Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Sunday Hunting In Pennsylvania???

I think driving shouldn't be allowed on Sunday, seems walking your dog without worrying if it's going to get hit by a car would be nice.

Course I'm just guessing that more dogs are killed by cars than deer hunters.........

You elevate glib to another level....grin

Maybe we should be allowed to shoot tresspassers on sundays.

Grin...

So a guy who'll break the law and trespass on your land is going to abide by the law that says not to hunt on Sunday? Sorry, I don't follow the logic there. With all due respect, there seem to be a million reasons guys give as to why the no sunday hunting law is a good and each one of them is more ridiculous than the next, including yours. I'd have more respect for you guys if you'd just come out and give "cause I don't want it" as a reason instead of making up some far fetched BS story. I own about the same amount of land as you, and I don't have trespassers hunting it because I have it posted and keep a close eye on who gets on it. Trespassers aren't tolerated around here and they know it. I can't imagine being afraid to use my own land as I wanted to for worry of a trespasser. For every private landowner in PA who wants sunday hunting kept illegal so he can walk his dog, I'll guarantee there are at least two who want it legalized so they can hunt their own land, using it the way THEY want to.

First of all this is no far fetched BS story. A close friend of mine had his dog shot on his own land by someone tresspassing so don't give me your BS. Second of all my land IS posted and the reason I know there are tresspassers is because I have caught them while keeping a close eye on it as you state. Unfortunately here in PA there are those that do not heed the signs. I am sure there are those that want Sunday hunting so they can hunt their own land, they are entitled to their opinion as am I. And lastly thus far I have yet to find anyone tresspassing and hunting here on Sundays.

Unlike many other states, PA's trespass laws don't have any real teeth in them, especially as it pertains to rural areas. Call the police in more developed areas, there's a good chance a cop will actually soon show up, because there will be cops there.

In most rural areas (that'd be roughly about 85-90% of the state), there is no local police force, so you have to wait for a State Police officer to show up. Good luck with that, since they'll likely be 30 miles away when they get the call.

We have agriculture trespass laws which do have some fairly stiff penalties, but trying to get them enforced is a crap shoot, because many cops and district judges aren't even aware of such laws. Add to that, our "game wardens" cannot enforce state trespass laws on your land, unless you are enrolled in a public access coop program (hunters still have to ask permission).

People commonly trespass here, because they have little fear of any real penalties if caught. Many hunters think they're entitled to go anywhere they want to, posted or not.

Dube - You are right on! People from other states that may have stiffer penalties for tresspass do not understand the problem the landowners in PA are faced with. Thanks for chiming in.

I don't know the answers or all the problems of landowners, but I do have some experience with the hunter side.

I probably hunted Grouse 25 to 30 days this year on Game Lands, State Forest and private ground. How many hunters do you think I ran into? Listen up and pay attention: Three that I can think of and if I misplaced a few I could still count them on both hands!! I hunted from Armstrong Co. N to Franklin, Forest and Warren. Now at least in my little part of the world and conversing small game, I don't see it as that big of a problem.

I'm sure Deer are another question. On the 1000 acre lease I'm on-23 members-other than the first two days and first Saturday, one or two other hunters and often no one else would be there. I hunted every day of the two week rifle season except one. The first two days I hunted the ANF and I still didn't see more than 10 other hunters in the woods. The rest of the season I hunted on the lease. In my little part of the world, I think many exaggerate the problem considerably from what it was in the past.

Just not that many in Pa. today are serious hunters with the current deer population. I'm willing to say the majority of deer hunters who hunt rifle don't spend more than three full days hunting the entire season. Now admittedly the landowner has to contend with archery-don't even get me started on that season that has blown out of proportion to the dollars they generate-and muzzleloader.

Not against archery, just the amount of time they get to play, and yes I buy an archery tag. Seldom use it because I usually don't practice enough and I like rifle hunting more. My way of helping out the GC with some extra dollars. Same thing with ML tags. I buy one, but during ML I'm would rather grouse hunt.

I'm not saying landowners don't have any problems, but I have doubts re: the magnitude.


Addition: This is one thing I'm absolutely sure of. The majority of problems you do have don't come from the much maligned city hunters. It's from your own that live close by.

Battue - You are correct about grouse hunting and I would throw in the squirrel hunting there too. Turkey and deer are the problem seasons, from the end of sept through mid january.

Because I try to manage my property for the deer and one of my food plots is by the road, people see some decent bucks, hence they try to get em. Turkeys are in the food plots too, but I have fewer problems with turkey hunters.

Unfortunately the plot that I have by the road is one of my best producers and the deer frequent it a lot. I have found numerous arrows from poachers in the field. As far as I know they have yet to connect, at least I have not found any signs of it thus far.

I may change the crop I grow there to a warm season summer product in the hopes that the deer are not there to see as much during season.

Gone Huntin

As I previously mentioned I'm glad that you and people like Coldbore have land and are willing to put forth the effort to improve it for wildlife and your own hunting opportunities. I hope it bears fruit and your problems are few.

