Fish and Wildlife Service updates how it sets migratory bird hunting seasons

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is changing its internal process for authorizing seasonal hunting of migratory game birds. Instead of publishing four separate rulemaking documents each year to set these rules, the agency will now use a streamlined approach that combines some steps. This change applies only to how the government creates the regulations; it does not change the actual hunting seasons or limits for this year.

Why it matters: This change simplifies the paperwork involved in setting hunting regulations without altering the underlying science or public input process for actual season dates. It matters primarily to state wildlife agencies that need to know the federal framework earlier and more clearly, and to hunters who want a consistent regulatory timeline each year. The impact on individual hunters is minimal since the rules themselves are not changing, only how they are published and authorized.

Who it affects

• State wildlife agencies responsible for submitting hunting season preferences

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This information comes from a direct final rule published by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service; readers should check the original Federal Register document for full legal text and comment instructions.

Agency: Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service
Source: Federal Register — read the official document