Introduction Prescribed fire, also known as a controlled burn, is a planned, intentional fire in a specific geographic area used to meet land management goals.[1] Prescribed fire reduces hazardous fuels which decreases severe wildfire risk, minimizes the spread of insects and disease, controls invasive species, and promotes the regeneration and recruitment of desired species by …
Introduction Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) are four-digit identifiers used by payment networks to broadly categorize a merchant’s line of business (e.g., grocery, hardware, sporting goods). Recently, the creation and contemplated use of a firearm-specific MCC has raised concerns that financial institutions could flag, track, and/or halt lawful purchases by hunters and recreational shooters. To protect …
Introduction The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, commonly “drones”) in wildlife and game-management contexts is growing rapidly. One emergent application is the recovery of wounded game – i.e., locating an animal that has been legally harvested or mortally wounded, but cannot be found easily via traditional tracking methods. Recently, several states have explored legislative …
Summary A 2022 proposed National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) draconian vessel speed rule would have required anglers and boaters along the Atlantic with vessels 35 feet and longer to travel at 10 knots from shore to as far as 90 miles offshore from Massachusetts to Florida for much of the year to “protect” North …
Summary The fundamental necessities for wildlife to persist are food, shelter, and water. Lack of access to any one of these needs impacts individual animal survival and ultimately the persistence of entire populations of wildlife. Ensuring wildlife can reach these needs is a core component of habitat connectivity. Unfortunately, habitat connectivity is compromised in many …
Summary Over the past decade, several states have introduced regulations allowing these cartridges, which provide effective, safe hunting options in densely populated zones. Straight-walled cartridges are considered safer due to their lower velocity and reduced risk of over-penetration compared to traditional bottlenecked cartridges, making them ideal for areas with high population density. These cartridges also …
Summary Red snapper are a popular sportfish in the South Atlantic, but despite having the healthiest population of red snapper in recorded history, recreational anglers have been met with severely restrictive season lengths. This punitive result to having more fish in the water can be attributed to a federal management system that relies on often …
Summary While muzzleloading firearms, a historical method of hunting, remain popular in many states, technological advancements in these firearms—such as inline muzzleloaders, pelletized black powder substitutes, the new FireStick platform, and telescopic sights—have led to discrepancies in state regulations. Some states maintain strict definitions, limiting use to traditional technologies like flintlocks, while others permit modern …
Summary Often cited for its potential safety risks, fanning or reaping of turkeys statistically has not proven to be an unsafe act as some anecdotally claim. Simply, the data does not exist to back up the claim that the act or practice of fanning or reaping wild turkeys has a track record of casualties. Additionally, …
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Summary Airbow and airgun legality for hunting use varies by state. Where some limit airgun use based on minimum calibers, velocities and ammunition grain weights based on the game species, other states do not mention airguns at all, leaving ambiguity in the minds of prospective users. As advances in technology continue, legislators are generally encouraged …
