New Sunday Hunting Bill Announced - Senate Bill 67

 

   CONTACT: Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

    TELEPHONE: 717-350-6741

    EMAIL: huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

    WEBSITE: facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/DISTRIBUTION

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting proudly announces the mission to bring full regulatory authority to the Pennsylvania Game Commission to decide seasons and bag limits all days of the week including Sunday is alive and well.  Senate Bill 67 has been drafted, prepared, and placed in the legislative process to be introduced in the upcoming 2023-2024 session.   

Senate Bill 67 corrects and removes the prohibition of hunting on Sundays.  It will bring the law in line with that of agriculture.  Act 26 2007 along with various other laws such as Title 34 and Title 58 authorizes agriculturalists to harvest animals on all days of the week including Sunday.   Hunter-conservationists should not be discriminated against and be afforded the same opportunity by law to harvest animals on Sunday. The legislative standard is to be Sunday-inclusive.  Hunting on Sunday deserves to have the same principle and standard applied.

Senator Dan Laughlin, Pa. 49th District, Senate Majority Policy Committee has introduced Senate Bill 67.  This bill mirrors the language of the previous bill that reads:    

• This legislation would completely remove the prohibition on Sundays available for hunting and trapping.  Currently, the law dictates which Sundays are open to hunting, and in certain cases, which species. This legislation would change that and would leave all wildlife management decisions to the Game Commission.  By completely removing the prohibition on Sunday hunting, it will give the needed latitude to the Game Commission to increase hunting and trapping opportunities. 

When asked why he was re-introducing the Sunday hunting bill Senator Laughlin replied, “We have six days that we can hunt, there is no reason that it shouldn't and can’t be seven days.”  He also added that “2023 is the year of 53 Sundays, let’s mark that by getting the Sunday hunting prohibition lifted.”

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting along with the conservation cohort looks forward to working with the Pa. Legislature in getting Senate Bill 67 through the legislative process and into law in a timely manner.  We would like nothing more than for everyone to come to the table in good faith; politicians, Pa. Game Commission, conservation organizations, and the Pa. Farm Bureau, to negotiate a reasonable end to this archaic blue law that discriminates only against those who hunt. 

Senate Bill 67 will be available electronically once it becomes active in the database of the state.  The anticipated timeframe is by end of January 2023.  It will not show up in any google or other search engines until that time. 

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For more information about this topic, please contact Hunters United for Sunday Hunting 

Executive Director Kevin Askew at 717-350-6741 or email at huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com 

View our Blog - https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com/

PA LEGISLATORS THANKS FOR THE WORK ON SB431

  

    CONTACT: Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

    TELEPHONE: 717-350-6741

    EMAIL: huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

    WEBSITE: facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/DISTRIBUTION

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting would like to take the time and thank all the members of the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives who voted YEA in passing and bring Senate Bill 431 the Authorizing the Sale of Antlerless Deer Licenses Through the Pennsylvania Automated Licensing System into law. 

Special congratulations to Senator Dan Laughlin for introducing this bill and to Senator Scott Martin, Senator Mike Regan, Senator Patrick J. Stefano, Senator James R. Brewster, and Senator Ryan P. Aument for being sponsors and helping other legislators understand the importance of bringing the antlerless tag purchasing system up to standard for the 21st Century.

The passing of SB431 not only updates the purchasing system it also helps keep nearly one million dollars in conservation where it belongs.  With the updating system sums of money are no longer being lost to county treasurers.  This not only helps hunter-conservationists it helps all who enjoy wildlife in the Commonwealth.  As you know the Pennsylvania Game Commission receives no tax revenue for its operations as they continue to manage the 480 species of wildlife in the state.

There is much work to do to maintain the world’s most successful wildlife management model the North American Model of Wildlife Management.  You as politicians play a role in that by updating laws that govern hunting and fishing accordingly.  The overwhelming support in both chambers indicates an interest and understanding that times have changed and so must laws.  Please continue the hard work of updating and changing many of the outdated laws that govern conservation.  It is definitely a cause and effort that is needed and well worth it. 

Though too numerous to mention by name everyone that voted YEA for this deserves a handshake and congratulations.  Please accept this letter as just that.  A handshake for a job well done. 

Thanks for all that you have done in the legislative process and for allowing SB431 to become law.  Hunters will definitely enjoy the fruits of your labor come the 2023-24 hunting season.

