At least, that’s what the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau seems to be arguing.
Okay, I get that not everyone is on board with Sunday hunting, particularly religious farmers. I don’t agree with them, and I’m going to do what I can to open up hunting. But I’m not going to say that they are any less a part of the discussion or shouldn’t be considered in the debate. However, that’s what their spokesman is saying about those of us who support it. See, we’re just a bunch of “interests outside Pennsylvania.” To back it up, he cites NRA which has about 400,000 members who live here – many of whom do support allowing us the option to hunt on Sunday. Another evil outside group? NSSF with more than 500 Pennsylvania business owners here who serve hundreds of thousands of hunters & gun owners.
Honestly, shame on the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau for reducing themselves to this level of “us vs. them” attacks. We are Pennsylvania citizens. We have a voice and a vote, too. We pay the taxes that fund the subsidies many of your members benefit from – hello Farm Bill. Just because we don’t agree doesn’t mean that we’re somehow “less Pennsylvanian” than farmers.
If you feel your voice does not count, welcome to the club. My modest NRA donations are now funding something I am very opposed to. I think NRA is foolish to spend political capital on a wedge issue like this.
You consider that a membership organization that represents hundreds of thousands of fellow Pennsylvanians, many of whom support changing the law, not going your way on an issue even though it does represent the views of many others in the org is the same thing as the farm group telling lawmakers not to listen to Pennsylvania voters?
It’s one thing to be frustrated that a voluntary organization doesn’t do things you like. It’s quite another if that organization then tells lawmakers that the views of opponents should be discredited for not being true citizens – even though we are.
Well,
This is how it should be, PGC gets to decide what seasons, and animals are involved in Sunday hunting. In nJ what we did was have it on Sundays on WMA’s and private property.
NO extra permit required. Now, in PA where I currently reside, Sunday hunting should be allowed, private property rights still exist and it sounds like farmers should post their property.
The PGC will not make extra money, businesses will, and this will allow more hunters more time in the woods, especially with their children. There aren’t any laws against Sunday fishing, why hunting? As far as religious views, where does it say you can’t hunt on Sunday? Only reads no work on Sunday? Hunting isn’t work.
Let us hunt on Sunday! For those of us who work we deserve two days!
So Richard, I still don’t understand why you are opposed to Sunday hunting?
You tried to tell me my concerns as an out of state hunter in Virginia didn’t count. And that Elk County simply didn’t need my out of state tourist dollars. But, that’s not really a reason (and of course, you don’t speak for the restaurants, hotels, sporting good shops, supermarkets, waiters, waitresses, etc in Elk County).
Then you said it was a private property right – but you can always post your land.
You threatened that farmers would close off their land to hunting, I don’t believe it, but if they did, well that’s their right. But then you said, that somehow, the PGC can keep you from restricting access to your private land for hunting (something I flat out don’t believe unless all land in PA carries with it an easement for public access to hunt).
So, what exactly is your concern? I understand you don’t want people to hunt on Sunday, but why dont you want them to hunt?
What if I own my own land and want to hunt on a Sunday? Why shouldn’t I be allowed to? What if I’m jewish, and I’m in temple on Saturday, and can only hunt on Sunday as a result?
If the only “reason” they can come up with to not allow Sunday hunting is on religious grounds then this should be a non-issue.
The separation of church and state should make banning something on religious grounds illegal.
Case closed.
I support the right to hunt on Sunday. You currently can hunt Crows and Coyotes on Sunday, why not other game? It makes no sense to discriminate by what you want to hunt.
As I believe my comments are getting tiresome for all involved, this is my final word on the subject. I appreciated the opportunity to post an opposing voice on this issue.
I oppose Sunday hunting because I believe it will negatively impact my life as a farm and forest landowner. During deer season I always end up intervening in trespass or conflict situations, as I have related previously. Most of the vandalism on my farm happens during hunting season. Were I not a a strong believer in the need to manage wildlife, I would be an antihunter. This is based upon the behavior I have seen in the past 15 years. I really appreciate the day off (Sunday) from dealing with this and it might simply be easier to close hunting and find alternative deer management methods. At least there would be no more human turds left behind on my farm lanes.
I believe the ethical culture of Pennsylvania hunting has declined tremendously in my lifetime and this is just another manifestation of it. I have seen little grassroots desire for Sunday hunting in my area, and I suspect the Farm Bureau is right that this is driven by the Cabela’s lobby.
My final opposition is pragmatic. This is driving a wedge between rural landowners and hunters. It is bad politics.
Countertop,
I never said the PGC can force access to my land, but circumstances often do. The issue is the wildlife on my land is technically not my property, it belongs to the Commonwealth. I either need to stretch the crop depredation laws, build really high fences, or allow hunting.
“I oppose Sunday hunting because I believe it will negatively impact my life as a farm and forest landowner. During deer season I always end up intervening in trespass or conflict situations, as I have related previously”
Um.
“Well, I was gonna go poach on that dude’s property, threaten him with a gun, and shoot up his property, but then I realized that it is Sunday and that would be illegal.”
@richard
Hey buddy, just because the game “belongs to the public” does not mean you have to allow the public access to your land to get at it. That’s the way it is pretty much everywhere else in the country and it works pretty darn well.
As far as “everything you have to deal with” well, make your cost benefit analysis and decide what course of action is best for you, either allowing hunting or not, and leave everybody else out of it. Don’t use the law to restrict other people making those choices, simply so you can insulate yourself from having to make a tough choice.
Using the law in that manner is a weak man’s game….