Well it’s almost official. The Sunday hunting bill passed the Pennsylvania Senate by a vote of  34-16, and it now goes on to final approval as it heads back to the House of Representatives for a final vote. If approved, it would then go to the governor’s office to be signed into law. 

If House Bill 1431 becomes law, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, through its appointed Board of Governors, will be authorized to implement additional Sunday hunting opportunities over and above the current Sunday hunting for coyotes, crows and foxes and on three consecutive Sundays in fall. 

The initiative to repeal the Sunday hunting ban has a broad base of support from many sportsmen’s groups, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. 
PGC Executive Director Steve Smith gave thanks to the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee Chair Sen. Greg Rothman, and Sen. Dan Laughlin who led the charge on this issue for years. “Thanks to their leadership and commitment, Pennsylvania hunters are on the brink of gaining the opportunity to hunt on additional Sunday’s,” said Smith. 

PGC ASKING PUBLIC TO REPORT TURKEY SIGHTINGS

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is once again seeking input from the public in surveying wild turkeys from July 1 through Aug. 31. 

This survey allows the agency to determine total wild turkey productivity and to compare long term reproductive success within the state. Turkey sightings can be reported through the PGC’s website http://.pgcforms.pa.gov/TurkeySightingSurvey. 

Participants are asked to report the number of wild turkeys they see, along with the county, township, wildlife management unit (WMU), date and contact information if agency biologists have any questions. Participants may also simply drop a “pin” on the website map for the location data to automatically populate. Location data is used only for the survey not for law enforcement, and is not shared. 

PGC Turkey Biologist Mary Jo Casalena said participants should report all turkeys seen whether it be gobblers, hens with or without broods or turkeys of unknown sex and age. 

For those who travel Mauch Chunk Road, there are occasionally four or five turkeys on GES (former Trojan Powder Co.) land. One day I spotted a lone gobbler foraging in the one field. 

SALTWATER FISHING REPORT

As this is the Fourth of July weekend, many families head to the shore so it’s a good time to give saltwater angling a try.  

According to reporters from On the Water Magazine, midshore and offshore yellowfin and bluefin tuna action is picking up. Other than that, striped bass fishing has been excellent in Raritan Bay, while keeper fluke are being taken from the bays and ocean surf as are weakfish and sheepshead that are chewing around the bridges. 
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Hunting, furtaker and antlerless deer hunting licenses go on sale Monday (6-23) and that includes antlerless tags.
 
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the procedure for buying antlerless licenses will be available at the same time as the general license. But this year, the PGC says, all Pennsylvania residents are guaranteed to get an antlerless license for the WMU of their choice, so long as they buy it by 7 a.m. on Monday, July 14, the day license sales open to nonresidents at 8 a.m.. At that time, antlerless licenses will not be guaranteed, and all remaining sales will be on a first come, first serve basis until the allocated number of licenses is exhausted. 

The second round of antlerless sales, at which time resident and nonresident hunters can buy a second antlerless license for any WMU where licenses remain, begins on Monday, July 28 at 8 a.m.

Third round antlerless licenses will go on sale Monday, Aug. 11. Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) permits also go on sale when this round begins. 

During the fourth round of antlerless sales, which begins Monday, Aug. 25 at 8 a.m., hunters can purchase additional antlerless licenses for any WMU where licenses are available. 

In most of the state, hunters may hold up to six unfilled antlerless licenses until they use those tags  by harvesting deer and reporting them. There’s a higher limit for WMUs here in 5C and 5D in southeast Pennsylvania. There, hunters may hold up to 15 unfilled antlerless licenses at a time. 

Hunters can view the number of remaining licenses in real time by going to HuntFish.PA.gov. and clicking on the Antlerless Deer tab, then Antlerless Deer Quota. In doing so, sportsmen can get a better idea on sales progress and track how fast licenses for a given WMU are selling. 

New licenses may be purchase online at HuntFish.PA by clicking on License Catalog under the hunting tab. Paper licenses and harvest tags are mailed when bought online. General hunting licenses for resident adults cost $20.97 and antlerless licenses cost $6.97 for residents. 

To renew senior tags for residents ages 65 or older, they may purchase a lifetime hunting or furtaker license or a lifetime license that includes hunting, furtaking and other privileges, but lifetime license holders still must obtain new antlered deer and turkey harvest tags each license year, as well as new antlerless deer licenses, bear licenses, elk license applications, DMAP permits and more. 

All senior lifetime hunting and combination license holders who purchased their lifetime license prior to May 13, 2017, are exempt from needing a pheasant permit to hunt or harvest pheasants. 

When doing so, hunters need to provide proof of residency, usually with a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license, when renewing lifetime licenses. 
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After years of controversy and debate, the Pennsylvania State House Game and Fisheries Committed has passed Sunday Hunting Bill 1431 that repeals the remnants of the state’s old “Blue Law.” It now goes to the Senate for consideration. 

Act 107 of 2019, allowed additional hunting on designated Sundays. Historically, Sunday hunting was prohibited with the exception for foxes, coyotes and crows but this new bill will affect big and small game.  

The effort to repeal the Sunday ban has a broad base of support from sportsmen’s groups, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. 

According to Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith, his agency has been working to get this bill across the finish line which will benefit hunters to help ensure the future of wildlife management. Said Smith, “Hunters play an active role in helping to manage wildlife populations through the purchase of their licenses and other revenue they generate. They also fund wildlife conservation on a large scale for all species.”

Smith goes on to explain that one of the biggest reasons hunters stop hunting is a lack of time. “While no one can add hours to the day or days of the week, removing prohibitions on Sunday hunting holds the potential to add significantly more time to the hunting calendar and it keep hunters hunting.” For now, HB 1431 lies within the Senate. 