Sincerely; 

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, Executive Director, Kevin B. Askew

LETTER TO PA LEGISLATORS - I DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANOTHER 20 YEARS

 Submitted by Randy Stevens

Had a great couple of days hunting with the kids, Derrick Stevens Lyndsey Marie, and Brett Rote. It's been 20 years since Derrick, Lyndsey, and I spent time together hunting in Penns Woods.

Thanks for rekindling memories of the past and look forward to more time with you hunting in 

Penns Woods.

Thank you to the legislature for the passage of Senate Bill 147 but now it is time to pass Senate Bill 607. It just so happened that one of my kids, my son, only has off two weekends a month and if the opening weekend for whitetail here in Pennsylvania would not have opened when it did and he would've had to work, the opportunity for me to hunt with my son would've never happened.

I do not want to have to wait another 20 years of my life to have the ability to hunt with my kids and extended family members. It is time to get rid of this archaic blue law that prohibits hunting on Sunday with just a few exemptions in Pennsylvania.  It’s time to stop placating to the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and start listening to hunters on this issue.  It is time for the legislature to pass Senate Bill 607 and let the Pennsylvania Game Commission manage all of the 480 wildlife species here in Pennsylvania seven days a week every week of the year.

The opening weekend of whitetail deer rifle season was the best weekend for me in the last 20 years. Without the season opener on a Saturday and the ability to hunt on Sunday, I would not have been able to hunt with two of my kids. One is a schoolteacher and the other one only has off work two weekends a month. The corporate and labor workplace schedules are not commonplace Monday through Friday schedules in today's world.

If the opener for whitetail still would've been on Monday two of my kids and my son-in-law would not have had the opportunity to hunt together.  It just so happened that the opening day and the one Sunday of rifle season fell on my son’s scheduled weekend off.  I also had the ability to hunt with my son-in-law who is an electrician and very rarely does he have the ability to get off work because of his company's scheduled jobs.

Needless to say, I myself am self-employed and am an Allied health provider so it is very difficult for me to get off work. I used to have to take off work to hunt on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which would mean three days of not seeing patients and creating more of a backlog where my patients would have to wait.  But this year because of me being able to go back to work on Tuesday I only had to take off one day of not scheduling patients.

It is difficult for guys like me to understand what the problem is with passing a simple law like SB607.  We live in a society that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week conducting and participating in everything from politics to mail service.  But for some reason having the ability and opportunity to hunt on Sunday is something that you as the legislature believe you must control.  I and many others just don’t get it.  It is time to move SB607 and get it passed into law for guys like me and the many others out there.

Randy Stevens

Find your legislator here

HYPOCRISY WHEN LAUNCH A PRO-HUNTING PROPOSAL OR EXPANSION OF HUNTING OPPORTUNITY….NOT SURE ABOUT THAT….WE ALL BENEFIT

Michael, thanks for your valid inquiry and comment.  As the executive director of Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, I want to take the time to respond accordingly.  First, let me say that you will not be called a “snowflake” or any other derogatory name by myself or persons within HUSH from submitting a valid comment or question.  I also ask that HUSH followers refrain from this practice as well.  We are better than that as sportsmen and women.  

Please do not consider this a ‘call-out’ of you by name either.  Your question and my response can help educate people on why getting full regulatory authority to the Pennsylvania Game Commission as it pertains to Sundays is important.

Question from Michael Rossi, 

I am a hundred percent in favor of full Sunday hunting. However, let me point out a little hypocrisy. Those who argue that the health departments at various levels of government should not "tell you what to do"; I am embarrassed to admit, often include hunters. So, if politicians and public outcry should set health policy, and not health agencies... Why should wildlife agencies and commissions overrule the majority opinion? Because whether you realize it or not, that is what we are doing anytime we launch a pro-hunting proposal or expansion of hunting opportunity. In fact, to make it worse, the antis argue that wildlife is public property, it does not belong only to the hunters, so, according to them, they have a say in how it is regulated. The public land debate is not as clear - hunters certainly have funded a lot of it, but not all of it. However - the existing law about wildlife is clear, it belongs to the collective public, not just the hunters... So, besides calling me a "snowflake" how do you reconcile all that?

Response from HUSH Executive Director, Kevin Askew

Let us keep the discussion on point.   As you well know. 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 Pennsylvania Game Commissions resource first model and the North American Model of Wildlife Management.  

