Delta Waterfowl Supports Push to Eliminate Sunday Hunting Ban in Massachusetts

Governor asks legislature to change laws and increase opportunities for hunters
 
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called for her state to repeal a centuries-old ban on Sunday hunting during a press conference Thursday at the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area in East Falmouth. 
 
Delta Waterfowl supports the removal of all Sunday hunting prohibitions, working with legislators in all states and provinces that still have antiquated laws on the books. Massachusetts is one of only two states with outright bans on Sunday hunting.
 
“Hunting is one of our oldest traditions, and it’s still thriving,” Healey said. “I know first-hand how important hunting is to our families. It also supports our local economies and helps us manage wildlife populations. We still have a ban on Sunday hunting, and it doesn’t make any sense. I’m proud to announce that we’re going to propose to get rid of that Sunday hunting ban and legalize Sunday hunting for the first time in our state’s history. If Sunday is the day that works for you, then Sunday is the day you ought to be able to go out (hunting).”
 
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, a.k.a. MassWildlife, has published its recommendations on eliminating the Sunday hunting ban, pointing to comments received from the public on the issue. MassWildlife logged 11,077 comments, with 70% in favor of removing the ban.
 
MassWildlife provides the justification: “Allowing Sunday hunting promotes fair, equitable access to outdoor recreation and gives working families more opportunity to harvest their own food. There is no wildlife management or public safety reason to maintain a ban on Sunday hunting, and this change would provide MassWildlife with science-based flexibility to better manage wildlife populations and address human-wildlife conflict, such as agricultural damage.”
 
Delta Waterfowl appreciates Gov. Healey and MassWildlife’s leadership on the issue, said Cyrus Baird, Delta’s vice president of government affairs.
 
“We look forward to working with the governor and legislature to advance bills that will repeal the Sunday hunting ban in Massachusetts,” Baird said.
 
Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group founded in 1911 that uses science-based solutions to produce ducks, conserve prairie wetlands, and ensure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit our website.

For more information, contact Cyrus Baird.