HUSH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HAROLD DAUB - MESSAGE & CALL TO ACTION -

Message from Executive Director - This is an ALL HANDS ON DECK CALL TO ACTION Sunday Hunting and Senate Bill 147 Supporters,
This is a very critical week and I need your help.  If you truly want to see the prohibition on Sunday hunting lifted in Pennsylvania and Senate Bill 147 move to the next steps, I need you to give 15 minutes of your time today and tomorrow. The Pa. Farm Bureau will be descending on Harrisburg this Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The PFB leadership autocracy has issued talking point directives to be used.  One of the first on the list is Senate Bill 147 and Sunday hunting.  The PFB is requesting when their members speak to legislators on Wednesday they specifically mention opposition to Sunday hunting as well as trespass legislation being part of the discussion on this wildlife conservation issue. The important thing to remember and note as you make calls and speak with State Representatives is Pa. Farm Bureau has been requesting for over 10 years that trespass laws be strengthened. Hence, why it is also important to understand many rank and file members of the PFB support SB 147.  The trespass language contained in Senate Bill 147 is what PFB has been wanting.  But yet, now that it has support and momentum they [PFB leadership] are still not supporting.  Makes no sense. In regards to wildlife management.  Bottom line is Pa. Farm Bureau has no experience or expertise. The Pa. Game Commission is charged by law with the management of the states wildlife not Pa. Farm Bureau. There are very few active farmers that will be at the capitol building.  I have been told the people selected or asked to participate by PFB on Wednesday are mostly legacy farmers, retired farmers and very few active [making a living] PFB farmers.  In talking with PFB active farmer members they will not be attending because of doing what farmers do this time of year - farming.  Many of these active farmers support SB 147. Though we do not know how many PFB members will be at the state capitol on Wednesday we must realize the PFB is once again using deception to bully Pa. legislators by ‘stacking the deck’ so to speak.  It is a fact that Pa. Farm Bureau only represents 22,648 farmers in Pa. the other part of their membership does not count. What we can be assured of is Pa. Farm Bureau to continue to misrepresent itself and intimidate legislators.  Please have no illusion, the PFB autocracy thinks they control the issue of removing the prohibition on Sunday hunting and SB 147. This is an ALL HANDS ON DECK CALL TO ACTION.  We need to make our intentions known and our voices heard starting today on Senate Bill 147.  If we don’t, the only message that will be reverberating in the halls of our state capitol building is that of naysayers. Let’s not let that happen.  We need to “Keep The Needle Moving” make the halls come alive with our message of resounding support for SB 147 and the removal of Sunday hunting prohibition here in Pa. This is why I am asking and need your commitment to making the following calls: First - call your Representative and Senator using these links: FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR - BY PA COUNTY Or https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/  In addition to recording your support with both of your legislators. I also need you to place a call to all of those who occupy important leadership positions. Senate President Honorable Joseph Scarnati - 717-787-7084 Senate Majority Leader Honorable Jake Corman - 717-787-1377 Senate Minority Leader Honorable Jay Costa - 717-787-7683 Senate Appropriations Majority Chairman Honorable Patrick Browne - 717-787-1349 Senate Appropriations Minority Chairman Honorable Vincent Hughes - 717-787-7112 House Speaker Honorable Mike Turzai - 717-772-9943 House Majority Leader:  Honorable Bryan Cutler - 717-783-6424 House Minority Leader:  Honorable Frank Dermody - 717-787-3566 House Appropriations Committee Majority Chairman Honorable Stan Saylor - 717-783-6426 House Appropriations Committee Minority Chairman Honorable Matthew Bradford - 717-783-1540 House Game & Fish Majority Chairman Honorable Keith Gillespie - 717-705-7167 House Game & Fish Minority Chairman Honorable William Kortz - 717-787-8175 Thank you for your active participation in bringing an end to the ban on Sunday hunting and the upgrade of our trespass laws. It is with your passion and effort that we will be successful in our mission. Sincerely,

Harold Daub, Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting P.S. Comment below on the responses you get.

