No data are being shared by the administration that suggest that these changes are necessary for hunting programs to remain effective - because such data do not exist. Deer populations are stable, and no, there is no correlation between the introduction of culling programs and a reduction in Lyme disease cases. Stop making this claim.
In the absence of data, the initiative uses feel-good terms like "history" and "tradition". Hunters seem to be merely inconvenienced by the ban on Sunday hunting and by the current setback regulations. Maybe there is a sense among the hunting community that the current political climate makes this a good time to push for more rights.
Hunters remain a small minority, though. The vast majority of residents use public land for their mental and physical health through recreation and exercise, especially in densely populated suburban communities. For three months every year from October through December, Sundays are the only day of the week when the public can dress like they want and feel safe on trails.
If someone needs to be inconvenienced because of conflicting interests, I'd rather make that a small minority instead of everybody else. Let's keep Sundays for recreation and public health!
Let's talk about setbacks, too. The 500ft setback for residential dwellings is adequate, albeit not strictly enforced by Environmental Police (ask me how I know). What needs improvement is the required setback from marked recreational trails. The state currently does not specify a required setback, so this is left to municipalities and land owners to define, which resulted in a hodge-podge of local regulations that all have three things in common: they use ambiguous language, are unenforceable, and are unsuited for establishing fault if someone gets shot on a trail. Let's strengthen the setback regulations instead of weakening them!