News Category: Hunting

September 8, 2025

Dove is in the Air: First Fall Hunting Opportunities Open Across the Great Plains

Why It Matters: With dove season marking the official start of fall hunting across the Great Plains, sportsmen and women look forward to hitting the fields for one of the most popular and accessible bird hunts. Dove hunting provides exciting action, generous bag limits, and an opportunity for new hunters to experience their first hunt….

September 8, 2025

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?: California Bill Carries Potential Consequences for Dog Breeders, Owners

Why It Matters: Seemingly innocuous bills can sometimes carry significant unexpected consequences for law-abiding sportsmen and women. Currently, California Assembly Bill 519, which has moved through both chambers with wide support, is one such example that has some members of the sporting-conservation community concerned. On the surface, the bill reads as an anti-puppy mill effort,…

September 2, 2025

The “Sportsman’s Paradise” Continues to Produce both Regulatory and Legislative Successes

Why It Matters:  The “Sportsman’s Paradise” has seen several different pieces of legislation and regulations cross the finish line thus far in 2025. From committing funding to revitalize one of the most historic waterfowl hunting areas in the state, to incentivizing private landowners to enhance wildlife habitat, expanding black bear hunting opportunities, modernizing primitive firearms…

September 2, 2025

FWS Expands Hunting and Fishing Opportunities Across 11 States

Why it Matters: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides important hunting and fishing opportunities across the country. Despite the importance that FWS lands, particularly through the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), play for sportsmen and women, there are often inconsistencies between state and federal regulations, as…

September 2, 2025

Michigan NRC Votes on Returning to Year-Round Coyote Season

Why It Matters: Hunting is the preferred tool for wildlife management, as it is the most effective, cost-efficient, and socially acceptable method of maintaining healthy wildlife populations. It is imperative that policies are guided by science-based principles and that hunters are provided opportunities to be active participants in conservation. Highlights: In April, the Congressional Sportsmen’s…

September 2, 2025

Full Inclusion of Crossbows in Archery Season Now Law in New York

Why It Matters: On Tuesday, August 26, New York Assembly Bill 8330 (AB 8330) and Senate Bill 6360 (SB 6360) were signed into law, which has normalized crossbows. Effective immediately, crossbows are permitted during the full archery season and onerous size requirements on width and maximum peak draw weight are removed from New York statute….

August 25, 2025

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Finalizes 2025-2026 Wildlife and Fisheries Regulations

Why It Matters: The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) Commission’s August 21, 2025 meeting finalized regulations for the for the 2025-2026 hunting, fishing, and trapping seasons, along with considerations of several land and water projects shaping both management and public access plans for the coming year. Highlights: The Commission took the Future Fisheries Improvement…

August 25, 2025

Two-Tier Program Seeks to Reduce Barrier to Entry for Duck Hunters

Why It Matters: The duck hunting season in Nebraska and South Dakota is right around the corner. Duck hunters in these states have two options when it comes to bag limits when they are registering for their Harvest Information Program numbers. The two-tier option aims to address the issue of declining duck hunter numbers and…

August 25, 2025

Hunter Education in Schools – Coming to a State Near You?

Why It Matters: As efforts to bolster hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation across the country ramp up, bringing basic hunter education to the classroom serves as an excellent avenue to support the next generation of sportsmen and women. It is the next generation of hunters and anglers that will help sustain critical conservation funding needed…

August 25, 2025

Hunting Heritage Protection Acts in the Northeast

Why It Matters: State wildlife agencies have a responsibility to protect access to public hunting lands and fishing access points, but not all states are mandated by statute. Hunting Heritage Protection Acts, or “No-Net-Loss,” ensure that, if public land used for hunting and fishing is ever sold or used for some other purpose, equal or…