SLATINGTON, Pa. – On Saturday, a tradition is renewed.
Outdoorsmen and women will head back into the woods for the start of the 2025 deer hunting firearms season.
The showroom at AF Boyer Hardware and Guns in Slatington is packed just one day before the season begins.
Fifth-generation owner Abel Boyer says it’s one of his busiest days yet.
“We opened the doors at 8 o’clock this morning, and they came rushing in looking for the deals. We’ve got a lot of deals — we’ve got ammo, we’ve got guns on sale,” Boyer said.
Michaela Lindtner and her husband, Kris, are searching for value to keep their expanding family on budget. Their daughter is six months old.
“Definitely, you’ve got to keep the meat on the table. It’s so expensive nowadays, beef in the grocery store and whatnot. So we just try to eat deer all year long,” Kris Lindtner said.
With Pennsylvania recently expanding deer hunting season to include Sundays, some hunters believe it’s a move that was long overdue.
“I think that’s a good idea,” said Danny Grob of Schnecksville. “After all, it gets people out into the woods. They pay for their tickets, their licenses. They put money into conservation, so I think it’s a good thing to have another day to hunt.”
Kris Lindtner agrees.
“Pennsylvania was so far behind. All the other states allow Sunday hunting, so why not allow us?” Lindtner said.
The regular firearms season includes both Sundays, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, and runs through Dec. 13.
Last year, nearly 284,000 pounds of venison were donated through Hunters Sharing the Harvest. The food was then distributed to food banks across the state.