Will Maine finally lift its Sunday hunting ban?

By V. Paul Reynolds

In Maine, the Sunday hunting issue is an unrelenting nag. It just won’t go away. 

Over the past 45 years, lawmakers have made at least 39 attempts to either lift the Sunday hunting ban entirely or give hunters half a loaf by allowing limited Sunday hunting in certain regions.

Public opinion surveys show hunters strongly support Sunday hunting. The divide is clear: urban and southern Mainers generally oppose it, while rural and northern residents favor it.

There seems to be some indication that opposition to lifting the ban may be softening. A recent legislative effort came close to passage. It would have allowed Sunday hunting of all game north of an east-west line following Route 9 and Route 2, and permitted private landowners anywhere in Maine to hunt on their own land on Sundays.

But, sadly, the bill didn’t make it through the legislative gauntlet. So the debate continues. 

Pennsylvania recently repealed its historic Sunday hunting ban under Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. He called it “a historic day for Pennsylvania hunters and the future of wildlife conservation in the Commonwealth.”

Like Maine hunters, those in Pennsylvania had been pushing for decades to overturn the ban. Rep. Manny Steele, the Democrat who led the effort, said, “Families are busier than ever. This new law provides more opportunities for hunters to participate in one of America’s traditions and be on the front line of conservation here in the Keystone state.”

Will this development in Pennsylvania have any spin-off impact on Maine’s Sunday hunting ban?

Jared Bornstein, head of HUSH (Hunters United for Sunday Hunting) in Maine, said, “The biggest significance of Pennsylvania’s move is who did it: a Democratic governor who is proud of his actions supporting working-class hunters. He has done extensive media touting his support because he understands it’s good for him politically. Maine Democrats should take note — their constituents are the working-class hunters, not wealthy landowners.”

Bornstein underscored that with Pennsylvania’s repeal, only two states still ban Sunday hunting: Maine and Massachusetts.

At this point, Bornstein says his strategy is to lay low and wait for new leadership in the Blaine House and a new Legislature. Time itself may shift the odds, since surveys show it’s older Mainers — those 55 and up — who are most likely to support keeping the Sunday hunting ban.

Unless Maine’s urban centers start looking a lot more like Massachusetts, Sunday hunting here will likely become reality sooner or later.

As Bornstein put it, “It’s time for the legislature to catch up to public opinion.”

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide and host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. He has authored three books. Online purchase information is available at www.sportingjournal.com, Outdoor Books.