Sunday Hunting in PA

Wahoo! Three more days.

What are you hunting on Sunday?

gov wolf signed a bill for sunday hunting. Looks like only 3 days? I guess game commission has to approve yet?

We have almost 3 months to kill a dumb deer now, do you think 3 more days will help?

Property owners against it will more than offset the gains of a couple days, imo.

This whole thing stinks. I would have rather this bill got killed once the power drunk farm bearou stepped in front of it like they always do. The people of PA should be able to do what they choose on Sunday including hunting. And it should be under the control of the game commission not career politicians. That said, 3 is better than zero. But im afraid that now this is going to pass it will mean there wont be any willingness to fight for full Sunday inclusion for a long time.

I don't need the extra days for myself, but my young son will certainly benefit from the extra day.

I think we should be able to hunt sundays. I would have 3 months to shoot a deer if I didn't work. Just satudrays isn't much, throw in a couple rainy or windy days, plus family events.

Which 3? And does it start next year??

No hunting on sundays is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. Good thing Michigan got rid of that garbage before my time.

i live a mile from NY,hunted Sundays most of my adult life.

Yeah it will be next year . 2 days are alotted for deer. One gun one archery but pgc has to select the exact days. One is up for grabs. I personally think it will be for spring gobbler. That one could potentially be in this license year. I hope so bc we have a late gobbler opener and could use another prime dau before the skeeters get bad.

Y'all starting the gun season this coming Saturday, then off Sunday, then on again Monday is stupid. It makes no sense to me at all. Open it up for all game for Sunday hunting. Those that don't wish to partake and go to church, is ok, let everyone else go.

That's what I thought years ago in Ohio. Now, I have to admit there is something special, romantic, needed about not hunting one day a week. IDK.....

Didn’t much matter to me in N.C. when we got Sunday hunting, but then I moved to the mountains and my club is 330 miles to the East. When I carry my 12 year old grandson, we hunt Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning,

School age kids and working parents benefit the most. We need the kids to keep our sport alive.

No kidding Catch. It will be like having 2 opening days of buck this year though. Already got a buck so ill just be an observer/bear hunter. Truthfully the whole thing is all about some folks wanting their choice and a bunch of others who want control over everyone and think theu know better what folks do with their time. Personally i just want to be able to decide which weekend day i hunt. Base that on weather and things i have going on. Half the time the better day/conditions will be on Sunday.

It is about time ! Those old blue laws are way outdated and this "day of rest for the deer" is a crock.

I feel ya Fisher Man. I do. When I was young all I wanted was to be in the woods but we couldn't on Sunday, no Sunday hunting. I was so happy when Ohio finally gave in to allow it. Until I got older and realized that when I was out there in the woods on Sunday, I was missing something. Mama would always make this huge breakfast, huge. I was the youngest, all the married off ones would come home, me and the old man would watch Gunsmoke on the TV. The older kids would come and glean the leftovers from the stove and Mama would start lunch, iced tea, coffee, pop and sandwiches with chips and french onion dip. All though anything Mama made was so good, out of this world, it wasn't just that. It was about what happened when we were all there together. I still feel that Sunday hunting should be allowed because I am a lover of freedom. However, I won't hold a State at fault for not allowing Sunday hunting, for either religious or other reasons. Sometimes a gain results in losses. My best.....

I hope they kept the written permission and stiffening of the trespass laws in.

Who do you guys think owns most of the land in pa, if it ain't farmers.

Written permission will kill trapping. 90% of my farmers are not going to sign a piece of paper. I understand people wanting to limit trespassing, but farmers who are already struggling for livelihood are not about to sign away any more rights. Just my two cents

Been the law in ohio long time.

X2. Im not going to bother a farmer and try to get him to sign a paper.

It would have been good but they had to throw in other regulations on top of it.

