In a pleasantly surprising move, the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania (USP) have announced a new direction for their organization. The group that had become a laughing stock in Pennsylvania for their stances of opposing youth hunting, antlerless harvest, antler restrictions, Sunday hunting, the opening weekend of rifle deer season as well as their conspiracy theories such as claims of secretly stocked coyotes and insurance companies bribing the Game Commission, now has changed its tune.
The USP board voted 7-4 to adopt new stances on some long held issues that they staunchly opposed. Chief among them being open to allowing more opportunities for others via youth seasons and Saturday opener, and allowing science to influence management decisions such as antlerless harvest in light of deer browse lines and record high automobile collisions.
USP president Blaine Toy recounted his recent address to the Pennsylvania Game Commission board of commissioners stating “I’ve had some time to think about my words and I want to take it back and apologize. I learned the Game Commission can’t condemn property in order to pressure landowners to sell them for game lands and wish I had not made such outlandish claims. Instead of sharing wild stories, I would like to see our organization instead help to increase conservation efforts in Pennsylvania and allow youth more opportunities to join the sport I have so richly enjoyed in my lifetime”
Southwest regional director Randy Santucci had this to say when asked for comment: “I’m tired of all the fighting. In recent years I even stooped so far as to lie about youth hunters, the statistics surrounding the Saturday opening day and was even publicly humiliated when Ted Nugent called me out on a lie about his endorsement of my cause. It’s time to move on. I can accept the changes and will adjust my traditions where necessary. I realize now that I can enjoy hunting even if other people hunt differently than I do.”
Northeast regional director George Venesky also had an apologetic tone. “It’s taken me over 20 years to learn from my mistakes, but I realize now that trying to force other hunters to hunt the same way and the same time we did 40 years ago is unfair and its time to start putting more emphasis on the studies done by biologists instead of something I heard my uncle say in deer camp after a few beers back in 1978.”
USPs legislative attendant, Representative David Maloney, has not been seen or heard from since his humiliating meltdown during the house Game & Fisheries hearing last week could not be reached for comment.
This April 1st press release has not been confirmed with certainty. Stay tuned for further updates.