LEHIGH COUNTY FISH & GAME PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION

A recent press released announced that the above underwent a reorganization in 2024 and is an independent, non-profit organization registered with the State of Pennsylvania and is not affiliated with the Lil-Le-Hi Fish Hatchery, Pioneer Fish & Game Association, Queen City Trout Nursery or Trout Creek Hunting and Fishing Club. 

Association members are President William Rhoades, Vice President Peter Burkhardt, Treasurer Fred Boenig and Secretary Terry Ryan. 

Rhoades writes that if there are any questions regarding the organization, inquiries should be sent to [email protected].

TROUT STOCKING
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While on the subject of fishing, the Little Lehigh was again stocked with stocked today  (6-14)  within the Lehigh Parkway stretch in Allentown. 

 

It’s that time of year when wildlife begin to have their offspring. So when encountering young wild animals be it deer, raccoons, rabbits, opossums, birds or other species, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said to leave them alone. 

“As well-intentioned some folks can be, Matt Schnupp, PGC’s Bureau of Wildlife Management Director said that what appears to be an abandoned animal or bird, rest assured the mother is probably nearby and waiting for you to leave so she can return.”

Schnupp explains that adult animals often leave their young while they forage for food, but they don’t go far and they do return. Wildlife often rely on a natural defensive tactic called “hider strategy,” where young animals will remain motionless and “hide” in surrounding cover while adults draw the attention of predators or other intruders away from their young. Deer employ this strategy with their fawns. 

Taking in wild animals or birds comes with risks of fleas, ticks, lice even rabies. Worse yet, Schnupp goes on to tell of a fawn a family illegally took into their home and raised until it became a 6-point buck when the buck suddenly attacked and severely injured two people. Again, it’s illegal to take in wild animals and it comes with a fine up to $1,500 per animal. 

Another drawback is the rabies problem. Schnupp said that although rabies might show obvious symptoms, they can still transmit the disease and rabies may differ from animal to animal. Species such as skunks, raccoons, foxes, bats coyotes and groundhogs can carry different strains of rabies. And people can get rabies from the saliva of a rabid animal if they are bitten or scratched, or if the saliva gets into a person’s eyes, mouth or a fresh wound. 

The PGC also reminds folks to keep domestic pets under control at all times. Dogs often will kill deer fawns and other baby animals. 

Keep in mind that only licensed wildlife rehabilitators are permitted to care for injured or orphaned wildlife for the purpose of eventual release back into the wild. This occurs at times with hawks or an eagle getting hit by a vehicle. If coming across one of the above situations, a wildlife rehabilitator can be found on the Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators website (www.pawr.com) or call the PGC at 833-PGC-Wild or 833-PGC-Hunt. The exception of course would be if it’s a coyote, fox or deer that’s still alive. Then it’s best to call local police and report it. 

TROUT STOCKING

The Little Lehigh Creek was stocked with trout today (6-7-25) within the Lehigh Parkway stretch. The trout stocked were from the Lil-Le-Hi Trout Hatchery. 

NEW JERSEY SHORE FISHING 
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If you’re heading to shore points this weekend, our On the Water Magazine reporters say that trophy stripers are taking eels and metal lips along the beaches while the sea bass bite remains excellent as does fluke and sheepshead in the backwaters. 

Summer vacation time can mean an expensive trip to a Disney in Orlando, or more economically, to a scenic campground to rough it a bit and to enjoy the great outdoors. 

The topic of camping usually evokes images of campfires and tents, but new data shows that most campers are partial to keys and a set of wheels. The Dyrt app (www.thedvrt.com) that serves the online camping community that includes state and national park campgrounds, RV parks, glamping and free campsites, has found that three out of four campers have camped in or next to their vehicle at some point in their camping journey, proving that vehicles are central to camping. 

According to a 2025 Dyrt Camping Report presented by Toyota Trucks, it shows that 53.4 percent of campers say their preferred type of camping involves a vehicle such as an RV, trailer or camper van. Half of all campers have owned a trailer (49.6 percent) at some point in their lives, 32.2 percent have owned an RV and 20.3 percent have owned a camper van. Slightly more than half of survey respondents (50.6 percent) say they bought a camper van, RV or trailer within the last five years. Additionally, when respondents were asked how much they were willing to spend on a new rig, the average dollar amount was $58,331. 

“Look around any campground and you’ll see a wide price range and variety of sizes of camping vehicles,” says Dyrt founder Sarah Smith. She reported that camper vans are increasingly decked out with amenities that provide an RV-like experience that can fit in a traditional parking spot.

Vehicle campers have a specific list of priorities for what they look for in a campsite. Electric hookups are easily at the top, with 52.3 percent indicating that it is the most important amenity. Next up is a water station (13.2 percent), sewer hookup (10.3 percent) and knowing the pull-thru length (8.9 percent). 
For RVers, it’s important to know that roughly one in five camping properties (18.7 percent) has an age limitation on the RVs allowed on properties. Of those with restrictions, the average age limit for an RV is 12 years old. 

When it comes to passenger vehicles primarily tasked with the function of transportation to and from the campground, 53.3 percent of campers say a truck is the ideal vehicle for camping. That was followed by a SUV at 38.6 percent. More than half of campers surveyed said they planned to buy a vehicle in the next five years and 10.3 percent are planning to buy one by the end of 2025. 
Farm campers are the group that is most likely to identify vehicle camping as their main camping type: 51.4 percent of people who camp at farms prefer RVs and trailers compared to 45.1 percent of campers overall; that ratio is 13.6 percent to 8.3 percent for camper vans. 
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And with gasoline prices coming down, camping can be the more economical way to a summer camping vacation.