday hunting prohibition will not only do for falconry but for hunting and conservation as a whole. Since you are both working towards the same goal.  Please consider joining with Senator Dan Laughlin and being a co-sponsor on his current legislation to Repeal Sunday Hunting Prohibition in Pennsylvania.  

I would also like to schedule a meeting to discuss this and answer any questions you may have.  Please let me know your availability. I can be reached at the contact info above.

Sincerely;

Kevin Askew

Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

HUNTERS UNITED FOR SUNDAY HUNTING COMMENT TO PA GAME COMMISSION, April 10, 2021

The memo reads: 

From: Senator Daniel Laughlin

To: All Senate members

Subject: Repealing Sunday Hunting Prohibition in Pennsylvania

Statement to PA Game Commissioners, April 10, 2021, Public Meeting

Executive Director Burhans, Deputy Executive Directors Grohol and Palmer, Commissioners, and Staff:

As the executive director of Hunters United for Sunday Hunting thanks for the opportunity to submit this letter as part of the PA Game Commission April 2021 public meeting.  

It is refreshing and rewarding to watch the March 3, 2021, Pennsylvania House Game and Fisheries Committee testimony and hear Mr. Burhans relay information from the commissioners by saying,  “We would also like to build upon the success of Act 107 of 2019 which provided for three days of hunting on Sundays.  This change was implemented in 2020 and was met with great enthusiasm by hunters who have sought the chance to hunt on Sundays for several decades. The game commission supports opening additional Sundays to hunting and welcomes the opportunity to work with the committee to craft legislation giving full authority to the board of commissioners to offer additional Sunday hunting opportunities.  This year's Sunday hunting opportunities were extremely popular with our hunters and we did not see any, any substantial issues occur on these Sundays.” 

Though mentioned often, it deserves repeating.  The fight to bring hunting on Sunday has never been about a particular species or season. It is not about deer, it is not about specific seasons, it is not about this firearm or the other. It is about the increased opportunity based on your agency's resource first model and the North American Model of Wildlife Management.

It is also good to know that as commissioners you understand the inclusiveness of seasons and species on the Sundays as stated to the House G&F Committee by Mr. Burhans, “this year which is being proposed is where the Sundays overlapping the existing small game seasons is going to be allowed this year.  We got a lot of complaints from hunters, I want to hunt small game but you can only shoot a deer or harvest a bear so we heard a lot of hunters who said they would like small game.”

As we work to get full regulatory authority legislation introduced in this legislative session it is encouraging to hear and see that there is now an understanding in the legislative body of what Sunday hunting can provide and what it means to people.  Hence why Representative Ed Neilson, House G&F Chair spoke and asked directly about Sunday hunting and any type of expansion being considered. Rep. Neilson summed it up very well “the workforce is almost six days a week now, people have to do what they have to do to survive.  Families when the covid hit, everybody is struggling and they are trying to get as many [hunting] days as they can in.” 

In closing, please know that Hunters United for Sunday Hunting appreciates all that you do.  We understand that you are working diligently under the rules placed upon you by the legislature and by the constraints of scientific wildlife management to provide as much hunting opportunity as possible. 

The ask is this. Help us help you.  There are 25 conservation organizations that support full regulatory authority to be given to the PGC.  Please continue to relay and populate the message ‘that the PGC commission supports opening additional Sundays to hunting and welcomes the opportunity for legislation giving full authority to the board of commissioners to offer additional Sunday hunting opportunities.’

Sincerely;

Kevin B. Askew

Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting