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HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s near-total ban on Sunday hunting has long had the support of farmers and outdoor groups, but crop-hungry deer and swing district lawmakers could tip the state toward lifting restrictions.

The debate over hunting on Sundays isn’t new in Harrisburg, but this year something changed: The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau dropped its longstanding opposition to the practice, potentially clearing the way for a shift.

Farmers like Mark Duda made the trade association change its tune.

Duda’s Farm is a family-owned operation in rural Fayette County that’s more than 30 years old. It’s known for its local roadside stands, and supplies grocery stores in Pittsburgh and northern West Virginia. Over the years, the family has added a retail market and seasonal attractions, such as hayrides and corn mazes.

The expanded business model wasn’t enough, though. Last year, Mark and his brother Andrew filed for bankruptcy — and Duda pins most of the blame on four-legged pests.

“We might lose everything, and one of the biggest reasons is the deer,” he told Spotlight PA.

Crop damage, mainly due to deer and birds, resulted in more than $600,000 in losses last year, Duda said. The animals have wiped out entire fields of corn, green beans, beets, and pumpkins. He estimated at least a million dollars in losses already this year.

Sunday hunting could minimize some of the damage, Duda said.

Farmers have long been skeptical of Sunday hunting, saying they value having a day when hunters can’t trespass on their land or knock on their doors in the early morning asking permission to shoot. But increased concerns over crop damage have changed thinking among some, and were a driving force in the Farm Bureau’s decision to drop its opposition to Sunday hunting earlier this year.

Fayette County Farm Bureau President Darrell Becker told Spotlight PA that Sunday hunting probably won’t solve crop loss, but that it’s worth trying.

“Are we going to protect farmers and our food chain, or are we going to protect deer?” he said.

Pennsylvania’s Sunday hunting ban is at least 200 years old, and makes exceptions for hunting crows, coyotes, and foxes during open seasons. Other exceptions were put in place by a 2019 law that allows hunting on three Sundays a year: one during the rifle deer season, one during the archery deer season, and a third decided by the state Game Commission.

Eleven states have a total or partial ban on Sunday hunting, according to the National Rifle Association. These bans are remnants of so-called blue laws that dictated when private citizens could engage in certain activities. Usually, they have a religious bent and bar people from engaging in an activity on Sunday, Christianity’s holy day.

Hunters have pushed lawmakers to remove the ban, arguing that it discriminates against them. Those who support expansion also say that more time to hunt could encourage more people to purchase licenses for the activity. Revenue from those sales helps fund habitat improvements and other conservation efforts.