New Hampshire Wildlife Department to implement an additional two days of waterfowl hunting for the military community!
Read more from NH F&G: Here
In 2019 Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi championed federal regulation changes to the waterfowl hunting season. As part of the effort, two additional days were allowed to be allocated by each state specifically for military and veterans to hunt waterfowl. This legislation was passed to show appreciation and gratitude to service members past and present and recognized that they often miss hunting opportunities due to deployments, weekend drills or other duties. To date, 30 states have instituted these authorizations across the United States, and more are poised to do so for the 2024-2025 season, including New Hampshire.
During the 2023-2024 state waterfowl public hearing in March 2023, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers' Armed Forces Initiative representatives from the New England chapter presented a recommendation to add the state of New Hampshire to the list of states that have enacted the authorizations within Hyde's federal regulation changes. Supported by the New England BHA chapter and members of the waterfowl community present and with no scientific or management concerns from the State wildlife biologist and Fish and Game Commissioners present, the proposal moved forward to the 2024-2025 regulation incorporation.
The proposal has been drafted and prepared for implementation into the regulations for the 2024-2025 season, which will open two additional days per waterfowl zone in the state for an estimated 100,000 veterans and current service members that call New Hampshire home. This effort brought together elements within BHA from the AFI program and BHA State chapter level along with NH Fish and Game commission scientists and a Fish and Game Commissioner, highlighting where local level policy can be affected in line with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and based on the supporting scientific research. The impact of Hyde's legislative win across the U.S. in giving veterans and military service members improved hunting opportunities is an important effort that will positively impact the military community. BHA AFI looks forward to continuing to champion its implementation in the remaining states that have yet to adopt it and its efforts to continue to bring the military community voice to conservation; the core of its mission.
AFI Mission: To instill within the military community a knowledge of Conservation Theory, a love of wild places, and desire to elevate America's wild public lands as fundamental components of American Freedom
For more on the BHA AFI Mission and how you can get involved check out our event page Here or our YouTube channel Here.
About Trevor Hubbs
I grew up running hounds on coyotes and raccoons, spent a fair amount of time public land waterfowl hunting, and have hunted upland birds behind my setters across the midwest.