Pennsylvania hunters one day may have the option to use an air rifle instead of a centerfire rifle to hunt big game.

Rep. Gary W. Day, a Republican from Lehigh County, sent a memo on May 7 to his fellow House members seeking co-sponsors for legislation that “would authorize the use of large caliber air rifles for hunting big game in Pennsylvania. This measure is designed to modernize our hunting laws and broaden opportunities for sportsmen and women, particularly those interested in emerging air-powered technologies. We will join 29 other states where this means of hunting is currently legal.”

He wrote, “Air rifles have evolved significantly in recent years. Modern large caliber air rifles are capable of achieving the velocity and energy required for ethical big game hunting — these are not your childhood BB guns.

“This change will offer numerous benefits, including attracting new hunters, increasing opportunity, supporting hunting traditions and promoting conservation. With proper legislation and oversight, we can responsibly integrate air rifles into Pennsylvania’s wildlife management framework while maintaining public safety and environmental stewardship.”

Day did not respond to interview requests about his proposal.

Air guns, in calibers from .177 to .22, are already permitted for small game in Pennsylvania, but not for big game hunting like for deer or bears.

While the technology continues to improve, air guns are not new to the hunting community. Air rifles have been used for hunting for more than 200 years in the United States. The National Park Service reports that Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail carried a gun in the early 1800s that used compressed air from a tank instead of gunpowder to fire a bullet.

Today, air rifles have been refined. Perry Henley, a buyer for Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter in Stroudsburg and Brodheadsville, said they have been selling air rifles for years to people and believes the new models are an ethical option for hunters to consider. The largest caliber they have in stock is a .25 caliber which can be used for small game.

There are pre-charged pneumatic rifles that use cylinders filled with compressed air to launch pellets down range at speeds that make them an ethical option for hunters.

When asked about why a hunter would choose an air rifle over a centerfire rifle that uses gunpowder, Henley said there are several advantages to air guns.

“They’re certainly quieter. The technology is there that they still have enough power that they will do the job properly for larger game,” he said. 

 “I wouldn’t be afraid to use one in place of a high-powered rifle myself.”

If there’s a demand by for larger calibers, Henley said, their stores will start carrying them. “If we have people who are interested in them, we’ll certainly stock them.”

He said in addition to air guns being quieter than centerfire rifles, they also have less recoil which is attractive to some shooters as well.

Pyramid Adventures in Recreation sells air rifles online and offers a caliber-by-caliber breakdown for hunting. According to the company’s website, .30 caliber air rifles are best for hunting small antelope and deer up to 75 pounds. A .357 caliber rifle is best for feral hogs, bighorn sheep and mountain goats weighing up to 250 pounds. A .45 caliber air rifle is best for large antelope, bear and mule deer weighing up to 500 pounds and a .50 caliber air gun can be used for elk, moose and bison. The company recommends keeping shots at game animals to under 75 yards away.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission doesn’t have a stance on air-guns for big game hunting.

“Air guns for big game presently is prohibited by the Game and Wildlife Code. Once the legislation has been introduced, staff here will review it. We expect to take a position on it at that time,” Travis Lau, Communications Director for the agency, said through an email.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website’s homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors.

PENNSYLVANIA — Bar Hygge in Philadelphia serves the best burger in Pennsylvania, according to a report from Chowhound, a website for food aficionados or, alternatively, food nerds.

The list titled “The Hands Down Best Burger in Every Single US State” features a variety of preparation methods. It was released just in time for National Hamburger Day, which is Wednesday, May 28.

There’s no one way to prepare a burger. Even those claiming to be “classic” burgers have major differences, especially in the toppings.

To find the best burgers among what the research firm IBS World estimates are more than 80,000 burger joints and restaurants across the country, Chowhound looked first at restaurants that excel in both classic and creative burger preparations. The process also included taste testing, online research, and outreach on local social media communities and to trusted contacts in the restaurant and food media industries.

