This is the Official Hunting regulation and Fishing regulation navigation page for all the states rules and regulations guidebook overviews
You can access each individual state regulation guidebook by clicking the links below.
These are just the overviews of the official state regulations.
The Actual state regulation guidebooks are accessible by clicking on the state you would like to see from the home page map then clicking on the state regulations books.
They are also accessible by clicking on the REG books below and accessing the REGS link in the Guidebooks listed below.
Enjoy be safe and have a great time exploring the site and remember to check back often to keep updated on all the new laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to the hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife sports.
Weather its,
bear hunting,
Boar Hunting,
deer hunting,
dove hunting,
Duck Hunting,
Elk Hunting,
goose hunting,
grouse hunting,
javelina hunting,
mule deer hunting,
pheasant hunting,
predator hunting,
quail hunting,
rabbit hunting,
pronghorn/antelope hunting,
raccoon hunting,
moose hunting,
whitetail deer hunting,
big horn sheep hunting,
squirrel hunting,
turkey hunting,or
Caribou Hunting We have the state hunting regulations for your trip into the wilderness or on the water covered in one easy to location.
If you need hunting maps, state hunting maps, or just some hunting guides to show you around we have that too.
Now when we talk fishing the same goes.
If you want to go Weather its
Trout fishing,
bass fishing,
striper fishing,
Salmon fishing,
Catfish fishing,
Pennsylvania fishing,
Panfish fishing,
pike/muskie fishing,
Walleye fishing,
Marlin Fishing,
Salt Water Fishing,
Tuna fishing,
Tarpon fishing,
Snook fishing,
Red fish fishing we have the rules and regulations for each state. No matter if it is Lake fishing, stream fishing, fly fishing, ice fishing, or pond fishing you can find the guidebooks here for bag limits, size restrictions and more.
Below are the states with an overview of each of the state hunting regulation guidebooks and each of the state fishing regulation guidebooks.
Remember these are the overview complete rules are on home state pages.
Click Here for Alaska Home PageAlaska Fishing Alaska HuntingAlaska Hunting Regulations Alaska Fishing RegulationsClick Here for Alabama Home PageAlabama FishingAlabama HuntingAlabama Hunting RegulationsAlabama Fishing Regulations
Arkansas Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageArkansas Fishing Arkansas HuntingArkansas Hunting RegulationsArkansas Fishing RegulationsArizona Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Arizona Fishing Arizona HuntingArizona Hunting RegulationsArizona Fishing RegulationsCalifornia Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page California Fishing California HuntingCalifornia Hunting RegulationsCalifornia Fishing Regulations
Colorado Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Colorado Fishing Colorado HuntingColorado Hunting RegulationsColorado Fishing RegulationsConnecticut Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Connecticut Fishing Connecticut HuntingConnecticut Hunting RegulationsConnecticut Fishing RegulationsDelaware Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Delaware Fishing Delaware HuntingDelaware Hunting RegulationsDelaware Fishing RegulationsFlorida Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageFlorida Fishing Florida HuntingFlorida Hunting RegulationsFlorida Fishing RegulationsGeorgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Georgia Fishing Georgia HuntingGeorgia Hunting RegulationsGeorgia Fishing RegulationsHawaii Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageHawaii Fishing Hawaii HuntingHawaii Hunting RegulationsHawaii Fishing Regulations
Iowa Hunting and Fishing Regultaions Home Page Iowa Fishing Iowa HuntingIowa Hunting RegulationsIowa Fishing RegulationsIllinois Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Illinois Fishing Illinois HuntingIllinois Hunting RegulationsIllinois Fishing RegulationsIndiana Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Indiana Fishing Indiana HuntingIndiana Hunting RegulationsIndiana Fishing RegulationsKansas Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageKansas Fishing Kansas Hunting
Kansas Hunting RegulationsKansas Fishing RegulationsKentucky Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Kentucky Fishing Kentucky HuntingKentucky Hunting RegulationsKentucky Fishing RegulationsLouisiana Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageLouisiana Fishing Louisiana HuntingLouisiana Hunting RegulationsLouisiana Fishing Regulations
Massachusetts Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Massachusetts Fishing Massachusetts HuntingMassachusetts Hunting RegulationsMassachusetts Fishing RegulationsMaine Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Maine Fishing Maine HuntingMaine Hunting RegulationsMaine Fishing Regulations
