Sunday Hunting

Now I'll explain my reasonings for voting no.
There has been discussion that landowners will post their lands should this happen. Maybe they will or maybe they won't.

The question didn't say whether it would include deer hunting or not. If Sunday hunting was allowed for small game, I personally do not believe that anyone residing in the state of Maine would even know the difference.

Big game is a different story. I have argued before that in the management of deer, officials target is to harverst a predetermined number of deer each season. Those educated guesses come from the gathering of data from the previous season's hunt along with other collected data.

They estimate the number of licensed hunters, the average number of days hunters will hunt, the success rate - all these factors and more. With this information, I believe that if Sundays were added into the equation, officials would have no other choice but to shorten the overall length of the season.

Maine is unlike a lot of states that have too many deer. We are an exception in that we have a bucks only season in an attempt to grow the herd.

My two cents worth.

The majority of maine residents, myself included, only hunt on saturdays. If sunday hunting were allowed, the season would be shorter, but I would actually be able to get out more frequently. Plus there is always muzzle loading season if you feel that the firearms season would be too short.

As for the rut, it is gerenally considered to begin around Nov. 15, so it would most likely fall within a shortened season.

Furthermore, most states allow hunting on sundays and find that it works out well. Why should maine continue to enforce an needless, archaic law?

Also, I don't know about the rest of you, but deer are not the only animals I hunt. Since most of the small game season coincides with fall semester classes, I am not able to get out during the week, Sunday hunting would increase my opportunity to get out after grouse. I see no downside to sunday hunting.

I completely understand the logic behind having more days available to hunt for those on busy schedules but don't lose sight on one simple fact - The MDIF&W are only going to allow so many deer to be harvested. How ever many days that takes.
The net result may possibly be no more days to hunt than you have now.

I also keep hearing the economic necessity of having Sunday hunting. I know George Smith of SAM is promoting Sunday hunting for economic reasons. I fail to see what significant gains will be made by opening it up.

One of his arguements is out of state licenses aren't being sold in Maine because there is no Sunday hunting. Okay, so we may gain a few dollars to get more hunters so we can do what? - reduce the number of hunting days to keep the harvest numbers down?

We are not overrun with deer in this state. We are trying to compare apples and oranges when it comes to other states. These other states are doing everything they can to get hunters to harvest deer. Places let you bag 10 deer a season.

When Maine begins to have that problem, then I say go for it. Personally, I don't really care what they do. I am only going to hunt so many days anyway - I don't hunt everyday. I do believe though that if Sunday hunting is allowed the overall season will be shortened and the net result will be insignificant.