U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee Meeting

Purpose

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee (SRC) will meet with consultants from the Flyway Councils on October 21, 2026 to review information on the status of migratory game bird populations and develop recommendations for the 2027-28 migratory game bird hunting season.  The meeting will commence at approximately 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) and is open to public observation. The SRC will meet at the Regional Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5600 American Boulevard West, Bloomington, MN 55437.  The meeting will be conducted by videotelephony.

Accommodation requests: Please submit all requests for meeting accommodations at least 7 days prior to the meeting date.

For more information contact Greg Fleming, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Program, Division of Migratory Bird Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041; gregory_fleming@fws.gov.

The SRC meeting will be live-streamed via the Zoom for Government platform.

• Date: October 21, 2026
• Time: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Eastern Time or until finished
• Live stream link (URL TBD)

Draft Agenda

General

1. Introductions
2. Updates

Fall-Winter Hunting Seasons

1. Ducks
   1. General Harvest Strategy
   2. Special Seasons/Species Management
2. Sea Ducks
3. Mergansers
4. Canada and Cackling Geese
   1. Special Early Seasons
   2. Regular Seasons
5. White-fronted Geese
6. Brant
7. Snow and Ross's Geese
8. Swans
9. Sandhill Cranes
10. Coots
11. Gallinules
12. Rails
13. Snipe
14. Woodcock
15. Band-tailed Pigeons
16. Doves
17. Alaska

Alaska Spring-Summer Subsistence Seasons

1. Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council Recommendations

Other Topics

1. Harvest Management Working Group Priorities
   1. Briefing Items
       

Background

SRC recommendations will lead to federal rulemaking for annual migratory game bird hunting regulations. Rulemaking involves publishing a series of 4 proposed or final rules in the Federal Register and will include opportunities for public review and comment. Steps in the annual rulemaking process are described in a preliminary proposed rule, which opens the annual process. The preliminary proposed rule will be published in about August–February after the spring SRC meeting. We will publish reports that provide detailed information on the status and harvest of certain migratory game bird species and will propose and finalize the limits within which States may select migratory game bird hunting seasons. We then publish state selected hunting seasons which authorizes these seasons and concludes the annual process. Migratory game bird hunting seasons provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance; aid Federal, State, and Tribal governments in the management of migratory game birds; and permit harvests at levels compatible with migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions.