Since the Pennsylvania Game Commission changed the opening day of deer season from Monday to Saturday in 2019, the push by some to return to Monday has been ongoing.

Online forums, chat groups and almost any social media post related to hunting become targets for comments saying “Monday, Monday, Monday.”

At every Board of Commissioners’ meeting, someone is trying to get it on the agenda, and some have even tried lawsuits to bring back the Monday opener. Now, two legislators are attempting to make it the law of the land.

Senators Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) and Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton) announced they plan on introducing legislation requiring the Pennsylvania Game Commission to make the first day of rifle deer season the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

In a press release announcing their plans, the senators stated, in part, “The Saturday after Thanksgiving start date has had a devastating economic effect on rural businesses.” They go on to state, “The traditions associated with going to hunting camp in anticipation of opening day created a concentration of economic activity unique to rural Pennsylvania.”

Senators Yaw and Boscola claim that the PGC’s recent proposal to move opening day again, this time to the Saturday before Thanksgiving, was one of the catalysts for their forthcoming legislation, stating the proposal rekindled “the absolute rejection of the current opening day among our constituents and throughout rural Pennsylvania in general.”

Now, let me start by saying that I understand Sen. Yaw’s and Sen. Boscola’s position. Both represent rural areas popular with camp hunters. There are also businesses in their district that benefit from the increased activity camp hunters provide. When these groups inundate local offices with calls, emails, and letters, there is a natural tendency to react. It is what the senators are expected to do. But that does not mean they speak for all rural Pennsylvania. It certainly does not mean they speak for most Pennsylvania hunters.

I spend a good amount of time reviewing social media, online forums, and attending outdoor shows. An unhealthy amount of time, but it is all part of being active in the sport and staying abreast of changes and developments that impact us all. Based on what I have seen, the return-to-Monday crowd is not as large as they make it seem. Instead of being the majority, they are the very vocal minority.

Most hunters do not go to camp for days at a time. Instead, they are hunting close to home in between working, shuttling kids to games, and meeting their other daily obligations. These modern hunters welcome the Saturday opener because it lets them enjoy the tradition of opening day without giving up precious vacation days, which many workers earn at a rate far lower than that of our parents or grandparents. It also allows children involved in an increasing number of extracurricular activities to join them in the woods. When you add the additional Sunday hunting opportunities to the equation, moving the opening day to the Saturday after Thanksgiving has increased the number of days available to hunt.

My biggest fear is not that the senators’ legislation will be successful; I can enjoy opening day whenever it falls. My biggest fear is that if legislators determine, game and fish management will become the norm. It starts with a return to the Monday deer season opener. Next, it is trout season or whether life jackets should be required during the winter months. All topics that outdoorspeople debate among themselves, and often feel strongly about. But what happens when those future legislators are anti-hunting or represent special interests over hunters? What happens when deer seasons are shortened or removed entirely in counties where out-of-state transplants do not cherish the traditions we grew up with?

The point is that letting legislators manage our fish and wildlife is a dangerous precedent. Keep the debates, keep writing the PGC & PFBC, and let them know your feelings on the issues. But let professionals and science, not politics, decide what is best for our resources.