Maryland Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Maryland Fishing Maryland HuntingMaryland Hunting RegulationsMaryland Fishing RegulationsMichigan Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Michigan Fishing Michigan HuntingMichigan Hunting RegulationsMichigan Fishing RegulationsMinnesota Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Minnesota Fishing Minnesota HuntingMinnesota Hunting RegulationsMinnesota Fishing Regulations
Missouri Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageMissouri Fishing Missouri Hunting
Missouri Hunting RegulationsMissouri Fishing RegulationsMississippi Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Mississippi Fishing Mississippi HuntingMississippi Hunting RegulationsMississippi Fishing RegulationsMontana Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Montana Fishing Montana HuntingMontana Hunting RegulationsMontana Fishing RegulationsNorth Carolina Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page North Carolina Fishing North Carolina HuntingNorth Carolina Hunting RegulationsNorth Carolina Fishing RegulationsNorth Dakota Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page North Dakota Fishing North Dakota HuntingNorth Dakota Hunting RegulationsNorth Dakota Fishing RegulationsNebraska Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Nebraska Fishing Nebraska HuntingNebraska Hunting RegulationsNebraska Fishing RegulationsNew Hampshire Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageNew Hampshire Fishing New Hampshire HuntingNew Hampshire Hunting RegulationsNew Hampshire Fishing Regulations
New Jersey Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page New Jersey Fishing New Jersey HuntingNew Jersey Hunting RegulationsNew Jersey Fishing Regulations
New Mexico Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page New Mexico Fishing New Mexico HuntingNew Mexico Hunting RegulationsNew Mexico Fishing RegulationsNew York Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageNew York Fishing New York HuntingNew York Hunting RegulationsNew York Fishing RegulationsNevada Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Nevada Fishing Nevada HuntingNevada Hunting RegulationsNevada Fishing RegulationsOhio Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Ohio Fishing Ohio HuntingOhio Hunting RegulationsOhio Fishing RegulationsOklahoma Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Oklahoma Fishing Oklahoma HuntingOklahoma Hunting RegulationsOklahoma Fishing RegulationsOregon Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Oregon Fishing Oregon HuntingOregon Hunting RegulationsOregon Fishing Regulations
Pennsylvania Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Pennsylvania Fishing Pennsylvania HuntingPennsylvania Hunting RegulationsPennsylvania Fishing RegulationsRhode Island Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageRhode Island Fishing Rhode Island HuntingRhode Island Hunting RegulationsRhode Island Fishing RegulationsSouth Carolina Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page South Carolina Fishing South Carolina HuntingSouth Carolina Hunting RegulationsSouth Carolina Fishing RegulationsSouth Dakota Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page South Dakota Fishing South Dakota HuntingSouth Dakota Hunting RegulationsSouth Dakota Fishing RegulationsTennessee Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Tennessee Fishing Tennessee HuntingTennessee Hunting RegulationsTennessee Fishing Regulations
Texas Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Texas Fishing Texas HuntingTexas Hunting RegulationsTexas Fishing RegulationsUtah Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageUtah Fishing Utah HuntingUtah Hunting RegulationsUtah Fishing RegulationsVermont Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Vermont Fishing Vermont HuntingVermont Hunting RegulationsVermont Fishing RegulationsVirginia Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageVirginia Fishing Virginia HuntingVirginia Hunting RegulationsVirginia Fishing RegulationsWashington Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home Page Washington Fishing Washington HuntingWashington Hunting RegulationsWashington Fishing RegulationsWest Virginia Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageWest Virginia Fishing West Virginia HuntingWest Virginia Hunting RegulationsWest Virginia Fishing RegulationsWyoming Hunting and Fishing Regulations Home PageWyoming Fishing Wyoming HuntingWyoming Hunting RegulationsWyoming Fishing Regulations
Regulation of hunting is primarily regulated by state law; additional regulations are imposed through United States environmental law in the case of migratory birds and endangered species.