 

HUNTERS UNITED FOR SUNDAY HUNTING COMMENTS TO PA GAME COMMISSION - JANUARY 2019

Jan 27, 2019 Hunters United for Sunday Hunting Executive Director Harold Daub presents public testimony to Pennsylvania Game Commission Board of Commissioners asking for continued support of legislative action to repeal the prohibition on Sunday hunting in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

President Layton, Commissioners, Executive Director Burhans and Deputy Executive Director Grohol and Palmer,  

Good afternoon gentlemen.  My name is Harold Daub, I am the Executive Director for Hunters United for Sunday Hunting.  I am here today to ask you, the Board of Commissioners to continue your support of legislative action to repeal the prohibition on Sunday hunting in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

In the past 10 months, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting has been working hard educating people on what your resolution means and what it will do for hunters, conservation and the commonwealth.  There is currently more support than there has ever been for removing the Sunday hunting prohibition language in PA Title 34 Game Law and transfer full regulatory authority to the Pa. Game Commission.

Many polls and surveys have been conducted by legislators, media, and others to find out what hunters and people have to say on the subject.  The result on average is 80% favor removing the prohibition on Sunday hunting.

I have presented to you an example of this. Five weeks ago we released the boards Sunday hunting endorsement.  It has been read nearly 21,000 times, shared 8,800 times and contains 509 comments.  As you read through it, keep in mind, these are direct comments on the PGC Board’s support for Sunday hunting.  Here is a sampling of what people are saying.

“Thank you for supporting Sunday hunting. A major step in getting the States approval.”

“It’s about time PA gets with the program. Sunday hunting would be a great thing”

“I think Sundays would be nice to get the kids out hunting. I don't see what the big deal is on hunting Sundays, a lot of farmers I know with crop damage would love to see hunting on Sundays.”

“Sunday hunting would be great. As I'm getting older I enjoy mentoring our youth and adult hunters more than I enjoy spending it alone in the woods by myself. This would give me and my youth hunters more time to enjoy the outdoors as they have school and I have work sometimes six days a week. It’s hard to keep their interests if I can’t get them out. I totally support it.”

“Between work schedules and school times Sunday would be a great idea, would allow my children to get another day besides Saturday to hunt. They have been hooked in the sport since five years old hunting under the mentor program. We are all for Sunday hunting”

To further demonstrate that there is support for the boards Sunday hunting resolution.  Hunters United for Sunday Hunting has over 1,400 pages worth of signatures backing it.

There are those that believe we need the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s approval for Sunday hunting; legislators included.  Our observation has been that the Pa Farm Bureau has bullied legislators to a point where they believe that Pa. Farm Bureau speaks for you as Pa. Game Commission on wildlife management issues as well as all farmers in the commonwealth.

The PFB represents less-than-half of Pa. farmers. There are 58,000 farming operations in Pennsylvania.  There are only 22,648 total farmers in Pa. Farm Bureau. 75% of those members support a change to the policy regarding the existing Sunday hunting prohibition.

Why is this important? It is time to stand up to the bully.  The Pa. Farm Bureau is going to present you with their demands for wildlife management.  The demands are not founded in any type of biology or science.  If you consider them,  I encourage you to follow in the words of Executive Director Bryan Burhans as he has stated: “the biggest tool that I can give the farm bureau is Sunday hunting.”  Then do just that, help educate legislators and people on the PGC established process for wildlife management and how hunting on Sundays will be of benefit to everyone, including farmers.

Recently Senator Dan Laughlin and Senator James Brewster have been named to lead the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee.  Representative Keith Gillespie and Representative William Kortz will lead the House Game and Fisheries Committee.  I am very excited by these appointments as all four have indicated their strong support for removing the prohibition.  To the best of my knowledge, we’ve never had this much support from the chairpersons of those committees.

Hunters want a change.  There are 20 hunting and conservation organizations representing 1.4 million Pa. sportsmen and women involved in this effort to grant authority to the Pa. Game Commission to decide what is best for Sunday hunting.

Your continued support of legislative action to repeal the prohibition on Sunday hunting will solidify your commitment to the hunters of Pa. and the newly appointed members of Pa. Game and Fisheries Committees.

I will close with the words of Representative Keith Gillespie where he said this about Sunday hunting prohibition; “What may have been suitable 10 or 15 years ago sometimes needs brought up to speed, and I think that’s what we have going on here.  I think a big part of that would be to put it in the hands of a professional agency like the game commission.”

With your help, the effort of all supporting conservation organizations, and most importantly the overwhelming support of Pennsylvania's outdoor community we can get this done during this legislative session.

Thank for your time, efforts, and dedication to conservation.

Sincerely;

Harold Daub

Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

Pa Game Commission Sunday Hunting Resolution