Hunting

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has been working with and for hunters for over a hundred years. With a mutual concern for wildlife resources, hunters and governments on the state and federal levels, have collaborated their efforts to maintain healthy resources for today and the future.

As part of the Service, the Division of Migratory Birds (DMB) has a wide variety of roles that it plays in maintaining healthy bird populations and habitats, while ensuring hunters' needs are met.

Photo of a waterfowl hunter and his dog - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Listed are some frequently-asked questions about the Service and the Division of Migratory Birds and their roles in hunting:

What involvement does the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have in hunting?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works closely with state and provincial governments, as well as with the public, in a joint effort to establish annual hunting regulations for migratory birds.

The Service's Division of Migratory Birds establishes framework regulations to manage all migratory bird hunting in the U.S. These regulations establish limitations by which states can then create season lengths, bag limits and areas of migratory bird hunting.

How are migratory bird hunting regulations determined?

DMB is responsible for establishing regulations, evaluating and modifying existing rules, and allocating Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps.

Regulations on migratory bird hunting are determined through the assessment of annual data. Data is obtained through aerial surveys of the North American Flyway which count birds, ponds and nests, and provide information for analyzing population and habitat conditions. Hunter surveys and questionnaires determine the number of hunters participating yearly.

Recommendations from the Flyway Council are considered when original rules are created. Rules are presented to the public through the Federal Register and followed by a series of public meetings for any recommendations.

The final regulations are assessed based on a collective analysis of all factual information as well as council and public recommendations.

What is the Flyway Council?

The Flyway Council represents state, provincial and local interests in the hunting regulation process. It is a group of state and provincial game management agency officials who are advised by a Flyway technical committee. The technical committee, comprised of biologists from state and provinces, makes recommendations to the council based on yearly bird status, harvest, and hunter participation data.

What involvement do the states have in regulating hunting?

After the federal migratory bird hunting framework regulations are established for each flyway, individual states and provinces determine season length, bag limits and other special regulations. License requirements to meet each state's unique needs are also established by individual states and provinces.

What are the current federal migratory bird hunting regulations?

Federal rules and regulations are issued each year in the Federal Register and can be obtain from the Division of Migratory Birds, Regional Office or via the Internet.

Where can I get information on my state's migratory bird hunting seasons, limits, regulations and permits?

Information on your state's season length, bag limits and hunting areas can be obtain from your state's fish and wildlife agency listed below:

Connecticut: Connecticut Wildlife Division, Department of Environmental Protection
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
Phone: (860) 424-3011
FAX: (860) 424-4070

Delaware: Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife, DNRE
89 Kings Highway
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302)739-3486
FAX: (302) 739-6157

Maine: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
284 State Street Station #41
Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: (207) 287-5222
FAX: (207) 287-6395

Maryland: Natural Resource Police, Safety Education Division
1804 West Street, Suite 300
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 974-3288
FAX: (410) 260-3292

Massachusetts: MA Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Field Headquarters
1 Rabbit Hill Road
Westboro, MA 01581
Phone: (508) 792-7270 x123
FAX: (508) 792-7275

New Hampshire: Department of Fish & Game
2 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 271-1746
FAX: (603) 271-5829

New Jersey: New Jersey Division of Fish, Game & Wildlife, Hunter Education
26 Route 173 West
Hampton, NJ 08827
Phone: (908) 735-6826
FAX: (908) 735-5689

New York: New York Division of Fish, Wildlife, & Marine Resources, NYSDEC
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-4800
Phone:(518) 402-8963
FAX (518) 402-8925

Pennsylvania: Game Commission
2001 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797
Phone: (717) 787-7015
FAX: (717) 772-0542

Rhode Island: RI Division of Fish & Wildlife, Oliver Stedman Government Center
4808 Tower Hill Road
Wakefield, RI 02879
Phone: (401) 782-7828
FAX: (401) 783-4460

Vermont: Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-0501
Phone: (802) 241-3700
FAX: (802) 241-3295

Virginia: Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, Hunter Education Program Coordinator
4010 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA
Phone: (804) 367-1147
FAX: (804) 367-2430

West Virginia: Division of Law Enforcement, WV DNR
1900 Kanawha Blvd., East Bldg. 3, Room 627
Charleston, WV 25305-0664
Phone: (304) 558-2784
FAX: (304) 558-1170