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

GAME COMMISSION BOARD PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR SUNDAY HUNTING

GAME COMMISSION BOARD PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR SUNDAY HUNTING

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today reaffirmed its support of legislative action that would allow for expanded Sunday hunting opportunities.

The resolution adopted by the board is in response to a direct request from the nonprofit group Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, a representative of which testified to the board on Monday.

The resolution is at least the third the Board of Game Commissioners has adopted over the years in support of expanded Sunday hunting. The board’s support has remained consistent through the regular turnover of commissioners due to terms expiring and replacements being appointed.

The resolution adopted today is as follows:

“WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has experienced consistent declines in hunting participation by both resident and non-resident hunters over the past several decades, with both the number of licenses sold and revenues generated experiencing steady declines; and

“WHEREAS, Youth participation is vital to maintaining the long-standing tradition of hunting in the Commonwealth; and

“WHEREAS, Sunday hunting can be an effective means of recruiting new hunters and retaining current hunters by increasing the value of the hunting license through offering additional opportunities to spend time in the field; and

“WHEREAS, The Commission recognizes that it can effectively double the number of hunting days for youths during the school year by offering Sunday hunting; and

“WHEREAS, Many residents of this Commonwealth seek hunting opportunities and hunting leases in neighboring states that offer Sunday hunting; and

“WHEREAS, The Commission recognizes that Sunday hunting will help keep Pennsylvania hunters in Pennsylvania; and

“WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has a long-standing tradition of hunting camps and clubs; and

“WHEREAS, Sunday hunting can effectively double the number of hunting days for camp owners and club members; and

“WHEREAS, Sunday hunting has the potential to generate a substantial increase in nonresident license sales and the accompanying revenue for the Pennsylvania Game Commission; and

“WHEREAS, hunting license sales and their associated federal matching funds are the primary revenue source for the Pennsylvania Game Commission in carrying out its mission, including maintaining 1.5 million acres of state game lands and acquisition of additional public lands, research and management of wildlife and providing information and education to the public; and

“WHEREASs, Sunday hunting has the potential to provide substantial economic benefits to rural areas and businesses by increasing money spent by hunters on lodging, food, gas and other incidental items; and

“WHEREAS, Sunday hunting could effectively generate $629 million in additional spending and create 5,300 new jobs, resulting in $18 million in additional sales and income tax; and

“WHEREAS, The mission of the Pennsylvania Game Commission is to manage wildlife and its habitat for current and future generations; and

“WHEREAS, Sunday hunting, which is currently permitted to control a growing population of coyotes, will provide the biologists of the Pennsylvania Game Commission a new tool to manage wildlife populations; and

“WHEREAS, The 47 states that currently permit Sunday hunting, have not experienced any discernable impact on the health or vibrancy of game populations; and

“WHEREAS, The Board of Commissioners recognizes that the authority to permit Sunday hunting lies entirely with the General Assembly of Pennsylvania; and

“WHEREAS, If the General Assembly repeals the restrictions on Sunday hunting, thus giving the authority to regulate Sunday hunting to the Board of Commissioners, the Board recognizes the many stakeholder groups that any actions on Sunday hunting will affect and will endeavor to engage these stakeholders before passing any new regulations in regard to Sunday hunting.

“NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of the Pennsylvania Game Commission does hereby urge the General Assembly of Pennsylvania to repeal the prohibition on Sunday hunting in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

“Given under the hand and seal of the Board of Commissioners of the Pennsylvania Game Commission on this 24th day of April, 2018.”

http://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Game-Commission-Details.aspx?newsid=209