Measures to end Sunday hunting prohibitions are on the march in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut.

Pennsylvania
On Feb. 5, the Pennsylvania Senate Game & Fisheries Committee approved SB 147 — which would allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to establish Sunday hunting — by a vote of 8 to 3. The bill now moves to the full senate for a vote. Delta Waterfowl is pleased by the bill’s momentum and will continue advocating in the state house and senate for the bill’s passage. Pennsylvania is one of only three states that bans nearly all hunting on Sundays.

Delta Waterfowl would especially like to thank Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, as well as State Sen. Dan Laughlin, lead sponsor of the bill and chair of the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee, for his support of Pennsylvania sportsmen and women.

“HUSH has done an exceptional job of creating significant momentum for seven-day hunting in Pennsylvania, and we are proud to be part of their partnership to create more hunting opportunities,” said John Devney, senior vice president of Delta Waterfowl.

Maryland
The Maryland Senate’s Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee approved SB 293 on Feb. 12, advancing it the senate floor for a vote. Introduced by State Sen. Jack Bailey, the bill would authorize the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to allow for waterfowl and other migratory birds to be hunted on Sundays. The Duck Hunters Organization applauds this action to open further hunting opportunities on Chesapeake Bay, the Susquehanna Flats and Maryland’s other historic waterfowling areas.

Connecticut
In Connecticut, HB 5310, which would allow Sunday hunting with firearms on public and private lands, was introduced in January by State Rep. Ricky Hayes. Currently, the state only permits Sunday archery hunting on private lands in deer management zones. The bill has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Environment, where it awaits a hearing. Delta praises the actions of Rep. Hayes, and encourages the committee to advance this important legislation.

“Establishing Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania and expanding it to include waterfowling in Maryland and Connecticut are among Delta’s top legislative priorities,” Devney said. “Sunday hunting bans greatly reduce the number of days that working families can spend afield, and they are a powerful barrier to recruiting and retaining hunters.”

Delta Waterfowl was a leading voice in the successful 2014 change to allow Sunday hunting in Virginia, and in 2017 to expand Sunday hunting in North Carolina to include migratory birds. As part of its mission to secure the future of waterfowl hunting, The Duck Hunters Organization is committed to advancing Sunday hunting opportunities in the eight remaining states with restrictions.