Hunting season start date disrupts tradition for some
Pennsylvania Game Commissioners seem to be standing firm on their controversial 2019 decision to move up the start of deer rifle hunting season from the Monday after Thanksgiving to the Saturday following the holiday.
The commission heard from myriad people who are upset about the change and the impact it’s had during, before voting Saturday, Jan. 25, in favor of keeping the new rifle season start date.
Hunters, small business owners and some state lawmakers have expressed their criticism of the move consistently over the past six years — and they showed up again to let the commission know they still want their Monday start date back.
Before this change, the tradition of starting deer season the Monday after Thanksgiving had been going strong for about six decades. It was something that extended the holiday weekend, as most schools and some businesses closed to mark the first day of deer season.
Families planned their holidays around this tradition, friends made annual plans for hunting trips and, in a lot of ways, it was part of the fabric that makes Pennsylvania what it is. It’s part of our heritage to raise our families the way we were raised, and one of the most important aspects of that is holding true to our customs.
The arguments in favor of the change advocate for those who aren’t able to hunt on a weekday, including college students who have to head back to school and people who are unable to get off work on a weekday.
According to a study performed by the commission, the majority of deer hunters strongly or moderately agree with the Saturday start date, compared to 27% of hunters who strongly or moderately oppose it. The majority of those who oppose the move are aged 55 or older, the study states, and most of them spend time at a hunting camp that day.
The most support for the change comes from younger hunters who travel to hunt, but not to a hunting camp. The study also showed hunters who have a child who also hunts were much more in favor of the Saturday start.
The schedule for 2025 won’t be final until the commission votes again in April, but state lawmakers will hold an informational meeting next week about a potential bill that would permanently override the commission and return the start date to Monday.
In the meantime, business owners continue to lament the loss of business associated with a Monday start date and some hunters still mourn their lost tradition.
— KL
