Angling for even more chances to kill animals, hunters recently attempted to overturn bans on Sunday hunting in two of the last ten states where the activity remains outlawed.* Dismissing longstanding traditions in some eastern states against Sunday hunting, the hunters pushed for the extra weekend day because they estimate they can kill a third more animals this way.

But the hunters were soundly rebuffed in both West Virginia and Maryland, where the voters and the governor, respectively, decided people (and wild animals) still need their day of rest.

West Virginia Referenda: The People Have Spoken

West Virginia faced the question of Sunday hunting in the 2001 legislative session, when Governor Bob Wise began urging passage of a bill to rescind the ban on Sunday hunting. The bill required that interested counties place referendums on their ballots to ask the voters whether they wanted to surrender their Sundays to hunters.

Opposition to lifting the ban was stiff. It included a wide variety of groups, including farmers, religious organizations, wildlife advocates, outdoor enthusiasts, and particularly the West Virginia Farm Bureau. "WVFB does not support Sunday hunting in any form," the organization stated. "This policy originated at the grassroots level and has been affirmed and reaffirmed by the organization many times."

Opposition was so overwhelming that on Tuesday, May 14, it resulted in a clean sweep of all 35 counties that had the measure on their ballots. The landslide victory was a massive rebuke to the legislators and hunters who tried to push this ill-advised policy in West Virginia.

Charles Wilfong of the West Virginia Farm Bureau said, "The rural values of West Virginia are shining through. People want to go to their churches and walk along their hills on Sundays without worrying about hunters or listening to gunshots." The Charleston Daily Mail noted there is already a movement underway to address the issue by conducting referenda in the remaining 20 counties this November, which is likely to result in a statewide rejection of Sunday hunting.

Maryland's Last Defense: Governor Glendening

Maryland has enjoyed a centuries-long tradition of peaceful Sundays, a tradition that was also threatened this spring. Hunters there pushed the cleverly contrived "kitchen sink" legislation, H.B. 9, through the legislature.

Aside from overturning the ban on Sunday hunting, the bill would have extended the hunting season to at least 21 days, well beyond the current
13-day season, with no regard for the Department of Natural Resources' management concerns or scientific justifications for setting seasons. It also denounced all non-lethal solutions to deer-human conflicts, despite clear evidence that lethal solutions are not the answer.

The bill's deer "depopulation" measures were attempts to mask the Sunday hunting provision and to splinter opposition against the bill. The pro-hunting leadership was thus able to muscle the bill through both the House and Senate, leaving Governor Parris Glendening as the last hope against the adoption of this policy.

Despite its passage in the legislature, H.B. 9 was widely criticized, and opposition was strong from all parts of Maryland. The repeated efforts of hunters to lift the Sunday ban had long been opposed by a large coalition of hikers, equestrians, religious groups, farmers, and wildlife advocates. By the time the bill reached the Governor's desk, his office had already heard from many residents urging him to veto it. "I have received numerous letters from persons across Maryland opposing House Bill 9 because they would lose the certainty of having one weekend day during hunting season when their families and children can safely enjoy the outdoors," Glendening stated.

In the end, Governor Glendening came down on the side of wildlife protection and the people of Maryland. He vetoed the bill, explaining that "Sunday during hunting season is the only day of the week when outdoor recreation such as hiking, picnicking, birdwatching, photography, angling, horseback riding, and other non-hunting activities can occur in the State's natural areas without the fear of nearby hunting."

Governor Glendening and the voters in West Virginia sent an unmistakable message that the people in those two states don't want legislators to reverse the long-standing bans on Sunday hunting. The vast majority of residents want at least one day when animals and people are safe from hunting. The HSUS will continue its efforts to maintain these bans, seeking greater balance in public policies that have too long favored a small group of hunters at the expense of the larger population that pursues outdoor recreation in less harmful ways.

* States with Sunday Hunting Prohibitions:

Alabama
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Maine
Maryland
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Virginia
West Virginia (statewide, but county controlled prohibition)