So what is the logic behind no hunting with a semi-auto? In hunting deer and other large game, it should be one shot - one kill. Not spray and pray. Sounds like the goobers in the legislature know nothing about deer hunting in the first place.
Lately it's been reviewed every year in PA legislation, but so far no go. They generally say it's a safety issue, with "Spray & Pray". Some say many land owners would post their land if Semi-Autos were allowed. Many PA Hunters (including Me) feel it takes some of the sport out of the hunt, when you can fill the woods with lead at an animal that can't shoot back.
Personally, I don't hunt any more, but I'm in that last group. I never had a problem bringing down a Deer with my Model 88 .308, and my brother never had a problem with his 30.06, and we both carried the M16 in Vietnam, where it was important to not have to manually jack another shell in behind the one you just fired, because the little guy in Black was shooting back at you.
So like I said, I don't hunt any more, but I'll let PA decide, because as far as I'm concerned PA is one of the best Hunting States, if not the best, when it comes to the Millions of Acres available to hunt for free, without any special permission. All my life, if I wanted to hunt, I could just drive to any non-posted place in the state I want to hunt, pull all 4 wheels off the road, and walk in & hunt.
When I was in the Army, my last duty was Ft Hood, so knowing there was even more Deer in Texas than in PA, I took my Deer Rifle to Ft Hood with me, and bought a license to hunt in Texas. Then I went around looking for a place to hunt, before the season started. I should have scouted around before I bought the license, because I found out the only way you can hunt in Texas was to either Buy or Lease the Land from the landowner for the hunting season. There was some kind of rules that allowed hunting in State Parks, or something like that, but I didn't bother looking into that.
My only other option was to put my name in a hat with about 3,000 other Army Guys at Ft Hood, and let them draw about 70 names. Then if you were picked, they would assign you to a Post number, and you would have to stay there, and be occasionally checked on by MPs. They also said you were allowed to use Semi Auto loading rifles. I didn't bother, because I had been to Vietnam & back in one piece, so I wasn't about to go back in the woods with a bunch of Spray & pray Hunters carrying M16s!!!
I assume Semi-Auto Rifles will be allowed in PA before much longer, but I expect it will start with things like Coyotes and Foxes for awhile.
Bear