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Comparing Pennsylvania to other states when it comes to hunting is a flawed approach.
Thanks to our strong deer hunting tradition, Pennsylvania is unique in that we have roughly 750,000 hunters in the woods at the same time for the opening day of the rifle deer season.
While a few other states have more licensed hunters, their seasons are lengthy and spread out enough that there isn’t an opening day crowd as large as Pennsylvania’s.
That’s why one of the main arguments behind legislation to allow the use of semi-automatic rifles for hunting in Pennsylvania misses the target.
On Monday, the state House Game and Fisheries Committee held a hearing on two bills that would allow hunters to use semi-automatic rifles. House Bill 233 would legalize semi-automatic rifles in the .223 caliber or smaller to be used for coyotes, foxes and groundhogs.
House Bill 366 also allows semi-automatics but doesn’t limit their use to species of caliber. That would be up to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The only limitation is the rifles contain no more than five rounds.
Both bills are a bad idea.
Several sportsmen’s groups testified at the hearing and expressed their support for the legislation. One group representative contended that semi-automatic rifles are allowed for hunting in other states — 49 to be exact — and safety issues haven’t risen as a result.
Those other states don’t have nearly three-quarters of a million hunters in the woods for the opening day of deer season either.
I don’t know if safety issues would increase in Pennsylvania if semi-automatic rifles were allowed, but I don’t think we need to find out.
Another supporter of the legislation testified that Pennsylvania already allows the use of semi-automatic shotguns for deer in heavily populated areas, but that’s a weak argument. A semi-automatic rifle can fire a bullet a lot farther than a shotgun can fire a slug or buckshot.
That’s not to say Pennsylvania hunters are reckless and can’t be trusted with semi-automatic rifles. Our safety record continues to improve every year and it’s something to be proud of.
Still, there are close calls and accidents do happen. The majority of the hunting accidents investigated by the PGC every year are the result of one shot fired, and fatal incidents are rare. Still, if that one shot were replaced by a volley of five coming from a semi-automatic rifle, would the number of hunting accidents rise? Would fatalities increase?
One of the aspects I found puzzling is that some of the groups that support the legalization of semi-automatic rifles have also raised valid concerns about the deer population dropping due to increased harvests over the years.
While the PGC has said it likely wouldn’t allow the use of semi-automatic rifles for deer, the legislation opens the door for that to happen at some point. The Game Commission indicated if semi-automatics are allowed they would take small steps, limiting them to hunting coyotes, foxes and groundhogs.
Sure, the current PGC board and administration may not think semi-automatics should be allowed in deer season, but will future personnel share the same mindset?
And if one day hunters were allowed to use semi-automatic rifles to hunt deer, I will guarantee that harvest rates will rise as a result. Those groups who feel too many deer are being harvested may see their support for semi-automatics actually make the matter worse.
When it comes to legalizing semi-automatic rifles for hunting, I think that’s a door that is best left closed.