Hunting Regulations vary widely from state to state, and govern the areas, time periods, techniques and methods by which specific game animals may be hunted. Some states make a distinction between protected species and unprotected species (often vermin or varmints) for which there are no hunting regulations. Hunters of protected species require a hunting license in all states, for which completion of a hunting safety course is sometimes a prerequisite. States that require hunters education classes available here. For those states all hunters ed classes can be found in the state specific links above.
Typically game animals are divided into several categories for regulatory purposes. Typical categories, along with example species, are as follows:
• Big game: white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose, elk, reindeer (caribou), bear, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, boar, javelina as well as exotic species often found in specialty hunts
• Small Game: rabbit, hare, squirrel, oppossum, raccoon
• Furbearers: beaver, red fox, mink, pine martin, musk rat, bobcat
• Predators: cougar (mountain lion/panther), coyote
• Upland game bird: grouse, turkey, chukar, pheasant, bobwhite quail, dove
• Waterfowl: ducks including mallard, geese including Canada goose
Hunting big game typically requires a "tag" for each animal harvested. Tags must be purchased in addition to the hunting license, and the number of tags issued to an individual is typically limited. In cases where there are more prospective hunters than the quota for that species, tags are usually assigned by lottery. Tags may be further restricted to a specific area or "wildlife management unit." Hunting migratory waterfowl requires a "duck stamp" from the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Big game hunting regulations for deer, moose, elk, boar, hog, whitetail, bear, big horn sheep, pronghorn, and javelina are available in each individual state page we the state hunting regulations guidebooks are there in full available for download, print, or save to computer.
Small game hunting regulations for rabbit, squirrel, raccoon and other small game are available from the state page as well for the full small game state hunting regulations guidebook click on the links above.
Upland Game hunting regulations for grouse, turkey, chukar, pheasant, bobwhite quail, dove and other Upland Game are available from the state page as well for the full Upland Game state hunting regulations guidebook click on the links above.
Harvest of animals other than big game is typically restricted by a "bag limit" and a "possession limit." A bag limit is a maximum number of a specific animal species that an individual can harvest in a single day. A possession limit is a maximum number of a specific animal species that can be in an individual's possession at any time.
Guns usage in hunting is also typically regulated by game category, area within the state, and time period. Regulations for big game hunting often specify a minimum caliber or muzzle energy for firearms. The use of rifles is often banned for safety reasons in areas with high population density or limited topographic relief. Regulations may also limit or ban the use of lead in ammunition because of environmental concerns. Specific seasons for bow hunting or muzzle-loading black powder guns are often established to limit competition with hunters using more effective weapons. Hunting in the United States is not associated with any particular class or culture. In fact, 78% of Americans support legal hunting, but relatively few Americans actually hunt. At the beginning of the 21st century, 6% of Americans hunted. Southerners in states along the eastern seaboard hunted at a rate slightly below the national average (5%), and while hunting was more common in other parts of the South (9%), these rates did not surpass those of the Plains states, where 12% of Midwesterners hunted. Hunting in other areas of the country fell below the national average. Overall in the 1996–2006 period, the number of hunters over the age of 16 declined by 10%, a drop attributable to a number of factors including habitat loss and changes in recreation habits.
Regulation of hunting within the United States dates from the 19th century. Some modern hunters see themselves as conservationists and sportsmen in the mode of Theodore Roosevelt and the Boone and Crockett Club. Local hunting clubs and national organizations provide hunter education and help protect the future of the sport by buying land for future hunting use. Some groups represent a specific hunting interest, such as Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever or Delta Waterfowl Foundation. Many hunting groups also participate in lobbying the federal government and state government.
