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4d ago

Pennsylvania Repeals Centuries-Old Sunday Hunting Ban

It gives the Game Commission authority to add Sundays to its fall hunting calendar to strengthen conservation funding through increased license sales.

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LONG POND, PA - JUNE 22: Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series at The Great American Getaway 400 on June 22, 2025, at Pocono Raceway. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Overview

  • House Bill 1431 takes effect in early September, ensuring Sundays are included in the 2025–26 deer firearms season schedule.
  • The Pennsylvania Game Commission is revising hunting schedules and bag-limit plans to incorporate Sunday hunts under its expanded authority.
  • Stakeholders expect the expanded Sunday access to help reverse a 37 percent decline in license sales since 1980 and boost funding for wildlife conservation.
  • The repeal achieved bipartisan backing in both chambers, with former opponents such as the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau endorsing the legislation.
  • The law modernizes a legacy blue-law restriction dating back centuries and brings Pennsylvania in line with most other states on weekend hunting.