Ready for a Saturday start to deer hunting season? Here’s what to know about the big changes
Rifle deer season will start Saturday, marking the first time since 1963 the season has not kicked off the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Supporters hope a Saturday start will bring back those struggling to find time to hunt and help high school and college students who do not get opening day off from school.
Opponents argue the change will interfere with hunting camp traditions and affect Thanksgiving plans.
“The whole purpose of this is to create opportunity,” state Game Commission Warden Dan Murray said. “The agency’s been trying to create a lot of opportunity because we need to recruit new hunters and we need to retain the ones that we already have.”
The change expanded the firearms season to 13 days, including three Saturdays rather than two. The change was one of several approved in April by the state Game Commission.
The Saturday opener will change the dynamic of hunting camp, Nate Ammerman wrote in response to a CDT Facebook post about the changes.
“I much rather enjoyed getting to camp on the Friday after Thanksgiving,” he wrote. “Then having the weekend to relax around camp, make last minute prep ... And enjoy some camaraderie with the fellas.”
Other changes made by the Game Commission include simplifying requirements to wear fluorescent orange, though it remains recommended during all seasons. No fluorescent orange is required at any time during fall turkey season or archery deer, bear or elk season.
“I think the Game Commission is doing a good job,” George Forsburg, a 70-year-old Rush Township hunter, said. “... I think there’s reasoning behind it. I don’t know if I could do as well as the Game Commission is doing or not.”
The scheduling change did not affect school calendars this year in Centre County, where some districts traditionally cancel classes as an extension of Thanksgiving break.
Philipsburg-Osceola Area and Bald Eagle Area school district students are scheduled to have Monday and Tuesday off, while State College, Bellefonte and Penns Valley Area school district students are scheduled to have Monday off.
The 2019-20 academic calendars for each district were finalized before the state Game Commission passed the changes, and three school districts have acknowledged changes could come in 2020-21 and beyond.
“I am sure when the school board convenes to talk about next year’s calendar, they will revisit the Monday after Thanksgiving,” Penns Valley Community Relations Director Nate Althouse said. “They review all the days we have off over the course of the year and discuss how to create a calendar that makes sense for our educational needs.”
Added BEA Superintendent Jeff Miles: “I am guessing there will be some changes for many schools if the hunting calendar continues like this year’s.”
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Further hunting changes are coming, as Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday signed into law a bill that permits limited Sunday hunting.
The law allows Sunday hunting one day during rifle deer season, one during statewide archery deer season and a third day to be determined by the state Game Commission.
“This legislation carefully balances the needs of landowners with an expanded opportunity for hunters who work or attend school during weekdays,” Wolf said Wednesday in a statement.
The ban on Sunday hunting is one of the few “blue laws” — enacted to encourage people to go to church — left on Pennsylvania’s books. The law will take effect Feb. 25, 2020.
“People today tend to lead busy lives, and hunters are no exception,” Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans said Wednesday in a statement . “No matter how badly a hunter might want to get out and enjoy the outdoors during hunting season, other responsibilities might take priority and make it difficult.”
Those hunting in Ferguson Township should be aware of chronic wasting disease, Murray said, as the deadly neurological disease is present between the county line and state Routes 26 and 45.
Removing high-risk parts of a deer, including the head, spinal cord and spleen, from the area is prohibited. Free testing is available in disease management areas.
This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 8:43 AM.