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The memo reads: From: Senator Daniel Laughlin To: All Senate members Subject: Repealing Sunday Hunting Prohibition in Pennsylvania |
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.’
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