Local deer hunters back bill changing opening day of deer season
A coalition of hunters and businesses across the state, including many in Chester County, are supporting legislation aimed at changing the opening day of deer season.
Pennsylvania has opened its rifle deer season on the Monday after Thanksgiving for over 60 years, that is until 2019. The Pennsylvania Game Commission moved the opener two days earlier. To those not familiar with Pennsylvania’s hunting culture, the change would seem innocuous, but it has turned out to be anything but.
State Rep. Brian Smith recently announced plans to introduce legislation soon to amend Title 34 and reinstate the Monday rifle deer opener. He is circulating a co-sponsor memorandum and reports strong interest from fellow legislators.
The move to Saturday was strongly opposed when implemented, and continues to be hotly contested after 4 years. State Rep. Smith has been contacted by many businesses, volunteer organizations and hunters as well since the change, and we applaud him for taking action to correct the mistake that was made.
The change created an enormous financial impact on small businesses across the state that previously relied on the boost from hunters during the weekend (Black Friday and Small Business Saturday) leading up to the Monday opener. With hunters in the woods almost immediately after Thanksgiving, no longer were they patronizing businesses or even fundraisers held by volunteer fire departments and churches.
What was once a huge revenue boost for many small communities had dwindled.
Smith’s proposal to move the start day back to Monday carries with it the addition of a second Sunday to create a 14-day continuous rifle deer season starting on Monday, this affords four weekend days the same
as the Saturday opener now provides. The season length remains the same — 14 days — as does the number of weekend days under Smith’s proposal.
Smith also identifies the Saturday opener took away family time with hunters having to leave immediately after Thanksgiving. As he states in his co-sponsor memo, it’s time to “bring back the harmony between hunting season and the success of small businesses during the weekend after Thanksgiving.”
Two groups founded by Randy Santucci and Dan Davila see the Monday opener as the only logical decision when all aspects are considered. They started a Facebook group earlier this year which is now supporting this legislation. The site — Pennsylvania Hunters Against the Saturday Deer Opener — has grown to nearly 4,000 members within the last month. They also have a coalition started that only requires an email to rsantucci2022@gmail.com or ddavila2112@gmail.com to be included.