Interesting thing here. I always follow the laws, don't get me wrong. But this spring my County Game Warden had a conversation with me. I called him on a issue and this is what came of it. He said they would no longer bust people without written permission unless they go back to the land owner and ask them if they want to press charges. I gleaned from our talk that they have no strong right to punish people without the landowners consent, It's not there place and that makes sense. Grant you, I will not knowingly trespass, but think about it. How can, without the consent of the landowner, the State prosecute anyone for trespass on land they don't own?

I always get signed permission, date I start to date I pull traps.
It's just easier for them and for me. I always have my signed permissions in the truck.
I don't see how it could hurt trapping. Unless your not supposed to be there in the first place.

Just talked to my friend in Tennessee........he can take 3 Does A DAY !!!!

X 3

I go and talk to the landowners who grant me access to their properties every year. A lot of them are old farmers who consider their word binding.

I can hear it now, "Can I get written permission?"

"I just told you to trap here, what the @#$% do I gotta sign anything for?"

"It's the law."

"Tell the to stick their law up their @#$%."

Exactly, see my previous post and we should all be thankful we're still in these times. Won't be for much longer.

The Saturday start in my opinion is really stupid. The Deer Camp Tradition in PA has been dying for years. This bone-headed move will be the final nail in the coffin.

For my lifetime it's always been about driving up Friday night and spending the weekend with old friends, hunting small game or turkey, setting up stands, sighting in rifles and sitting around catching up with guys you maybe only see that one time throughout the year.

The Game Commission put a stop to all that.

We MUST have written permission for trapping AND hunting, and it has not been a problem when you show them the line"bsolves the landowner of liability from accidents." Thanks to todays' lawsuit craziness, he is protected.
And you both sign it, showing good faith, and historically (at least here) keeps the uninvited off my land. As a landowner I don't mind this for guys that hunt our farm.

Most thought it would be a problem when they made these laws, but they actually have not.

Totally agree and will result in more posted ground.

Agree! Plus having a beer or maybe two.

I feel ya from Ohio Lug. I'm not in great health, but can still hobble to the woods. I am the last member standing in my hunting party that started in the 70's. Most are dead, some can't physically do it, worse then me, and the last which is my precious BIL retired and split to Texas. I think it the same everywhere and I hate it. We're losing ground man, fading away. I think that's part of the plan.....

As for me I like the Saturday opener and Sunday hunting. I am not into the get drunk all weekend then go out Monday morning. Just wonder what the 3rd Sunday will be. Maybe Bear season.

Very little drinking at my camp. It was about the camaraderie, not the booze.

No one is forcing you to hunt Saturday, sit around camp and do what u normally do? The more time I can get out hunting with friends and family the better. My son is 7 and I cant get him out much because of school. Saturday opener is great for us and sunday would be even better.

Totally agree.

Curse for me but, I'm all about freedom.

Seriously?

So we should continue as though nothing has changed?

Do our regular small game and turkey hunting on Saturday? Oh wait...that's been preempted by DEER SEASON.

Check out stands, make adjustments as needed? I'm sure everybody already out hunting will appreciate that.

Sight in rifles? See above.

Go visit with neighboring camp members? The few that will still come up will be hunting, the rest will say the heck with this stupid crap and stay home.

So we should all just sit around camp as though it really isn't deer season? Wait until Monday when half the deer are dead and the other half are hiding in the thickest stuff they can find or on protected ground?

Great suggestion cmj, I'll let the other members know and see what they think about your great idea.

I will adjust. I will hunt Saturday but it won't be at camp.

I'm simply making the point that in their zeal to recruit more hunters the PGC has driven the final nail into the coffin of the dying Pennsylvania Deer Camp tradition. It's kinda sad really.

They wrecked it with the antler restrictions, people just quit going. Now all these years later it's too late to do anything to turn the ship around. Unless they do something really drastic with seasons or limits or license fees. But I think it's just done, never going to be a million guys in the woods first day again.

