The following is Game Commissioner Greg Isabella’s testimony before the PA House Game & Fisheries Committee on September 15 in Northampton:

SUNDAY HUNTING PRESENTATION

GOOD EVENING MR CHAIRMAN, FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE WRITTEN TESTIMONY THIS EVENING.  AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE PA GAME COMMISSION LET ME OFFER YOU A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON SUNDAY  HUNTING.   FIRST, AS A PA GAME COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING REGION 8 OF SOUTH EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA WHERE A VERY LARGE HUNTING CONSTITUENY  SUPPORTS SUNDAY HUNTING AND SECOND, AS AN AVID HUNTER WHO SUPPORTS SUNDAY HUNTING AND ELIMINATION OF THE ANTIQUATED BLUE LAW.

MY TESTIMONY IS MY OWN OPINION AS A SITTING COMMISSIONER ON THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, IT IS BY NO MEANS MEANT TO REPRESENT THE ENTIRE BOC.

WHAT CAN I SAY THAT ALREADY HAS NOT BEEN SAID.  THERE HAS BEEN THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT THAT CONCLUDED AN ECONOMIC FINANCIAL WINDFALL TO BUSINESSES AND THE ECONOMY OF PENNSYLVANIA, HAD SUNDAY HUNTING BEEN ENACTED.  THERE IS MUCH DEBATE ON THAT REPORT, BUT I MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON REALISTIC SCENARIOS.  THIS PAST SPRING I COMMUNICATED WITH MR. SCOTT WOJTON  FROM THE LEHIGH VALLEY.   HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT BECAUSE PENNSYLVANIA DOES NOT HAVE SUNDAY HUNTING, HE HUNTED SPRING GOBBLER SATURDAY & SUNDAY IN NEW YORK STATE,  THEN  TRAVELLED TO PENNSYLVANIA THE DAY AFTER TO ALSO HUNT SPRING TURKEY.  DURING THAT OUT OF STATE VISIT HE AND HIS PARTY SPENT OVER $1000.00 WHICH INCLUDED LICENSE, GAS, MEALS, LODGING & TIPS THAT WENT TO AN OUT OF STATE TREASURY.  HE & FRIENDS ALSO VISITED SEVERAL OTHER STATES WHO HAD SUNDAY HUNTING, THEY ALSO SPENT SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS AND CONTRIBUTED TO AN OUT OF STATE ECONOMY AND THEIR STATE TREASURY.

THE END RESULT, DUE TO OUR ANTIQUATED BLUE LAWS NO MONEY SPENT IN PENNSYLVANIA!!  NO FINANCIAL  BENEFIT TO THE COMMONWEALTH!!!!!

AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I WORK 6-7 DAYS WEEKLY AVERAGING A MINIMUM OF 80 HOURS A WEEK.  IN OTHER  WORDS, I AM ALWAYS ON CALL!  MY WIFE AND I TRAVELLED TO OUR CAMP IN RURAL SCHUYLKILL COUNTY FOR A VERY WELL DESERVED REST DURING THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY.  ARRIVING AT MY CAMP AROUND 6:30PM SATURDAY EVENING I IMMEDIATELY CHANGED MY CLOTHES, GRABBED MY VARMIT RIFLE AND WENT TO MY NEIGHBORS FIELDS TO HUNT THE WILY SCHUYLKILL COUNTY  GROUNDHOG.  BEING SUCCESSFUL TWICE THAT EVENING I COULD NOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT DAY TO CONTINUE THE HUNT.  UNFORTUNATELY THE FOLLOWING DAY WAS SUNDAY, NO HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA!!  DURING THAT DAY I WAS RELEGATED TO DAILY CAMP CHORES AND FINALLY, AFTER BEING BORED MOST OF THE DAY I WAS HITTING GOLF BALLS INTO A PRACTICE NET.

DURING MY GOLF PRACTICE I SPOTTED A GROUNDHOG IN MY FIELD.  IF I AS A PROPERTY OWNER WAS ALLOWED TO HUNT ON SUNDAY, ON MY PROPERTY, THAT WEEKEND HUNTING EXPERIENCE WAS A STORY TELLER TO MY FRIENDS.  UNFORTUNATELY THE ANTIQUATED BLUE LAW PROHIBITS SUNDAY HUNTING, TO ME AND OTHERS WHO OWN AND HUNT THEIR PROPERTY.  THAT RARE OPPORTUNITY I AND OTHERS IN MY SITUATION HAD DURING THAT JULY 4TH WEEKEND (3 DAYS) WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING.

