Pennsylvania Game Commission OKs 13 days for hunting
Approval by state Game Commission comes in wake of Sunday ban’s repeal
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The Pennsylvania Game Commission voted unanimously Monday to allow Sunday hunting on 13 dates this year.
The move comes weeks after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Act 36 into law, repealing the state's 343-year-old Sunday hunting ban.
The move to roll out additional Sunday hunting opportunities is "historic," Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith said ahead of the vote.
Advocates called for rolling back the Sunday hunting restriction as a way to reduce the size of the state's deer population and attract more hunters, both in-state and out-of-state.
Shapiro said he believes the change will make Pennsylvania more attractive to out-of-state hunters, which would be a boon to tourism-related businesses, such as lodging, restaurants and sporting goods stores.
Under a 2019 law, hunting had been allowed on three Sundays. With Act 36, the Game Commission added 10 Sundays,
meaning hunters will be able to hunt seven days a week for 13 consecutive weeks from Sept. 14 through Dec. 7.
Commissioner Kristen Koppenhafer said adding dates on consecutive weeks should reduce confusion about which Sundays will be open for hunting.
She said the revision to the hunting calendar amounts to a "calculated, strategic step."
Commissioner Todd Pride said he hopes the Game Commission generates sufficient data to monitor what the impact of Sunday hunting has on the deer herd. He said that data should be detailed enough to determine whether more mature deer are harvested.
Game Commission officials said they conduct surveys to determine the age of the deer in the herd. Those efforts will continue to determine what impact the added days have on the deer herd.
While the commissioners approved the fall Sunday hunting dates, Game Commission officials signaled that they do not intend to add Sundays to the spring turkey season.
Game Commission officials say there are concerns about adding the additional hunting days in the spring because it would come when half the turkey hens have started incubating their nests.
The Game Commission also does not plan to allow Sunday hunting for migratory game birds -- ducks, geese, doves and woodcock -- due to challenges coordinating the changes with federal rules.
Officials plan to conduct focus groups and other outreach with hunters to determine whether to pursue Sunday hunting for migratory birds in the future.