Correct

Not trying to make u mad lugnut. We need more younger hunters. Anything to get kids out should be done. How many young people go to your camp? I think sundays and Saturday opener are good. I have a nephew that wants to hunt but says he is to busy. He is 24, single, lives at home and has a 40 hr week job. How much more time do u need!! I work 10 plus hours a day and manage my own business. My son is 7 and wants to hunt and trap. I know nothing about trapping but will be trying it this year because of him. The bottom line is hunting, trapping and anything outdoors is going to be gone if we don't get kids into it.
But I never understood why people would go to camp the weekend before and walk around to their stands and shoot rifles in. That should have been done before. Seems like that would run the deer off.

Maybe Gary Alt has the answer, if you can find him.

Dumb question from a guy from Wisconsin. Why was there a restriction on hunting on a Sunday in the first place?
Zim

I agree that we need to recruit more young people into our sports of trapping, hunting and fishing. Killing a 53-year-old tradition (1963 was the last time deer season didn't start the Monday after Thanksgiving) is NOT the way to do it. It has had the opposite effect of causing many older hunters to stay home and not hunt. License sales might take a big hit next year. The only way they don't is if most of those guys have lifetime licenses. Another kick in the guts for the old guys.

Old Blue law zim.
All you complaining about change make my head hurt.
Accept change, or get left in the dust of history.
Take a minute and think about the future of the outdoor sports.
Not yourselves

Blue Laws & the Farm Bureau.

How many people do you really think this change will recruit into our sport?

And have you considered how many camp owners and members it will alienate?

No one is forcing you to do anything. You have a choice, hunt or complain.
More will hunt when Sunday hunting is finalized.
And I'm not holding my breath for next year. This is a long way from being set in stone.
I've been waiting for Sunday hunting for decades.
Only time will tell what the future holds on this issue.
Not a few guys on a forum.
PS good luck on Saturday lugnut. I can't go my tags are filled.

I can do both, hunt and complain!

And thanks for the good luck wish!

Anytime Lugnut.
By the way, I have always heard you're voice as Elmer Fude. Lol
Just me having fun.

I get it Lugnut. My family hails from northern Centre County....the Big Woods of Pa. My grandparents boarded 15+ hunters in deer season ( from the Lancaster area ) for many years, back in the late 40s and 50s. If you never experienced real deer camps, 10 pages on Trapperman won’t explain it to folks.

I’ll head up to camp...alone...on Thanksgiving night....have DMAP tags for the Sproul SF near the Clinton County line. Nothing like hunting northern Pa on opening morning.

I know Bigbrownie, Deer Camp, including the weekend before the Monday opener, is something you have to experience to fully appreciate.

Thanks for the doom and gloom
Can you give me the Saturday powerball numbers?

Thanks

Good grief

Hunt on Sunday....buy beer on Sunday ...at Your local Grocery or Gas Station...Come to the “ Live Free or Die “ state...

Next thing you know they'll allow you to have sex on Sundays.Or at least 3 of them.

but can we use crossbows then?

kill em all, let Gary Alt sort em out

Exactly! The guys who hunt from a camp are having a real hissy fit over this change to a Saturday start. Most think their socializing is more important than making it easier for working people to get the time to hunt. It also much easier for many fathers to take their kid hunting on a Saturday than any other day of the week.

This is the best move the game commission has made for a long time.

BTW, I am a camp owner and I don't think the socializing at camp should be a concern of the PGC. And, by far, most PA hunters do not hunt from a camp.

If this would have happened when we were still students, we'd have been thrilled and you know it.

Now there's a hot steaming load of bullcrap if I ever smelt one.

I would expect no less from you.

Numb, why would you want the hunters who don't hunt from a camp have to miss a five days of the opening week because they have to work? The guys who hate the Saturday start are free to wait 'till Monday. If they do that they only miss one day.

A Saturday start is something that should have been done long ago in this state. The only hunters I know that oppose it are some who hunt from a camp. And it takes much less for them to hunt the opener this year than working hunters and students have had to deal with forever.

This is a great, and long overdo, move by our Game Commission. Next year it is expect that it will be a Saturday and Sunday to the season. No hunter should complain about this change if getting time to hunt is important to them.

