Deer season Saturday opener to be reconsidered

The Pennsylvania Game Commission raised the ire of many hunters last month by moving the traditional opening of the two-week firearm deer season from a Monday to a Saturday. This week, the agency announced that it would reconsider the change — next year.

Commission spokesman Travis Lau said the agency isn’t backtracking on the decision.

“We’re assessing the situation,” he said.

Since 1963 the deer opener, primarily for antlered deer, had been held on the Monday following Thanksgiving. At many hunting camps, a culture arose in which friends or families would arrive on Friday or Saturday and enjoy a weekend outdoors before the Monday hunt. Moving the opening day to a Saturday, they say, would disrupt that custom.

Mr. Lau said commissioners believe a large number of potential hunters are unable to participate in the state’s biggest hunting day when it is held on a school day or work day. The change, they believe, will increase hunting license sales and boost revenues used by Pennsylvania for wildlife management.

“Before the decision, public comment was heavily slanted against — 81% were against a Saturday opener. But the question was, how representative is that of Pennsylvania hunters at large?” said Mr. Lau. “After the change was made, looking at Facebook and HuntingPA.com and talking with hunters in their home districts, it was half for, half against.”

Shortly after commissioners announced the change, final 2019-20 season dates and bag limits were published online and text had been sent to the printer for the paper edition of the Hunting and Trapping Digest.

“Pretty hard to backtrack at that point,” Mr. Lau said.

This year, firearm deer will open Saturday, Nov. 30. In 2020, he said, the Game Commission likely will poll licensed hunters on the issue using a print and online survey.