LATER ON JULY 4TH, I WAS INVITED TO A PICNIC BY THE BIGGEST FARMER AND LANDOWNER IN THE VALLEY.  I  WAS SITTING WITH HIM AND SIX OTHER FARMERS FROM SCHUYLKILL AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES.  THEY NEW I WAS A PGC COMMISSIONER, THE TOPIC OF SUNDAY HUNTING WAS DISCUSSED.  THEY DID NOT WANT ANY NEW LAW “SHOVED DOWN THEIR THROAT” AND WERE CONCERNED ABOUT PROPERTY RIGHTS.  I AGREED WITH THEM, BUT I CANDIDLY ASKED EACH FARMER WOULD THEY DENY THEIR NEIGHBORS HUNTING OPPORTUNITY AND NOT ALLOW ANY HUNTING ON THEIR PROPERTY IF THE BLUE LAW WAS ELIMINATED.  THERE ANSWER WAS NO!  IN MY OPINION, THE FARMERS AT THAT PICNIC WERE CONCERNED WITH HUNTING THEIR OWN PROPERTY THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE DEER RIFLE SEASON THEN ALLOWING NEIGHBORS OR VISITORS TO HUNT AFTERWARDS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS.

RECENTLY A CUSTOMER OF MINE, DR. R. H. OF MEDIA (DELAWARE  COUNTY) VISITED MY BUSINESS, HE ASKED ME WHAT IS THE STATUS OF SUNDAY  HUNTING.  AFTER I UPDATED HIM, DR H.  THEN RESPONDED “ WE MUST RESPECT THE LANDOWNERS WISHES, IF THEY DO NOT WANT US  TO HUNT THEIR PROPERTY ON SUNDAY I RESPECT THAT.  BUT DO NOT PREVENT US TO HUNT PROPERTY THAT  WE OWN, LEASE OR ANY STATE GAME LAND.”

WHAT ABOUT A  DIVORCED COUPLE?  WHAT  ABOUT A DAD WHO HUNTS, WANTS TO TAKE HIS SON  OR DAUGHTER HUNTING?  WITH ALL THE OTHER  SPORTING OPPORTUNITES YOUNGSTERS HAVE (SATURDAY SOCCER, BASEBALL, FOOTBALL  ETC..) AVAILABLE TO THEM, SUNDAY IS THE ONLY OTHER DAY THAT A DIVORCED PARENT  HAS TO CONNECT WITH HIS CHILD.  IMO THIS  IS WHERE THE CONTROVERSY LIES.

THIS EVENING I TESTIFIED ON THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS TO WORKERS  AND THE COMMONWEALTH COFFERS, ADDITIONAL HUNTING OPPORTUNITY FOR HUNTERS WITH  RIGID WORK SCHEDULES, DIVORCED COUPLES WITH CHILDREN OF HUNTING AGE AND  LANDOWNER PROPERTY RIGHTS.  OTHER STATES  WHO PASSED SUNDAY HUNTING THE PAST FEW YEARS ENCOUNTERED THE SAME ARGUMENTS WE  HAVE IN PENNSYLVANIA.  TO THE BEST OF MY  KNOWLEDGE THE “SCARE TACTICS” AND THE “SKY IS FALLING” MENTALITY USED IN THOSE  STATES DID NOT MATERIALIZE!!

TO SUMMARIZE, AT LEAST 43 STATES HAVE SOME FORM OF SUNDAY  HUNTING.  THE LANDOWNER HAS THE FINAL SAY  AS TO WHAT OCCURS ON THEIR PROPERTY.   THOUSANDS OF HUNTERS USE STATE GAME LANDS, STATE FORESTS, PRIVATE  PROPERTY THEY OWN OR LEASE.  I SUGGEST  THAT AFTER THESE HEARINGS, CALL A  MEETING WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND FORGE AN AGREEMENT THAT IS  AMICABLE TO ALL.

MOST  IMPORTANTLY, ELIMINATE THE ANTIQUATED BLUE LAW PROHIBITING SUNDAY HUNTING AND  ALLOW THE PA GAME COMMISSION THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MANAGE THE SEASONS AND BAG  LIMITS.  THE TIME IS RIGHT TO PUT  PENNSYLVANIA  IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

COMMISSIONER GREGORY J. ISABELLA

PA. GAME COMMISSION

REGION 8