A few states prohibit Sunday hunting, but Pennsylvania no longer counts itself among their numbers.
On July 9, Governor Josh Shapiro’s signing of House Bill 1431 lifted the state’s prohibition on Sunday hunting, enabling the Game Commission to add thirteen dates for Sunday hunting in the 2025-2026 season.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jason Nark notes the blue laws previously restricting Sunday hunting were described by Governor Shapiro as “outdated.”
WHYY goes on to say Governor Shapiro believes the bill’s passage was “a smart change that puts the decision making about Pennsylvania’s hunting seasons squarely in the hands of the experts of the Game Commission and those who know our game population best.”
The state website says hunting’s annual contribution to Pennsylvania’s economy is $1.6 billion – yeah, billion with a b – and millions in tax earnings. Hunting is also responsible for approximately 15,000 jobs across the state.
Adam Eckley, chairman of Pennsylvania’s chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, told the MeatEater Radio Live podcast that Backcountry Hunters and Anglers was the first national organization to issue a statement in Pennsylvania regarding the Sunday hunting ban in 2018.
Eckley described the bill’s signing as “one of my most honorable moments in my hunting career. I can’t express the gratitude that I have…This might be the most significant change to hunting in Pennsylvania in my lifetime.”
Among the bill’s critical supporters, Eckley notes, were State Representative Mandy Steele and State Senator Dan Laughlin.
For a comprehensive discussion of Pennsylvania’s Sunday hunting, hit the Your Mountain podcast, episode 204, with Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. A discussion on Sunday hunting bans throughout the country can be found here. Find a history of House Bill 1431 here.