Back in the 70s when I was State Game Officer in Ohio, we had no Sunday Hunting, but guess which day of the week I made more arrest than any other for hunting? If you guest Sunday you were correct. Of course you were allowed to trap on Sundays. If you had traps set you had to check them on Sunday like every other day of the week.

Garry-

What’s the matter grackle, your friends get sick of your bullcrap and don’t want to “socialize” with you at camp anymore. That would explain why you don’t think that is very important.

Socialize at camp?

I'm glad we start on a Saturday so the working man and high school kids can enjoy opening day.

They should just bring it in Thanksgiving day. That way kids are already off school and will have at least 3 days (Thurs. Fri. And Sat.)o hunt....if that's the real reason for bringing it in early and hunting on Sunday. But it ain't.

Crackhole has a camp.I can only imagine the forms you would have new members fill out to join your camp.

Its PA, so once the game commission is done with screwing around with the dates, one of the sundays has to be the second sunday in a month with two full moons in it and the arrow tips have to be out of stone collected from the northern side of the Susquehanna river. The second sunday is open for non semi fully automatic rifles that shoot a straight wall cartridge.................. and so on, you get my drift. I have read the PA hunting regs a few years back when I visited a friend up there. By the time I got through reading them, the hunting season was over.

You should try Trout fishing here Scuba if you think our hunting laws are difficult to follow.
Better have a GPS u it along!

Explain to those of us outsiders again why you wouldn't want Sunday hunting and opener on a Saturday?

I feel, and have seen enough hunting ground posted because of past hunting regs and this will add more. Keep in mind that a great portion of our GOOD hunting is on private ground unlike most States West of us Steven. That's my opinion, a couple Sundays won't help the guys when deer are in for 3 months.

The Saturday opener is just a reason to have (force)a Sunday to hunt and is why they moved the opener, again just my opinion.

I hunt all state land and for the most part it has all had the deer over harvested.Now they want to kill them all because of CWD in the area so I will hunt Saturday here and go to Ohio for Monday and Tuesday.I`m all but done hunting in Pa.

I agree about over harvest on state ground. Ten times the hunters where I hunt once doe season comes in. Guess they don't want to kill "their" deer on private ground.

Doe tags should be allocated private or public land, imo.

Don't know what the answers are to a declining interest in hunting/trapping but I know that any of my family will have some level of
exposure to trapping and trapped animals along with a basic knowledge of firearms and their safety. Any time spent with my children
and grandchildren is precious to me. I am able to hunt with my 19yr old grandson Saturday due to the first day change-don't know if
the change will be positive or negative but it is great for me. Two years ago,my 2 grandsons from a very city lifestyle,were visiting at my
house during beaver season and I showed them a beaver's teeth,the beautiful fur,and webbed feet as I explained what a remarkable
animal it is-best of all I always say "God makes more if you trap them". Last year when we were visiting them in their busy city,a friend
of my 8 year grandson came to our restaurant table and after I stated that I was his grandpa,he told his friend proudly that I had platypuses
in my fur room.

You got that right. Many who hate the Saturday start freely admit they don't like it because it changes the social activities at camp. They forget that for most hunters it is still about hunting.
I can hunt any day I want now. Many of my friends who still work full time either have to take a day's vacation or miss a day's pay to hunt a Monday start.
The Monday open was the dumbest of all of PA game laws. Thanks goodness there are enough sane folks to see the need for changing it.

Hard to imagine there are so many outdoorsmen opposed to more opportunities for hunting.

Argue loud enough about it and maybe we can all lose our opportunity to hunt/fish/trap.

I hunt in Colorado with a friend from PA, He will not hunt on Sunday even out there.

