Episodes

  • Hunting, Fishing, and Conservation Policies Shaped Across the U.S. in 2026 Meetings

    Hunting, Fishing, and Conservation Policies Shaped Across the U.S. in 2026 Meetings
    Jan 17 2026
    Across the United States, state fish and wildlife commissions are kicking off 2026 with a flurry of meetings shaping hunting, fishing, and conservation policies. Wildlife for All reports that January gatherings in states like Iowa on January 8 virtually, Oklahoma on January 12 in Enid, California on January 13 in Sacramento, New Jersey on January 13, Wyoming on January 13 to 14 in Cheyenne, Idaho on January 14 to 15 in Boise, Arizona on January 16 in Phoenix, and Oregon on January 16 in Salem offer public chances to influence rules on hunting seasons, trapping limits, endangered species, and funding. These early sessions set tones for the year, with virtual options in Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon enabling broad participation, while locations like Idaho's Fish and Game Headquarters at 600 South Walnut in Boise host hybrid public hearings for testimony on fish and game business.

    In Arkansas, the Game and Fish Commission made headlines by passing new trout regulations effective February 1, according to the Stuttgart Daily Leader. Responding to hatchery die-offs at Norfork National Fish Hatchery and the Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery from natural events and infrastructure issues, commissioners eased prior emergency harvest cuts to boost fishing. On the White River from Norfork Access to Arkansas Highway 58 bridge, anglers may keep two trout daily, one over 14 inches. Similar two-trout limits apply to Beaver and Greers Ferry Tailwaters, with trout over 14 inches released. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission also approved Lake Monticello limits, allowing five largemouth bass daily, one over 16 inches, and 15 crappie, seven over 12 inches, to balance overabundant populations and support trophy growth amid a new lake effect boom, where bass over five pounds thrive.

    Nationally, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries held a January 13 oversight hearing in Washington DC's Longworth House Office Building on hunting and fishing access in the Great American Outdoors. Meanwhile, Idaho's Fish and Game Commission advances proposals from November to restrict emergent technology in big game hunting, pending 2026 legislative review after public input. Emerging patterns show agencies simplifying regulations, with Arkansas identifying over 40 to eliminate for clarity, and prioritizing hatchery recovery alongside controlled harvests to sustain fisheries amid shortages. California notes a January 31 deer tag reporting deadline and falconry season opening January 27 for rabbits. These actions reflect proactive management balancing recreation, ecology, and public input nationwide.

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    3 mins
  • Game and Fish Agencies Reshape Hunting and Fishing Seasons with Habitat Funding, Regulatory Updates, and Public Engagement

    Game and Fish Agencies Reshape Hunting and Fishing Seasons with Habitat Funding, Regulatory Updates, and Public Engagement
    Jan 10 2026
    Across the United States this week, game and fish agencies are combining regulation work, habitat funding, and public involvement to shape the next hunting and fishing seasons.

    In Arkansas, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission announced a second round of its Conservation Incentive Program, offering six hundred fifty thousand dollars to private landowners for habitat projects that benefit native wildlife, with applications open through early February, according to the Commission’s January 7 news release from Little Rock. This funding targets practices such as prescribed burning, invasive species control, and grassland or wetland restoration on working lands.

    In Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports that it has opened public comment on a suite of hunting and fishing regulations ahead of its January commission meeting in Cheyenne, where final recommendations will be made. The agency is encouraging hunters, anglers, and landowners to review proposed changes online and submit feedback before the commission acts.

    On the West Coast, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has released its January calendar of events, which includes a January thirteen Wildlife Resources Committee meeting in Sacramento and online, as reported by the department. The same calendar highlights a statewide deer conservation and management plan public meeting in Oakland on January twelve and another in south Sacramento on January twenty one, reflecting an ongoing push to update long term deer management with broad public input. California is also scoping environmental impacts for changes to the 2026 to 2027 waterfowl, coot, and moorhen hunting regulations through an online public session later this month.

    In the Pacific Northwest, the Sportsmens Alliance notes that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission is holding a hybrid meeting on January nine to receive a staff briefing on the final draft of a new game management plan that has been in development since 2022, signaling upcoming shifts in how Washington structures seasons, harvest objectives, and nonhunting recreation.

    Nationally, The Wildlife Society reports that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is distributing more than fifty five million dollars to state fish and wildlife agencies through the State Wildlife Grant Program to conserve at risk species and their habitats, reinforcing the financial backbone of many state game and fish projects. The Service also announced that special agent Erryl Wolgemuth of its Office of Law Enforcement received the 2025 Guy Bradley Award, underscoring the role of wildlife crime enforcement in supporting sustainable hunting and fishing.

    Taken together, these developments point to a clear pattern this week, with game and fish agencies emphasizing habitat incentives on private lands, intensive planning for big game and waterfowl seasons, expanded public participation in commission decisions, and continued federal investment in state level wildlife conservation.