Here’s what Chowhound liked about the burgers at Bar Hygge:

This Philadelphia Brewery might not specialize in the burger, but its standalone “Hygge Burger,” with both ground chuck ad brisket beef, sharp cheddar, bibb lettuce, red onion, garlic-dill pickles and special “Hygge Sauce” on a brioche bun. Take it to the next level by adding bacon or a fried egg, or go vegetarian with a patty made with mushroom and barley, topped with homemade bread-and-butter pickles and cabbage slaw.

Bar Hygge, pronounced “hyoo-guh,” is located at 1720 Fairmount Ave. Hygge is a Danish word that means “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”

It touts 4.6 stars out of 601 reviews on Google.

“Food was great, drinks were great, amazing staff, just everything,” one reviewer said. “I had the Lovechild & Mango Mint Sangria cocktails, and the Hygge Burger with Crab Fries and everything was *chef’s kiss*.”

“Burger was amazing,” another wrote. “I also got the Trippy IPA. Probably the best IPA I’ve had. Hope it stays on the menu. Can’t wait to visit again.”

“Absolutely excellent every single time,” someone wrote in their review. “Classy, beautiful and cozy but not pretentious.”

Bar Hygge serves beer from Brewery Techne, which is located in the same space as the restaurant, and also operates as a bottle shop for the brews.

In addition to the lauded burger, the menu features various boards for grazing, including a chicken liver mousse board, a brussels sprouts board, and a crispy rice salmon nigiri board.

Oysters, fries, fried chicken, salads, and desserts also grace the menu.

Check out the full menu online here.

The full 50-state list offers some intriguing takes on what is widely regarded as America’s favorite sandwich. Some are made with grass-fed wagyu beef, others with ground turkey, and still more with salmon and other critters. Some may not contain meat at all. Cheeses vary from classic American to blue cheese to goat cheese.

In Hawaii, the Honolulu Burger Co. presents the “Alpha Elvis,” which has bacon, banana and peanut butter, or the “Loco-Moco,” made with Spam, bacon, an egg, and mushroom gravy.

And then there’s Mike Duffy’s in St. Louis, Missouri, whose offerings include the award-winning Cajun burger with hot jalapeños and Cajun aioli or the fully customizable and vegetarian black bean and quinoa burger. The restaurant also allows substitutions of bison or salmon.

“Whether you’re a burger traditionalist or an avant-garde burger consumer, the restaurants on this lineup will have a solid option for both schools of thought,” Chowhound’s Jane Godiner wrote.

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters.

By Kate Huangpu | Spotlight PA

Despite their growing numbers, 1.4 million independent and third-party Pennsylvania voters won’t be able to help decide which candidates advance to the general election during the upcoming May 20 primaries.

As of late April, Bucks County had 192,610 Democratic voters, 202,436 Republicans, and 84,399 who are no affiliation, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Pennsylvania is one of just 10 states with a closed primary system. That means only registered Democrats and Republicans participate in their respective parties’ spring elections. People who don’t belong to a major party can still vote on statewide referenda, local initiatives, and special elections that are on the ballot at the same time.

Some good-government advocates want Pennsylvania to open its primary system, arguing that voters who aren’t registered with a major party still pay taxes that fund elections, and the current system effectively disenfranchises them for opting out of partisan politics.

Shortly before the legislative session ended last year, the Democratic-controlled state House passed a bill with bipartisan support that would have opened partisan primary elections to unaffiliated voters.

However, chamber leadership hasn’t committed to bringing a similar measure up for a vote again this year. Republicans who control the state Senate have been similarly noncommittal about backing such a change.

At least one legislative supporter believes neither major party’s leadership is truly committed to open primaries, arguing they are more concerned about maintaining control of their chambers.

Over the past decade, the number of voters registered as independent or other has grown by more than 308,000 people, according to state voter registration archives. Some of the biggest growth has occurred in the southeast and south-central parts of the state.

Lara Putnam, a historian at the University of Pittsburgh who studies election data, believes at least part of the shift is due to a 2023 policy change in which people are automatically prompted to update their voter registration at the DMV.

David Thornburgh, chair of the pro-open primary group Ballot PA, believes letting independent and third-party voters participate in primaries could mitigate extremism and decrease hyperpartisanship.

