Some Pa. hunting laws may need a tuneup

New hunting devices and technologies are giving state lawmakers reason to revisit Pennsylvania’s game regulations.

Measures before the House and Senate aim to temper the use of drones by hunters or animals rights activists trying to monitor hunters.

Randy Santucci, president of the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania, said technological advancements always spur debate among hunters. They try to strike a balance between using reasonable tools and giving the animal a fair chase, he said.

“I remember years back, you had heated boots. That was a big technological advance. You would circulate hot water through the boots. Everybody was all excited, ‘Oh, I can sit in the woods longer,’ ” he said.

Another Senate proposal would let hunters use electronic calls to lure deer, instead of manual devices to make sounds that attract the animals.

Traditionalists tend to be against such methods, but Santucci said electronic calls are already legal for hunting crows, foxes, and coyotes.