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    3 mins
  • Comprehensive Wildlife Policy Shaping Nationwide: State Commissions Lead the Charge in 2026

    Comprehensive Wildlife Policy Shaping Nationwide: State Commissions Lead the Charge in 2026
    Jan 7 2026
    Across the United States, state game and fish commissions are kicking off 2026 with a flurry of meetings to shape wildlife policies on hunting, fishing, and habitat protection. In Louisiana, the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission met on January 6 at headquarters in Baton Rouge to discuss rules and funding, while the Oyster Task Force convenes January 11 in New Orleans and public hearings on shallow-water grouper management start January 13 in Lafayette. Wildlife for All reports these early sessions set the tone for endangered species protections and agency priorities nationwide.

    Iowa's commission holds a virtual meeting on January 8, followed by Tennessee's two-day gathering January 8 and 9 at the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville. New Mexico meets January 9 in Santa Fe, Washington's session is virtual the same day, and Oklahoma's is set for January 12 in Enid. California focuses on its Wildlife Resources Committee January 13 in Sacramento, with New Jersey matching that date, Wyoming hosting January 13 and 14 in Cheyenne with Zoom access, and Arkansas in Little Rock on January 14.

    Idaho's Fish and Game Commission runs January 14 and 15 in Boise, offering virtual participation and public hearings for testimony on fish and game business. Arizona seeks comments on proposed fish regulation changes, like aligning striped bass limits with Nevada, ahead of its January 16 commission meeting in Phoenix, as noted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Oregon meets January 16 in Salem with hybrid in-person and livestream options, limiting comments to three minutes.

    Further out, New Hampshire sits January 20 in Concord, Texas January 21 and 22 with live streaming, Vermont January 21 in Montpelier, Alaska holding a work session January 22 in Wrangell on hunting and trapping changes, Ohio on January 28 in Columbus, and Georgia wrapping the month on January 30 at St. Simons Island.

    A standout development emerges in Arkansas, where the Game and Fish Commission launched its second round of the Conservation Incentive Program on January 6, offering 650,000 dollars to private landowners for habitat projects like prescribed fire on at least 10 acres. Applications close February 6, with up to 20,000 dollars per landowner prioritized by impact on quail, turkey, and deer, according to AGFC announcements and KATV reports. This reflects growing partnerships on private lands, which cover over 80 percent of the state.

    In Wyoming, the Game and Fish Department advances feedground management action plans for elk, sharing drafts in early 2026 public meetings after commission review, emphasizing adaptable, science-based strategies amid rising complexity, as stated by Director Angi Bruce.

    These events highlight an emerging pattern of public engagement in early-year decisions, blending regulatory tweaks with proactive habitat funding to sustain fish and game resources amid evolving challenges.

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    3 mins
  • Exciting Changes Ahead: New Hunting and Fishing Regulations for 2026

    Exciting Changes Ahead: New Hunting and Fishing Regulations for 2026
    Jan 3 2026
    Several states are making significant updates to their hunting and fishing regulations as we enter 2026. Arizona Game and Fish Department is proposing changes to striped bass and catfish limits at two major lakes. According to their November announcement, Nevada Department of Wildlife will remove the twenty fish daily bag limit on striped bass over twenty inches at both Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, effective January first. Arizona is proposing to match Nevada's regulations by changing their daily bag limit to unlimited striped bass and twenty five catfish at both lakes. The department's research indicates that removing the twenty fish limit on striped bass will have no negative impact on population size or growth, since striped bass growth depends more on food availability than harvest rates. Surveys also show most anglers rarely harvest the previous twenty fish limit. For catfish, Arizona's current limit of ten at these lakes differs from Nevada's twenty five daily bag limit, creating confusion among anglers. The proposed change will standardize regulations across both states, simplifying enforcement. Data from both states show no evidence that either species will be negatively affected. The Arizona Game and Fish Commission will present these proposed regulation changes at its public meeting on January sixteenth, twenty twenty six, in Phoenix.

    In Arkansas, the state is celebrating its fifth annual Umarex Big Squirrel Challenge, scheduled for January ninth and tenth. This family friendly hunting competition invites hunters to harvest their three largest squirrels during a twenty four hour hunting period from noon on Friday through noon on Saturday. According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, hunters can harvest up to twelve squirrels per day during the event, but only the three heaviest squirrels from each team will be weighed and scored. The competition features thirteen weigh in locations across Arkansas, including sites in Springdale, Pine Bluff, Jonesboro, Fort Smith, and other communities. There is no registration fee required, and every hunter who weighs in squirrels is entered for door prizes at each location. Winners in various categories, including fox squirrels only, gray squirrels only, and mixed bags, will receive medals at their local weigh in stations. Top teams in the state will win high powered Umarex air rifles.

