by Paige Miller, KTA Intern
In light of the Virginia Senate’s recent passing of a bill that will allow Sunday hunting on private property, weekend hikers may need to prepare to take extra precautions on Sunday outings. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe supports efforts to lift the state’s long-running ban on Sunday hunting activities, and plans to sign the bill into law. What was historically marked by Virginia law as “a day of rest for all species” with respect to hunting, and hence the only day that outdoor enthusiasts could carry out their activities without concern over live ammunition, will be like any other day of the week when the law goes into effect. Currently only a handful of states continue to follow legislation banning Sunday hunting, despite the boost that local and state economies would receive from increased eco-tourism and outdoor recreationists like mountain bikers, birders, and, of course, hikers from the additional day on the trails.
Closer to home, efforts to strike down our own state’s Sunday hunting ban have been far from unheard of. In 2011, House Bill 1760 was put before public hearing in an effort to remove the state Legislature’s power to restrict Sunday hunting, and to redistribute that authority to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. More recently, the summer of 2013 saw a lawsuit filed against the Game Commission by Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, a group based out of Lancaster County which sought to have the Sunday hunting ban removed on grounds of unconstitutional discrimination against hunters. These efforts have been unsuccessful, but as more and more states remove their Sunday hunting restrictions, that could change for Pennsylvanians in the foreseeable future.
As the statewide voice of Pennsylvania’s hikers, KTA actively supports our current law which has provided a safe and healthy balance for hunters and hikers alike in Pennsylvania. We encourage our readers to always be aware of current hunting legislation, whether in your home state or elsewhere. Do the research, plan ahead, then hit the trails.