I speak for legions of outdoors-loving residents and non-residents alike who welcome Sunday as a day to walk, hike, bird/wildlife watch, mountain bike, etc. without the worry or threat of hunters in the neighborhood (“Sunday hunting clears first hurdle in state Senate,” Feb. 5, TribLIVE).

If you watch wildlife, you are often not wearing bright orange or similar clothing. The same goes for other activities. This is a danger if there are active hunters around. Non-hunters should have one day each week to be free to roam the forests.

The limit of the proposed 14 hunting Sundays is deceiving because the prime time to enjoy Pennsylvania’s gorgeous forests is late September through early November, which dovetails with most hunting seasons. Those fall Sundays are the prime time for non-hunters to flock to the natural areas. Those same people are quite likely to also visit a café or restaurant, stop to shop along the way for antiques, etc., and buy material to enjoy the activity which will generate tax revenue, not to mention fuel taxes to get there.

The long-term decline in hunting licenses and related equipment sales has led to a sharp decline in revenue to support the Game Commission’s mission of preserving and enlarging the game land. Non-hunters like us enjoy and use the same land.

Could there be a creative way to engage non-hunters in the funding? A further decline in active hunting is probably inevitable, so how do we move forward creatively to provide fair access for all to our priceless and unique wild areas and keep Sunday a day of (hunting) rest?

Richard Stoner

Unity

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