New Three-Year Cycle for Game Bird Hunting Rules
Published Date: 6/26/2026
Rule
Summary
The Fish and Wildlife Service is changing how it approves seasonal migratory game bird hunting. Instead of yearly rules, they’ll issue a hunting plan every three years but still decide harvest levels annually. This new process saves time and money, helps States and Tribes, and kicks in August 25, 2026—unless big objections come in by July 27.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Three-Year Memorandum Replaces Annual Rulemaking
The Service will stop issuing annual Federal hunting regulations and instead publish a Migratory Game Bird Hunting (MGBH) memorandum once every 3 years on or before February 28 that sets the federal authorization conditions. States and Tribes will continue to set annual seasons within those conditions, and the memorandum may be updated sooner than 3 years if decision frameworks prescribe changes.
State/Tribal Violations Also Break Federal Law
The rule revises 50 CFR subpart H (Secs. 20.71 and 20.72) so that a violation of a State or Tribal migratory game bird hunting law or regulation also constitutes a violation of Federal law. Federal take prohibitions remain in place except as provided by Federal, State, and Tribal regulations.
Annual Harvest Decisions Still Made
The Service will continue to make annual decisions about harvest levels using the same biological monitoring and decision frameworks and will update the MGBH memorandum sooner than 3 years if those frameworks prescribe changes. The rule does not change the biological approach or decision frameworks used to set authorization conditions.
New Publication, Timing, and Comment Rules
The MGBH memorandum will be issued every 3 years on or before February 28 with a Federal Register notice and at least a 30-day comment period; it may be updated sooner if decision frameworks require changes. For the 2026-27 season the memorandum will be available no later than August 31, 2026; this final rule becomes effective August 25, 2026 unless significant adverse comments are received by July 27, 2026.
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