New bill would repeal Pa.’s Sunday hunting ban

Anglers have been able to fish on Sundays in Pennsylvania for nearly 90 years.

Hunters, despite repeated efforts by advocates for decades, haven’t had the same opportunities. In 2019, the state opened three Sundays for hunting, but license purchases continue to fall: the Pennsylvania Game Commission has seen a 37% decrease in sales since 1980.

Now, a new bill that would repeal the state’s Sunday hunting ban has been sent to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. The bill, passed by the House last month, would allow the game commission to control the number of Sundays enthusiasts could hunt.

“This is an archaic ‘blue law,’ not based in the reality of today. It’s a law that most states have eliminated long ago,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mandy Steele (D., Allegheny), said on the House floor at the time. “Not being able to hunt on Sundays creates major hurdles for busy families.”

That’s why hunter Anthony Colalella, of Beaver County, supports Sunday hunting.

“It’s long overdue,” he said. “I think this will allow more youth to get out and start hunting. It’s fantastic.”

The push for more Sunday hunting has been ongoing for decades. Colalella recalls signing a petition for it when he was 16. Today, he’s 39.

“There are guys who don’t want to hunt on Sundays, and they don’t have to. If you’re a property owner and you allow hunting, but you don’t want people hunting on Sundays, that’s your choice,” Colalella said.

Former opponents of Sunday hunting, including the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, changed their position after trespassing concerns and crop damage issues were addressed in the new bill.

“These measures will help farmers better control deer populations, protect their crops, and support the long-term sustainability of agriculture in our state,” Chris Hoffman, president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, said last month.

Past changes to blue laws allowed the right to hunt for crows, foxes, and coyotes on Sundays, but not deer. New Jersey allows hunting on Sundays.

“How is it OK to tell an outdoorsman they can go fishing on a Sunday but they can’t go hunting on a Sunday,” said Kevin Askew, executive director of Hunters United for Sunday Hunting.

For Askew and his group, the current bill represents years of work.

“Our lives are very busy in this century,” Askew said. “People are working five to seven days a week to survive and don’t have a lot of time to go hunting. This will give that time back to them.”

Askew said the game commission has already established its hunting season for 2025/26, but his group is hopeful some quick changes could be made if Shapiro signs the bill.