This year, two eastern states made significant strides in improving hunting access by repealing Sunday hunting bans, though waterfowlers will be disappointed that one of those states will still prohibit migratory bird hunting on Sundays, and the other must wait a season before applying changes to its migratory waterfowl regs.
Sunday hunting bans are considered “blue laws,” which were largely enacted during colonial times to restrict activities such as hunting and alcohol sales on the Christian Sabbath. Over the years, state legislators have slowly chipped away at remaining blue laws, particularly those that prohibit Sunday hunting, which conservation groups say poses a significant barrier to access.
Most recently, in July, Pennsylvania repealed its Sunday hunting ban after Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law a bill with bipartisan support. The bill was considered a major win for access because the Keystone State has one of the largest populations of licensed hunters.
“It’s great for Pennsylvania’s economy,” said Gov. Shapiro upon signing the repeal. “Our rural communities are now going to attract more hunters from other parts of the commonwealth and out-of-state hunters who can now, not just show up for a day, but devote a full weekend to hunting here in Pennsylvania.”
What This Means for Waterfowlers
That said, for the 2025-2026 season, waterfowlers won’t be able to hunt on Sundays in Pennsylvania. This is because waterfowl regulations must follow federal frameworks from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. According to Lancaster Online, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners was not able to change migratory bird hunting regulations this year because it would mess with “compensatory days” that the USFS already allocated to the state, but the commissioners plan to revoke the Sunday hunting ban on waterfowl for the 2026-2027 season.
Meanwhile, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed similar legislation into law, though it contained significant caveats in that the repeal only applies to private land and excludes migratory bird hunters. It’s not clear why the state’s lawmakers chose to exclude waterfowl hunting, but it’s an important reminder for duck and goose hunters to continue fighting to improve hunting access.
In total, ten states currently maintain Sunday hunting restrictions; Maine and Massachusetts still have outright Sunday hunting bans, while Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia have limited restrictions.