The centuries-old ban on Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania has been reversed by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s signature on House Bill 1431, a bipartisan effort that is being hailed by hunters and was supported by the state’s Farm Bureau and various organizations.
According to a report at The Outdoor Wire, the bill will fully repeal the Sunday hunting ban. The report quotes Steve Smith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, who stated, “This landmark law effectively will contribute to keeping hunters engaged and performing the valuable public service they provide in helping manage our wildlife populations and ensuring the future of wildlife conservation.”
A statement from Gov. Shapiro’s office notes, “This new bipartisan law delivers real freedom for Pennsylvania’s 850,000 licensed hunters, empowers the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to expand Sunday hunting opportunities, and strengthens wildlife conservation efforts while growing rural economies across the Commonwealth.”
The landmark change has been decades in the making. Writing at the National Rifle Association’s Hunter’s Leadership Forum, Karen Mehall Phillips observed, “The move brings Pennsylvania in line with the majority of states across America that embrace Sunday hunting’s role in strengthening rural communities, wildlife management and the economy in a state where close to a million hunters celebrate hunting as a family tradition to the point schools close for the opening day of deer season.”
The Sunday hunting ban has never made sense to outdoorsmen and women in other states, where hunting on Sunday is part of the outdoor fabric.
As noted by The Outdoor Wire, “The Game Commission, meanwhile, is reviewing the options available to add new Sunday opportunities to the established 2025-26 hunting seasons, and is working to determine how soon they could occur. More will be known in the coming weeks and the Game Commission will share important news when available.”
The ban dates back to pre-Revolutionary War days, according to a statement from Kaleigh Leager of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. An official with the state Farm Bureau said lifting the ban will help Pennsylvania farmers better control deer populations on their land and protect crops.
It also expands hunting opportunity as a weekend family endeavor, when jobs and school doesn’t interfere.
