New law gives Game Commission authority to expand hunting access across all weekends.
Governor Josh Shapiro has signed legislation officially ending Pennsylvania’s longstanding restrictions on Sunday hunting, a move that gives the Game Commission full authority to determine hunting schedules, including all days of the week.
History was made today in PA! Gov. Josh Shapiro just signed a new law that fully repeals the ban on Sunday hunting! Learn more about this exciting day: https://t.co/C9CmhYfKEy pic.twitter.com/tsKrIhzUqn
— Pennsylvania Game Commission (@PAGameComm) July 9, 2025
The measure, House Bill 1431, was signed into law on Wednesday. Shapiro called the change a “commonsense” move that reflects the schedules and needs of modern hunters and families. “At a time when folks in Pennsylvania and elsewhere are busier than ever before — so many hunters are working five, six days a week — this is a commonsense change that gives hunters more freedom to choose when they want to head into the woods,” Shapiro said. “It also opens up more freedom for moms and dads and aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpops to introduce younger generations to the tradition of hunting.”
The legislation marks a significant departure from centuries-old state rules that had prohibited most forms of Sunday hunting. Prior to the new law, Pennsylvania allowed limited Sunday hunting—only for coyotes, foxes, and crows, and, since 2020, on three designated Sundays for deer and bear.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission welcomed the repeal. Executive Director Stephen Smith praised lawmakers and emphasized the positive impact on working families and youth participation. “As a parent, I know what it’s like to be on the sidelines of a ballfield in the fall Saturday after Saturday after Saturday watching the fall tick by, wondering how you’re going to get out to hunt, let alone how you’re going to have your children go out to hunt,” Smith said. “But today, we’re taking a huge step towards changing that.”
The Game Commission announced it will postpone its upcoming board meeting until July 28 to allow for public input before finalizing adjustments to the fall hunting schedule, which may now include expanded Sunday options.
It first cleared the House on June 11, followed by Senate approval on June 30. A final concurrence vote in the House sent it to Shapiro’s desk for signature.
With this new law in place, Pennsylvania joins the vast majority of U.S. states, 47 in total, that already offer broader Sunday hunting opportunities. The Game Commission will now have full discretion to determine which Sundays will be included in future hunting seasons.