The Sunday hunting restriction in PA dates back to 1682 and colonial blue laws that were designed to prohibit working or other recreational activities on Sundays. "Whoever does or performs any worldly employment or business whatsoever on the Lord's day, commonly called Sunday, works of necessity and charity only exempted, or uses or practices any game, hunting, shooting, sport or diversion whatsoever on the same day not authorized by law" is guilty, the law stated. https://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20000218sunday5.asp

The last I looked there are no British soldiers on the streets nor is the flag of Britain flying over the capitol in Harrisburg, PA.  It is the 21st Century where we live and exist in a 24-7/365 society of activities and lifestyles.  This includes hunting and shooting sports.

Question - Why should wildlife agencies and commissions overrule the majority opinion?

Response - The PGC process is a fair and open process.  Any individual, hunter or non-hunter, organization, or representative public or private has the ability to participate in the process and address the PGC commissioners and board with any concerns.   The politicians are standing in the way of this by not trusting or changing the Sunday hunting prohibition in Title 34 Game Law.   

There are 480 species of wildlife that the PA Game Commission is charged with managing. We hunt 62 of those 480. In the North American Model of Wildlife Management, hunters who hunt those 62-game species foot the bill for the 480-total species. 

Question -The existing law about wildlife is clear, it belongs to the collective public, not just the hunters?

Response - We currently hunt foxes, coyotes and crows, and the three designated Sundays by the exemption of law; not full regulatory authority.   Two of the three do not adhere to the science-based North American Model of Wildlife management need to be placed in the hands of the subject matter experts. That is the Pennsylvania Game Commission. That is their mission, they have the biologists, trained professionals, and the means to make the best decisions for all 480 species of wildlife that inhabits the commonwealth. 

If politicians and citizens of the commonwealth trust the PGC for 480 species; then why not fully trust them in setting a seven-day per week hunting schedule based on science set biological goals of huntable species?

The PGC is just managing not overruling majority opinion?  A perfect example of this is the semi-automatic rifles for hunting debate.  PGC supports their use.  PA hunters do not.    

Question - The antis argue that wildlife is public property, it does not belong only to the hunters, so, according to them, they have a say in how it is regulated?

Response - Sure they do and are welcome too.  It goes back to the earlier question and comments about participating in the PGC process.  

The PGC manages more non-huntable species than they do huntable.  An example of this is the recent mortality of songbirds.  Do we hunt these birds; certainly not. Do all citizens of the commonwealth benefit and enjoy seeing these species, definitely yes.  Are we as license buying hunters primarily footing the bill for the study and science of figuring out why this is happening in songbirds; the answer is yes.  https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/game-commission-details.aspx?newsid=493&fbclid=IwAR3KlUMIoAThY-i2U9KEm-I4iJIYMPUxY3pdG303sGRhPQ48GyVaY0XFtjQ

The Pennsylvania Game Commission exists to manage the Commonwealth’s wild birds, wild mammals, and their habitats for current and future generations, a mission it has followed faithfully since 1895. https://www.pgc.pa.gov/InformationResources/MediaReportsSurveys/Documents/2020%20PGC%20Annual%20Legislative%20Report.pdf

The PGC is responsible for regulating per the PA Constitution and The Environmental Rights Amendment, “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.” https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/GoodNatured/pages/Article.aspx?post=171

Question - The public land debate is not as clear - hunters certainly have funded a lot of it, but not all of it.

Response - Yes, in PA there are different tracts of land labeled and associated by select agencies for different and overlapping purposes.  But for this discussion let’s keep it to PA Game Lands.  The PGC is clear on what the intended purpose is: “The Game Commission owns and manages more than 1.5 million acres of state game lands throughout the Commonwealth. The primary purpose of these lands is the management of habitat for wildlife and provide opportunities for lawful hunting and trapping. Secondary recreational uses are permitted in accordance with the Game Commission’s regulations.” https://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/StateGameLands/Pages/default.aspx

Non-consumptive users are welcome to use the game lands seven days per week.  The only restrictions are on hunters being restricted by politicians on what species and days are allowed to be hunted.  As a whole, hunter-conservationists only want the same opportunity that exists with these non-consumptive users.  

When it comes to hypocrisy there is no better evidence than that of the politicians in the PA Senate and PA House of Representatives who do not hold themselves to the same blue law standards for all legislation as they do for Sunday hunting prohibition.

WHAT HUNTING DOES FOR ME AND EXTRA TIME CAN MEAN TO OTHERS

A VETERANS TELL BY JOE DAFCIK, PENNSYLVANIA VETERAN

“After spending over a year boots-on-the-ground…….That fall hunting took on a whole new meaning for me."

