For more than 50 years, the first Monday after Thanksgiving served as the traditional opening day of statewide firearms deer season, drawing families, friends and sportsmen from every corner of the state into our forests and towns. But that tradition was upended in 2019 when the Pennsylvania Game Commission moved the opener to the Saturday after Thanksgiving, a decision that has had unintended and harmful consequences for local economies.
That’s why I’ve joined with state Sen. Lisa Boscola to soon introduce legislation that would restore the traditional opening day and revitalize the economic engine that this annual event once provided for rural Pennsylvania. Let me be clear: This legislation is not about wildlife management or interfering with PGC’s authority to regulate deer populations.
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State Sen. Gene Yaw was elected to represent the 23rd Senatorial District consisting of Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga and Union counties.