State Representative Brian Smith issues a statement on returning first day of Buck Season to Monday

In 2019, the Pennsylvania Game Commission switched the starting day for rifle antlered deer season from the Monday after Thanksgiving to the Saturday after the holiday—negatively impacting many long-standing hunting traditions and critical economic transactions that annually transpired the weekend before deer season.

Talk about “Blue Mondays,” changing the opening day to Saturday has robbed Pennsylvania buck hunters of precious time with family and friends as many must now leave for deer camp immediately following Thanksgiving dinner.

Opening rifle deer season on Small Business Saturday has naturally contributed to a devastating loss of revenue to the bottom lines of local mom and pop retail stores, family-owned restaurants, volunteer fire companies and many other nonprofit organizations.

As a result, I will soon be introducing legislation that would return the opening day of antlered deer rifle season to the traditional Monday after Thanksgiving.

My legislation also proposes that the antlered deer rifle season would run from Opening Monday consecutively through the second Sunday, meaning two weeks of additional hunting opportunities without interruption.

In doing all of this, I hope to bring back harmony between buck hunting season and economic prosperity during the weekend after Thanksgiving.

*Jefferson and Indiana County buck hunters, I want to hear from you. Are you happy with the current Saturday Rifle Deer Season opening, or would you rather return to the traditional Monday after Thanksgiving opening?

Make your voices heard by completing this survey on my website, which you can conveniently access by clicking here.