Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

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thepennsylvanian
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Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby thepennsylvanian » Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:33 pm

So it looks like the rifle season could open on Saturday November 30 2019. While this may not be Sunday hunting, it's a huge step towards offering more opportunities during the two week season!! Check out the agenda for what else we could have coming this year. It's looking like an archery elk, and a late season cow elk hunt coming too.

https://www.pgc.pa.gov/InformationResou ... vents.aspx


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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby elk yinzer » Mon Jan 28, 2019 10:49 pm

We'll see, the Saturday opener is not a done deal but we'll know this week. Quite a few of the old timers have their heels dug in the mud over it. It's going to happen but maybe not this year.

Personally I don't really care, I take rifle season pretty casually. I would kinda prefer selfishly that it remained the way it is because I always enjoyed scouting and small game hunting that weekend. But I do think it's great for the working man and really great for the kids. And seeing the whiny fits some guys put up over the dreaded prospect of change in their schedule really threw me over the edge in full support.

Also some changes to the archery bear and a new inline season, none of which are good for bowhunting. That week is going to be pretty intrusive for guys that live in areas people drive for bear. You'd think we could at least get an additional week tacked onto the end of archery with all that is going on in the woods that inline week in October.
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thepennsylvanian
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby thepennsylvanian » Mon Jan 28, 2019 11:12 pm

It's definitely going to be an adjustment, I generally don't hunt hard in rifle either. So I am in the same boat as you, selfishly, I'm for tradition, however this will work out great for guys who can't take off during the week. Getting Sunday hunting could sovle this though allowing that Sunday in the middle of the two week season would give that third day of a weekend to hunt!
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby Thesouthpaw » Mon Jan 28, 2019 11:37 pm

I'll be honest, I really hope that the opener gets moved to Saturday. I am a teacher that lives in WV, but I am from PA. I typically take all of my time off in bow season, meaning I can't hunt with my family in rifle season until late in the first week. I have a feeling that it won't get changed this year, but within five years we will have a Saturday opener and Sunday hunting.
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thepennsylvanian
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby thepennsylvanian » Tue Jan 29, 2019 12:05 am

Thesouthpaw wrote:I'll be honest, I really hope that the opener gets moved to Saturday. I am a teacher that lives in WV, but I am from PA. I typically take all of my time off in bow season, meaning I can't hunt with my family in rifle season until late in the first week. I have a feeling that it won't get changed this year, but within five years we will have a Saturday opener and Sunday hunting.

Honestly, I pray that Sunday hunting comes sooner than later but I'm not holding my breath.. my opinion is that the Saturday change is the pgc doing something right. It won't make everyone happy, changes never do. Three Saturdays during the rifle season will give me just that much more time to take my daughter out and that to me is 100000000% worth everyone screaming conspiracy on trying to kill the deer herd.

Edit: and WV going to Sunday on all lands was amazing this year, just having the option is putting the ball on our court, like elkyinzer said
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby JMAR85 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 1:57 am

I do not like what they did with the bear season. They essentially added another rifle season being that you can use inlines. It really makes no sense. If you want to kill a bear with a muzzloader do it in the regular bear season...
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thepennsylvanian
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby thepennsylvanian » Tue Jan 29, 2019 2:49 am

JMAR85 wrote:I do not like what they did with the bear season. They essentially added another rifle season being that you can use inlines. It really makes no sense. If you want to kill a bear with a muzzloader do it in the regular bear season...

I mean, I don't understand what you mean by makes sense, but I dont have to get it. I think that the biggest take away this is that they are at least attempting to create more opportunities, while being limit by not having authority over Sunday hunting. Pa has strong traditions with it's hunting seasons, and in order to make a strong argument for Sunday hunting, you have to try other options. They cant keep fighting for sunday hunting with showing that are also attempting to create opportunities in other ways.
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby JMAR85 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 3:05 am

thepennsylvanian wrote:
JMAR85 wrote:I do not like what they did with the bear season. They essentially added another rifle season being that you can use inlines. It really makes no sense. If you want to kill a bear with a muzzloader do it in the regular bear season...

I mean, I don't understand what you mean by makes sense, but I dont have to get it. I think that the biggest take away this is that they are at least attempting to create more opportunities, while being limit by not having authority over Sunday hunting. Pa has strong traditions with it's hunting seasons, and in order to make a strong argument for Sunday hunting, you have to try other options. They cant keep fighting for sunday hunting with showing that are also attempting to create opportunities in other ways.


What I was getting at is I don't understand the logic behind a separate bear season that includes the use of an inline muzzloader. But mainly expressing my frustrations over the idea of guys putting on drives in archery season.
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby E72 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:20 am

If they approve a Saturday opener ... as a former resident now living in OH.... I would defiantly take advantage of that.
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby DeerDylan » Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:45 am

I don't like that this will take another day from our already short fall turkey season. It would be cool if we could get more time in October or the gap between archery and rifle deer to pursue fall turkey.
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thepennsylvanian
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby thepennsylvanian » Tue Jan 29, 2019 5:10 am

DeerDylan wrote:I don't like that this will take another day from our already short fall turkey season. It would be cool if we could get more time in October or the gap between archery and rifle deer to pursue fall turkey.

This is true, I guess I have to take the good with the bad. . .
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby Bowhunting Brian » Tue Jan 29, 2019 6:14 am

DeerDylan wrote:I don't like that this will take another day from our already short fall turkey season. It would be cool if we could get more time in October or the gap between archery and rifle deer to pursue fall turkey.


Can't you hunt both turkey and deer at the same time?
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby BBH1980 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:27 am

A saturday opener would hurt me.. but I am still for it because I know it will give a lot more opportunity to hunters in our state. As far as Sunday goes, bill 1202 is in the senate now and expected to pass which will set up the season of 20-21
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby Oldonboy516 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 12:32 pm

Personally, i dont really care one way or another. I dont think a saturday opener makes much sense without also including Sunday hunting. I think its great for the guy working 6 days a week to provide for his family. I think it will help recruit the generation coming up if they are blessed enough to have a parent or mentor who cares more about their hunt than their own. If it were up to me just based on those two effects I'd vote yes everytime. I dont think it will be the demise of pa deer hunting like alot of ppl do. The same guy not seeing deer 50 yards from the parking lot is going to see or not see the same deer on sunday that he would or would not of seen saturday. Lets face it, the generation that pushed deer in every corner of the state is just about gone unfortunately. That loss, along with fewer deer leads to alot less deer encounters. I dont care who you are thats tough on the young ones. That being said, i dont think a saturday opener or sunday hunting is the absolute solution to the problems facing the future of hunting in the Keystone State but i do think its a step in the right direction.
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Re: Pa rifle season SATURDAY opener

Unread postby Mike32 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 1:52 pm

I don't really rifle hunt much, so I don't really care but if it does come in on a Saturday it will allow me to hunt with a few friends that I normally don't have a chance to because of having to work. So for that I'd be happy to see it.
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