    Additionally, Arkansas anglers interested in pursuing trophy alligator gar have until December thirty first to apply for the twenty twenty six Alligator Gar Trophy Tag program. According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the drawing occurred on January second. Recipients will be selected from among two hundred available tags. The tags are necessary to keep alligator gar longer than thirty six inches, though catch and release fishing is permitted without a tag. All harvested alligator gar must be reported within twelve hours of harvest and temporarily tagged using a provided possession tag.

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    3 mins
  • Protecting Marine Habitats and Endangered Species: Highlights from State Fish and Game Agencies

    Protecting Marine Habitats and Endangered Species: Highlights from State Fish and Game Agencies
    Dec 31 2025
    Good evening. Here is the latest news from Game and Fish agencies across the United States.

    California's Fish and Game Commission has taken significant action to protect marine resources. At a December tenth and eleventh meeting in Sacramento, the Commission unanimously voted to extend the red abalone recreational fishery closure in Northern California for ten additional years until April first, twenty thirty six. This decision comes after California's red abalone population declined by approximately eighty five percent following a two thousand fourteen kelp forest collapse triggered by a marine heatwave. The loss of kelp, which is the abalone's primary food source, combined with increasing purple sea urchin densities that prevent kelp recovery, has devastated the population. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will now develop a statewide red abalone restoration plan with adaptive strategies to support population recovery.

    During that same Sacramento meeting, the Commission also determined that Bear Lake buckwheat should be listed as an endangered species under California's Endangered Species Act. A September twenty twenty five survey found as few as seven hundred forty four plants of this rare shrub growing over one and a half acres near Big Bear Lake in Southern California. This location represents the only place in the world where this species is known to exist. The species faces ongoing threats from habitat destruction and human disturbances.

    The Commission received important findings regarding mountain lions in California's central coast and southern regions. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife found that these mountain lion populations are discrete, significant, and imperiled. The department has recommended that the Commission identify a distinct population segment of mountain lions to be listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act. This recommendation follows a twenty twenty decision from April indicating that a petition to list the species may be warranted.

    In Florida, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced major conservation achievements for twenty twenty five. The state extended its Gulf red snapper recreational season to a record breaking one hundred twenty seven days, the longest season since Florida assumed management of the fishery. Additionally, Florida's sea turtle conservation efforts achieved significant milestones, with the Wildlife Research Section monitoring approximately one hundred sixty eight thousand four hundred forty nests across thirteen hundred fifty two kilometers of beaches. This included a record breaking nesting season for endangered leatherbacks and the second highest year on record for green turtles. The team also rescued one thousand four hundred ten cold stunned sea turtles during January, with most recovering and being released within two weeks.

    These recent actions demonstrate the ongoing commitment by state Game and Fish agencies to protect and restore critical wildlife populations and habitats across the United States.

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    3 mins
  • Protecting Abalone and Buckwheat: California Leads Conservation Efforts Nationwide

    Protecting Abalone and Buckwheat: California Leads Conservation Efforts Nationwide
    Dec 27 2025
    The California Fish and Game Commission unanimously extended the recreational red abalone fishery closure in Northern California until April 1, 2036, to protect populations hit by drastic declines, as announced after their December 10 and 11 meeting in Sacramento. California Department of Fish and Wildlife reports confirm this ten-year measure aims to aid restoration of the shellfish along the northern coast. At the same meeting, the Commission found listing Bear Lake buckwheat as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act warranted, based on a September 2025 survey counting just 744 plants across 1.5 acres near Big Bear Lake in Southern California, the species sole global habitat threatened by destruction and human activity. They plan formal adoption soon.

    The Commission also received a California Department of Fish and Wildlife status review on mountain lions in central coast and southern California regions, deeming populations discrete, significant, and imperiled, with a recommendation to list a distinct segment as threatened under the act. Action follows at future meetings.

    In Arizona, the Game and Fish Commission held its public meeting on December 5 at headquarters in Phoenix, covering species of greatest conservation need, heritage grants review, license revocation hearings, and proposals for 2025-2026 archery deer and 2026-2027 hunting seasons, including orders 3, 4, 26, and 30. They approved amendments to general provisions and wildlife area rules, plus a Silver Creek Hatchery utility agreement.

    New Hampshire Fish and Game hosted a Legislative Committee meeting on December 16 at headquarters in Concord to address policy matters.

    Nationally, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies praised Congress for enacting the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act of 2025 on November 25, securing funds for North American habitat projects.

    Emerging patterns show U.S. commissions prioritizing fishery closures, endangered listings for plants and predators amid habitat loss, and hunting regulation updates for sustainability, with California leading in abalone and buckwheat protections while Arizona and others refine seasons. Upcoming California hearings in February target waterfowl, elk, black bear, shrimp, and fish donation rules, signaling proactive management.

