Now that Sunday hunting legislation has passed, there are bound to be several groups clamoring for their piece of the pie.
Three pieces, to be exact.
Two of the three Sundays afforded by the legislation are already designated, while the third will be applied to a season chosen by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
It could be a hard decision, not only selecting a season for the “wild card” Sunday, but also determining which Sunday during the archery and rifle seasons should be opened.
Should the PGC allot a second Sunday to the archery season, perhaps giving archers two Sundays to hunt during the rut? Or should it go to the rifle season, which still remains the most popular time to hunt?
Maybe the extra Sunday should be placed somewhere else to appease a different segment of hunters.
The scheduling of Sundays is going to make for an interesting debate, and it’s not surprising. The entire Sunday hunting concept has been nothing but a debate for years. But now, the argument has transitioned from “for or against” Sunday hunting to which days on the calendar should be circled.
The choices are clear.
Let’s start with the rifle season. The changing of opening day, from the first Monday after Thanksgiving to Saturday, wasn’t a very popular decision. The PGC’s own surveys revealed that a greater percentage of hunters preferred the Monday opener, and opinions are still running hot.
Sunday hunting could serve as a great compromise. It would help to soothe some hard feelings if the PGC board returned rifle season to the traditional Monday opener, and kept the season open for the Sunday after the first Saturday. A full weekend to hunt buck and doe would hold a greater appeal than a Saturday opener, in my opinion. In addition, supporters of the Monday opener would be pleased to see the tradition restored, and the rifle deer season would run uninterrupted for 13 consecutive days.
Such a move would also benefit not only camp owners, but those who hunt small game and fall turkeys, as they would get back a popular day – the Saturday before the deer opener.
Still, it’s a move that would need to be monitored, as adding a Sunday to the concurrent rifle season is sure to increase the success rate among hunters, and the antlerless harvest as a result. The PGC believes it can control the antlerless harvest by adjusting the doe license allocation, and the advent of Sunday hunting might be a good time to put the philosophy to the test.
But what about the archery season? There’s another Sunday designated for this timeframe as well, and if the PGC chooses wisely the benefit could again be shared by several groups.
Either of the last two Sundays of the archery season would be a fitting choice, for several reasons.
Archery hunters would get an extra day to hunt during the rut.
Small game hunters would receive one full weekend to pursue rabbits, pheasants, grouse and squirrels.
And fall turkey hunters would get a much-needed extra day after watching their season whittled away over the years to make room for the Saturday bear and deer openers.
It’s a winning formula for those who hunt deer, small game and turkey.
Perhaps the biggest question is who should get the third Sunday? I don’t believe it should be placed in the archery or rifle season. One Sunday for each season is enough, let’s spread things out a bit.
A case could be made for adding a Sunday to the spring gobbler season, as it’s certainly up there in popularity. But the gobbler season runs for the entire month of May, that’s a long time.
I think a better landing spot for the third Sunday is the statewide bear season. Follow up the Saturday opener with a Sunday and give bear hunters the weekend to pursue bruins.
Better yet, opening up the Sunday immediately after the Saturday start for bear season would also benefit small game hunters, increasing hunting opportunity for multiple groups.
After all, isn’t that the basis for the entire Sunday hunting concept – increasing opportunity?
If that really is the goal, then it makes sense to choose Sundays that benefit the greatest number – and segments – of hunters while returning to the Monday deer season opener in the process.
The decision on how to divide the Sunday hunting pie doesn’t need to be difficult.
- This story originally appeared in Pennsylvania Outdoor News