Published in VFW News, August/September 2021 Edition, Page 5

Read the full article here or link above:

WHAT HUNTING DOES FOR ME AND EXTRA TIME CAN MEAN TO OTHERS

Pennsylvania Senate Bill 607 seeks to allow more days for hunting that could help organizations like Hunts for Healing and Pennsylvania Outdoor Veterans.  These are excellent organizations that do a great deal for veterans.  It would not only get veterans another therapeutic day in the field but also with helping these organizations have more days available for funding to be allocated towards hunting trips for veterans.

Photo of veterans after a successful hunt with Hunts for Healing.  Based out of Laceyville, Pennsylvania the organization encourages veterans to visit their website and participate at www.huntsforhealing.org.

I recently had an opportunity to chat with the founder of Pennsylvania Outdoor Veterans, Ryan Bowman.  While his organization remains neutral on the issue of Sunday hunting, he did say an extra day of hunting would be extremely beneficial for the veterans he serves.  Not only to get veterans another therapeutic day in the field but also with helping organizational funding by having more days available for funding to be allocated towards. 

Read Article Here: 

WHAT HUNTING DOES FOR ME AND EXTRA TIME CAN MEAN TO OTHERS

THERE WAS NO DEAL LIMITING SUNDAY HUNTING TO JUST 3 SUNDAYS

..... THIS IS AN IMPORTANT READ AND MESSAGE TO GET TO ALL POLITICIANS .....

MANY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A "DEAL" TO HAVE 3 SUNDAYS AND NOTHING ELSE.

The following correspondence was printed in Pennsylvania Outdoor News.  This should help clear the air and address some of the concerns and rumors that are going about.  This issue is very important to sportsmen/women across the state.  There is no need for any of us to start the legislative process for SB607 with incorrect and inadequate information or preconceived notions.

Commentary Published July 2, 2021; Kevin Askew, Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting  
Read the full article here: 

THERE WAS NO DEAL LIMITING SUNDAY HUNTING TO JUST 3 SUNDAYS. 

Published May 21, 2021; Deborah Weisburg, Southwest Correspondent.
Read the full article here: MORE SUNDAY HUNTING COMING? 

Published July 2, 2021, PA Outdoor News Staff Report
Read the full article here:  SENATE PANEL OKS SUNDAY HUNTING BILL

YEA VOTE FOR SENATE BILL 607 REPEALING SUNDAY HUNTING PROHIBITION BY PA SENATE GAME AND FISHERIES COMMITTEE

 

CONTACT: Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

TELEPHONE: 717-350-6741

EMAIL: huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

WEBSITE: facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/DISTRIBUTION

The Pennsylvania Senate Game and Fisheries Committee on June 16, 2021, advanced Senate Bill 607 Repealing Sunday Hunting Prohibition in Pennsylvania. with a vote of 7 YEA and 4 NAY.

Senate Bill 607 would completely remove the prohibition on Sundays available for hunting and trapping.  Currently, the law dictates which Sundays are open to hunting, and in certain cases, which species. This legislation would change that and would leave all wildlife management decisions to the Game Commission.

Statement from Kevin Askew, Executive Director, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting;

“The current law is flawed and needs to be corrected.  Revisiting this issue every year is not the proper way to advance this legislation.  Changing and updating the law will save much-needed legislative time, effort, and money. The PA Game Commission needs the flexibility to manage accordingly, based on species, population, diseases, etc, and not be held to a standard set by non-professionals in wildlife management.”  

The goal of Senate Bill 607 is to bring PA into the 21st Century when it comes to societal and conservation standards.  The same ones practiced and participated in by hunters, farmers, landowners, and all who enjoy the outdoors throughout the country.  

SB607 now advances to the PA Senate Appropriations Committee where a fiscal impact note is prepared and another round of voting.  

View Senate Game and Fisheries Committee meeting and voting here:

https://game.pasenategop.com/game-061621/

View Senate Game and Fisheries Committee YEA/NAY vote here:

https://legiscan.com/PA/votes/SB607/2021

HUSH Mission Statement - Remove the prohibition of Sunday hunting in PA Title 34 Game Law through education, and influence legislatures to change the law accordingly.

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For more information about this topic, please contact Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, Executive Director Kevin Askew at 717-350-6741 or email at huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com or Legislative Director Harold Daub at 717-648-1835 or email at daubh@comcast.net.  View our Blog - https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com/