Each year, nearly $200 million in hunters' federal excise taxes are distributed to state agencies to support wildlife management programs, the purchase of lands open to hunters, and hunter education and safety classes. Since 1934 the sale of Federal Duck Stamps, a required purchase for migratory waterfowl hunters over 16 years old, has raised over $700 million to help purchase more than 5.2 million acres (8,100 sq mi/20,000 km²) of habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System lands that support waterfowl and many other wildlife species, and are often open to hunting. States also collect monies from hunting licenses to assist with management of game animals, as designated by law. A key task of Federal and state park rangers and game wardens is to enforce laws and regulations related to hunting, including species protection, hunting seasons, and hunting bans.
Waterfowl hunting regulations for ducks including mallard, geese including Canada goose and other Waterfowl are available from the state page as well. For the full Waterfowl state hunting regulations guidebook click on the link below.
Under Federal law established by international treaties with Canada, Mexico and other countries with whom we share migratory birds, the Service has ultimate responsibility for regulating migratory bird hunting nationwide. Through a regulatory process that begins each year in January and includes public consultation, the Service establishes the frameworks that govern all migratory bird hunting in the United States. Within the boundaries established by those frameworks, state wildlife agencies have the flexibility to determine season length, bag limits, and areas for migratory game bird hunting.
Each state has primary responsibility and authority over the hunting of wildlife that resides within state boundaries. State wildlife agencies that sell hunting licenses are the best source of information regarding hunting seasons, areas open/closed to hunting, etc. (Hunting of migratory birds such as ducks and geese is managed cooperatively by state fish and wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Migratory waterfowl hunters must possess both a state hunting license and a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp), and each hunter needs a Harvest Information Program (HIP) number for each state in which they hunt migratory birds.
From the Us fish and wildlife
In the December 29, 2009, Federal Register [74 FR 68968], we
published a proposed rulemaking identifying changes pertaining to
migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and
sport fishing to existing refuge-specific language on certain refuges
for the 2009-2010 season. We received five comments (three from the
same commenter) on the proposed rule during a 30-day comment period.
One commenter supported the decision to open Turnbull National Wildlife
Refuge (NWR) in Washington for hunting, and another commenter was
generally supportive of all proposed openings with a concern raised
about the proposed cut in weekend waterfowl hunting opportunities at
Mathews Brake NWR in Mississippi. That concern is addressed below in
Comment/Response 4.
Comment 1: The commenter believes hunting is incompatible with the
public interest, that it is discriminatory in nature and
disenfranchises millions of residents in the United States.
Response 1: We disagree. The 1997 National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act stipulates that hunting (along with fishing,
wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and
interpretation), if found to be compatible, is a legitimate and
priority general public use of a refuge that should be facilitated. The
Administration Act authorizes the Secretary to allow use of any refuge
area for any purpose as long as those uses are compatible. In the case
of each refuge opening/expansion in this rule, the refuge managers went
through the compatibility process (which allows for public comment), in
addition to complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) [NEPA] (which also allows for public comment) to
make the determination before opening or expanding their refuge to
allow for hunting. We made no change to this rule making as a result of
this comment.
Varmint hunting is an American phrase for the selective killing of non-game animals seen as pests. While not always an efficient form of pest control, varmint hunting achieves selective control of pests while providing recreation and is much less regulated. Varmint species are often responsible for detrimental effects on crops, livestock, landscaping, infrastructure, and pets. Some animals (such as wild rabbits or squirrels) may be utilized for fur or meat, but often no use is made of the carcass. Which species are "varmints" depends on the circumstance and area. Common varmints may include various rodents, coyotes, crows, foxes, feral cats, and feral hogs. Some animals once considered varmints are now protected, such as wolves. In the US state of Louisiana, a non-native rodent known as a nutria have become so destructive to the local ecosystem that the state has initiated a bounty program to help control the population. Feral dogs and cats, rats, starlings, English sparrows, and pigeons may be hunted without a hunting license in the United States.