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    3 mins
  • Headline: Montana Proposes Hunting Regulation Changes, Atlantic Commission Faces Criticism, and California Extends Abalone Closure

    Headline: Montana Proposes Hunting Regulation Changes, Atlantic Commission Faces Criticism, and California Extends Abalone Closure
    Dec 20 2025
    Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks held its regular commission meeting on December fourth at the State Capitol Building in room three seventeen in Helena and via Zoom to address proposed hunting regulations for the twenty twenty six and twenty twenty seven seasons. The agenda covered bison hunting regulations season structures and hunting district boundaries moose hunting regulations mountain goat hunting regulations upland game bird and turkey hunting regulations and Flathead Indian Reservation non member fishing and bird hunting rules with public comments accepted through late November via surveys or mail. Several amendments proposed by commissioners including Bill Lane Susan Kirby Brooke Brian Cebull Ian Wargo and Jeff Burrows targeted region specific changes for elk mule deer antlerless mule deer mountain lion seasons and unit hunting district councils with comment periods closing December first or third. The commission emphasized equity in public input limiting new comments to significant amendments during final decisions.

    On the Atlantic coast the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission faced criticism from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership for its late twenty twenty five menhaden forage fish quota decision which adopted only a token one year reduction ignoring stock assessments showing populations thirty seven percent lower than estimated and abandoning the ecological reference point framework. The move favored Virginia based Omega Protein amid over eleven hundred public opposition comments while initiating Chesapeake Bay management options for even quota distribution and potential fifty percent reduction in reduction fishing caps. In Louisiana the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission advanced a notice of intent to shrink industrial menhaden fishing buffer zones from half a mile to a quarter mile allowing harvests in shallower five foot waters despite concerns over coastal habitats and sportfish populations.

    California Fish and Game Commission at its December tenth eleventh meeting in Sacramento extended the red abalone recreational fishery closure by ten years due to drastic population declines protecting stocks along the states coastline while finding a California Endangered Species Act listing warranted for Bear Lake buckwheat. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies praised the enactment of the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act of twenty twenty five signed November twenty fifth ensuring funding for North American habitat projects and noted new twenty twenty five twenty twenty six station specific regulations effective recently adding forty two hunting and angling opportunities across more than eighty seven thousand acres in the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System.

    These developments highlight a nationwide push for science driven adjustments in hunting fishing quotas and protections amid declining forage fish and shellfish populations with commissions balancing industry input public comments and ecosystem health for sustainable management.

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    3 mins
  • State Game and Fish Agencies Enact Diverse Conservation Initiatives, Policy Changes, and Shifting Hunting Conditions Nationwide

    State Game and Fish Agencies Enact Diverse Conservation Initiatives, Policy Changes, and Shifting Hunting Conditions Nationwide
    Dec 13 2025
    Across the United States, state game and fish agencies are closing out the year with a mix of policy changes, conservation initiatives, and shifting hunting conditions that reflect broader wildlife management trends.

    In Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs has nominated Jessica Manuell to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, adding a lifelong hunter, angler, and agricultural business expert to the five member body that sets wildlife and fisheries policy for the state, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Recent commission meetings in Phoenix have focused on updating rules for wildlife areas and department managed properties, revising archery deer season structures for twenty twenty five and twenty twenty six, and approving a new license agreement to support operations at Silver Creek Fish Hatchery, highlighting continued investment in hatchery based fisheries and public shooting facilities as part of Arizona’s conservation model.

    In California, the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Fish and Game Commission are moving ahead with a dense regulatory agenda for twenty twenty five. The commission is considering changes to big game hunting rules that include mandatory testing for chronic wasting disease in certain deer hunts, as well as emergency and long term rules to restrict white sturgeon harvest during its candidacy for endangered status, according to the California Fish and Game Commission. The department’s December calendar also features public meetings in Bishop and Redding on a new statewide deer conservation and management plan, along with advisory sessions on upland game birds and big game funding in West Sacramento, underscoring a push toward more public input and science based management of game species.

    In Arkansas, the Game and Fish Commission reports that waterfowl hunters are seeing significantly better habitat and hunting conditions early in the twenty twenty five to twenty twenty six season than they did at the same time last year, as improved rainfall and flooding have enhanced wetlands across major duck hunting areas.

    At the national level, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies notes that Congress has enacted the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act of twenty twenty five, securing long term funding for North American wetlands projects that support migratory birds, game species, and public hunting access. The association also applauds new federal rules that expand hunting and sport fishing opportunities on National Wildlife Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries, adding dozens of station specific opportunities on more than eighty seven thousand acres.

    Together, these developments point to a clear pattern in recent game and fish news in the United States, with agencies simultaneously tightening disease and species protections, expanding hunter and angler access where sustainable, investing in wetlands and hatcheries, and elevating public engagement in wildlife policy.

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    3 mins