The original topic was Sunday hunting. My neighbor has already told me he will be posting his land because he doesn't want bothered by folks for written permission. I suspect this will happen alot, and alot will be farmers. Ironically it was the Farm Bureau that pushed for this requirement. For you folks that are unaware of how this new law will work, you can hunt private land with verbal permission Monday to Saturday, but will be required to have written permission on you to hunt the same land on Sunday.
As for the Saturday opener, I'm not opposed...yet. I've heard it's more or less an experiment. And could be changed back if the desired results don't turn out as planned. So it's a wait and see.
Back to the 3 Sunday's... For all you folks hoping the one rifle Sunday will be the first sunday after the Saturday opener, I'll say now it won't be. Because only antlered deer is in then. Their intended goal is to harvest deer, so.. It will be the 2nd Sunday, after antlerless comes in.

I used to enjoy slowly walking and jumping up a buck. Sometimes you have just seconds to identifiy that its a buck and get a clean shot. Antler restrictions put an end to that. Try to do that and count points. I used to ask farmers for written permission to trap and 3/4 of them would tell me " go ahead and trap but i aint signin' nothing". I sure wont be setting 50 to 10 traps on monday to set them all off on saturday and reset them all on monday again. You really think it is worth all that just to hunt 3 sundays a year? Whats keeping hunting numbers down are more and more regulations and getting trated like you might be a criminal. You have to have permission from landowners now so if and when they give you permission all they have to say is "but no sunday hunting". The law should have been now sunday hunting is permitted. No red tape. Im sure not going to ask/bother a land owner to sign a paper to hunt maybe one extra day.

No Sunday hunting is ridiculous. Here in WI, the gun opener is always the Saturday before thanksgiving and goes 9 straight days. Closes At dark on the Sunday day after thanksgiving. That's what I've always know and it works just fine.

Our area looks like a dandelion field with fresh posted signs, gets worse every year. Can’t imagine asking to hunt on Sunday.

This is what is happening to us from within as prospective trappers/hunters find other "opportunities".Pcr2 was right
as he compared the crossbow debate to this. Stay positive,if you are against Sunday hunting,don't go,but for the people that see
it as a way to truly advance what we love-welcome the prospect of more time.Sunday hunting for me would be great on the public
land I hunt,to take my two grandaughters-getting them off the couch with their phones.

The Game Comm. Has a tuff job trying to get people hunting. "Opportunities" can be defined in several ways when it comes to hunting.
Is it available days or places to hunt?

Not much sense having the days if no where to hunt, and visa-versa.

That's what they said when the allowed crossbows in archery season for even those who are perfectly capable of drawing a compound or tradition bow. They claim more opportunity for all ....everybody had the same opportunity before. They caved to those who wanted an easier way when the saw the increase in license sales. One more example of the "Everybody gets a trophy" society we have become.

There are 4.2 million acres of public land in PA.

There are between 800,000 to 1 million licenses sold.

It is disingenuous to say there is nowhere to hunt.

If you have trespassers that didnt get your verbal permission what makes you think requiring written permission would change that. You need permission now just not written.

That doesnt answer why written is any better than verbal. Permission is permission. Trespassers will trespass either way

i officially dub today Orange Friday,i could not get done fast enough.

55 saves lives but 25 ticks me off runnin traps.

how bout Friday before rifle huntin,son just brought home a nice ny doe..love livin on the line.he was checking his stand in ny to sit in the morning and let the pa,ers chase deer to him.

NC passed sunday hunting just a few years ago and gradually decreased restrictions. My memory isnt the best but I believe ,At first it was strictly archery hunting private. That's led to public land firearm hunting on sunday and they're about to allow migratory birds to be harvested on sunday as well.

This is the first year my county requires written permission for hunting . Seems like a inconvenience but hasnt been a deal breaker . I definately saw the need locally due to our population spike.
Most see getting written permission as a pain but I use it to my advantage. A few days before Christmas I'll take a small present or card by the landowners house. Thank them, chat for a while and get the upcoming years permission slip signed. That small gesture can open alot of doors.

I see our gov. Signed the purple paint law, where as land owners don't need posters anymore, just some purple on trees to indicate their land is posted.
It doesn't take affect until after this hunting season. (60 days)

Guess their getting ready for the Sunday hunting ?