The topic seemed so arcane – a regulatory move to change Pennsylvania’s opening day for deer rifle hunting season from the Monday after Thanksgiving to the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
But the overwhelming response to an April 2024 op-ed about the move pointed to a major, virtually unreported cultural war brewing among the more than 1 million resident hunters and the rural communities where they hunt.
By late summer, we conceived an ambitious project that sought to explore the “Deer Day” controversy through the hunters, their traditions and what was at stake socially and economically. A popular refrain we heard over the course of two months traversing Pennsylvania’s most-remote roads: “It’s not about the kill.”
Indeed, our project, “Misfire,” sought to show the human side of a sport that’s seen abysmal declines in participation not only in Pennsylvania but nationwide.
This multimedia project – vividly photographed and designed playfully with elements of rifle hunting – drew accolades for its innovation upon publication two days before Thanksgiving, just five days from the 2024 opening day for the deer rifle hunting season.
“Misfire” continues to inspire conversations and political action. As of this writing, a Pennsylvania House committee has already discussed legislation that would enshrine into law the opening day as the Monday after Thanksgiving each year. We continue tracking developments in Harrisburg.