He also thinks limiting voter participation in odd-year elections is “particularly egregious.” Candidates for local offices like school board and judge often cross-file, meaning they appear on both the Democratic and Republican primary ballots.

“That seems to be indicating that this should not be partisan,” Thornburgh, the son of the late Republican Gov. Dick Thornburgh, told Spotlight PA.

In areas with a strong partisan lean, some races, like those for state legislature, are effectively decided during the primary. Thornburgh says that shuts out unaffiliated and third-party voters. He pointed to this year’s mayoral race in Pittsburgh, where “most folks assume whoever wins the Democratic [primary] will win the election,” even though two Republicans are vying for the office.

These reasons were echoed by five of Pennsylvania’s most recent governors in a 2023 letter endorsing open primaries.

Opponents note that anyone in Pennsylvania concerned about being shut out of the process can change their registration before a primary and then change it back before the general election.

Legislative future

This legislative session, two bills have been introduced to open the primary system, one in each chamber.

In the state House, Rep. Jared Solomon (D., Philadelphia) has reintroduced a bill that would allow unaffiliated voters to participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary. The bill would require that a voter sign a certificate verifying their choice of ballot.

Solomon said voters who are registered to third parties would not be allowed to participate in primary elections under his bill.

“You’ve made a call, you’ve made a decision,” Solomon said. “So we’re going to keep you in that particular lane.”

To advance, Solomon’s bill needs to pass the chamber’s State Government Committee. Its chair, state Rep. Carol Hill-Evans (D., York), declined to comment and deferred to House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery).

A spokesperson for Bradford did not commit to running the bill, instead saying that the caucus is “open to considering any election reforms that make it easier for voters to cast a ballot and are reviewing the bill.”

In the state Senate, Sen. Lisa Boscola (D., Lehigh) was a co-sponsor on a similar bill last session, and she and a Republican colleague plan to reintroduce it this year. The bill would allow independent voters to choose candidates from either major party’s primary, but would not allow them to vote for party officers or party committee members. It also would not allow third-party voters to participate in primary elections.

Like the state House legislation, Boscola’s bill needs to pass her chamber’s State Government Committee to advance. Its chair, Cris Dush (R., Jefferson), told Spotlight PA in 2023 that he did not support last session’s measure. He declined to comment on whether he would call up the bill.

Republican leadership has also been noncommittal. A spokesperson for state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) said that the caucus was focused on “measures which uphold voter confidence and prioritize the integrity of the electoral process,” and called discussions surrounding open primaries “ongoing.”

Boscola was critical of both Democratic and Republican leadership, saying they lack the political will to advance a proposal that polling shows is popular with Pennsylvanians. Leaders want to keep control of their chambers, she said, and allowing independent voters to participate in primaries may shift election results in a way that changes the status quo.

“If you add independents into the mix, what’s that going to do for certain districts? So they look at that,” Boscola said of legislative leaders in both chambers. “In Harrisburg, maintaining control of your chamber is the most important thing.”

Despite these challenges, Thornburgh is optimistic about open primaries becoming a reality in Pennsylvania.

“The tide doesn’t come in all at once. It comes in bit by bit,” Thornburgh said. “It was a significant victory in the House. We think the tide is going to come in a little further.”

Implementation challenges

Even if lawmakers find a way to get an open primary bill to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, implementing such a system would be a lot of work, county election directors have warned.

Thad Hall, election director of Mercer County, said that he would want at least a year’s notice to be able to properly prepare his poll workers for the change in procedure.

He said it would take time to train them to use pollbooks to mark which party’s ballot an independent voter chooses. Counties would also need to print significantly more ballots, he said.

Hall noted that he’s not against the change, but said it’s not high on his list of priorities for improving election policies. He’d rather have the legislature pass a bill that clarifies the state’s policy on requiring signatures on mail ballots or one that gives counties more time before Election Day to process mail ballots.

“I generally think that there are a million other problems on elections that are way more important than this one,” Hall said.

BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.

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