I could never own enough to keep from wondering what is over the hill, so it wouldn't do me much good. However, my legs are starting to not like that as much as they did in the past, so I may have to change.

Battue - Believe me the deer do not stay on just my property. Neighbors also benefit, and some of them do a bit so I probably get a small bump from them too. I by far am the most agressive about trying to improve my opportunities.

I hear you about wanting to see what is over the next hill. My legs are not quite aggressive as they once were either.

I have a friend who bought his own piece and has worked his butt off to bring it up to what it is today. Really nice camp, corn and food plots, two nice lakes, well water, addition to camp, farming equipment, rifle range, on and on.

I get invited to hunt, have fun and do a little work around the place from time to time. His deer meat is some of the most expensive in the State. More important than the Deer is the relationship he has developed and the values that have been instilled in his kids. Doubt if he will ever have many worries of them going down to many wrong paths.

Yep - No doubt I could buy a lot of fillet mignon for what I invest in improving our deer herd. But it is really not about the money, I enjoy the work and one can not put a price on the rewards one gets back. Good to hear about your buddy and his property. What a great experience to share with his kids. Hope the kids realize what they have there.

I have a small piece in 3A to hunt on and it has been very good to me over the past 30 years. Also have permission to hunt on hundreds of acres of adjoining mixed woods and farmland, too.

Deer hunting has changed dramatically there from 40+ years ago and mostly in the past 10 years. Land has changed hands (plenty now owned by non-locals); far fewer deer drives; most guys that don't live in the area, now just sit for the first few days, then go home.

Fewer deer than in the late 90s, even fewer hunters moving them these days, but there are still deer around. Problem is that many guys never see enough deer to suit them, so to them, there are now no deer there.

Here's another thing that has changed: We did once have major problems with hunters from NJ, MD and DE coming to the area and tromping all over the place on posted farms in firearms deer seasons. Now, many of them have bought land in the area to hunt on and have posted it to the hilt. Go figure?

In a nutshell: Here is my problem with Sunday hunting as it pertains to Pa.

If you don't want to hunt on Sunday's, then don't hunt Sunday. If you don't want people hunting on your property on Sunday's, then don't let them hunt Sunday's.

But don't tell me I can't hunt on Sunday on private land where I have been granted permission or on Pa public land which as a resident of Pa, I own just as much of as any resident of Pa. Telling me I can't because somebody else doesn't want to is BS. What? I can't hunt on Sunday because somebody that might be trespassing is somewhere they aren't supposed to be ? That is crap! That would be like saying none of us can drive cars any more because some people choose to break the law and drive drunk.

Upset farmers posting their property is a hollow threat. 10-15 years ago, yeah maybe. But there is hardley any open private land any more that is not posted, even in the rural area's. It's been bought up and posted by out of staters or the land owners have gotten smart and have leased it out, and the leasers have posted it.

I am thoroughly convinced that the long term future of hunting in Pa is doomed. No Sunday hunting will only make that day sooner than later.

Sunday hunting in any state isn't a bad thing. A LOT of folks who would love to hunt work 6 days a week,sometimes at 2 jobs and the only day they have free is maybe a Sunday.

NY has had Sunday hunting for years. The NY line is not far from where I hunt in north central PA. Now that their firearms deer season starts on a Saturday, the next day is pretty popular.

By the following Sunday, which is the day prior to our opener in PA, there is hardly anyone out hunting over in NY. For every shot fired over there that Sunday, there will probably be 50 shots fired on the PA side, from guys "tuning up" for Monday.

Of course, many are opposed to Sunday hunting in PA because it might annoy someone if they have to hear a shot or so.

It's more like a barrage here in Southeastern Pa. during dove and goose seasons and upstate during rifle deer. And it IS annoying. Sundays are quiet and enjoyable sitting on the porch. Weekdays and Saturdays suck because every guy out there has to fire 3 shots at each dove within 100 yds. It gets old fast.

Unless you have a way to keep the noise on your property and off mine, I can't support Sunday hunting with fireams for small game, birds or big game.

Maybe rimfires for groundhogs and squirrel would be quiet enough and not be noticed.

Dale

Is it okay if I decided to fire up my lawn tractor, Stihl chainsaw or leaf blower on a Sunday afternoon, or would I need everyone else's permission to work around my property of a Sunday? ;O)

What if it rained all day Saturday, I had to work all week and Sunday afternoon was the only time I could do outdoors work that needed done around the place?

Actually have some neighbors that will get up bright'n early on a Sunday to do the above. It can be slightly annoying, but ya know what, that's their business.

Same for Sunday hunting here, if and when PA finally slogs into the current century. Surprised no one has yet come up with my "favorite" reason for no Sunday hunting:

The wildlife also needs a day of rest. Sniff!

Blue laws...aren't they great? All the crap about religious reasons, day of rest and all that is bogus. If that were the case then businesses and malls would be shut down too. I haven't seen one reasonable or logical explanation yet as to why they should not allow it.