Jenny Gilbert

This administrative regulation establishes seasons and bag limits within federal migratory bird hunting frameworks established in 50 C.F.R. Parts 20 and 21 according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In addition, it establishes requirements for the hunting of migratory birds.

The necessity of this administrative regulation is to establish the 2018–2019 migratory bird seasons in accordance with the USFWS.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations to establish open seasons for the taking of wildlife and to regulate bag limits. KRS 150.360 authorizes the department to restrict methods for the taking of wildlife. KRS 150.600 authorizes the department to regulate the taking of waterfowl on public and private land. This administrative regulation establishes procedures for the taking of migratory game birds within reasonable limits and within the frameworks established by 50 C.F.R. Parts 20 and 21.

This administrative regulation assists in the effective administration of the statutes by establishing the migratory bird hunting seasons and area specific requirements consistent with state, national, and international management goals.

This amendment will create two zones for Canada goose hunting in September. The Eastern zone will retain a September 16-30 hunting season. The Western zone will move the season to September 1-15. This amendment will allow the Department to implement “Mentored Hunter” hunts in addition to our youth dove hunts. Recent research shows recruitment of new hunters is best accomplished in young adults versus kids. This will give the Department the ability to recruit both groups going forward. This amendment will also allow the department to create quota/limited access dove hunts. Current unrestricted use of dove fields limits the temporal use of Department controlled fields to just a few days. By limiting access, limiting time of hunting, and the number of shells a hunter can use, the Department hopes to extend the temporal use of a few select fields.

Goose movements in western Kentucky differ from geese in Eastern Kentucky. By creating zones, the Department hopes to increase access to geese feeding on recently cut silage fields. Allowing for adult mentored dove hunts gives the department greater flexibility in recruitment efforts. Quota hunts for doves hopes to increase value of dove fields by allowing for harvest of doves over an extended period. Dove fields are expensive and the Department hopes to get multiple hunts in September versus the current first day or two we get now because of the heavy pressure. (c) How the amendment conforms to the authorizing statutes: See (1)(c) above.

See (1)(d) above.

There are approximately 40,000 migratory bird hunters in Kentucky.

Migratory bird hunters will now have to hunt geese during a September timeframe specified by where they live. Dove hunters wishing to utilize “quota hunt fields” (<10% of total fields) will have to apply for the hunts on the Department website and be drawn via a random drawing. Selected hunters will have to complete a post hunt survey.

There will be no additional costs to those identified in question (3).

Goose hunters will potentially have more hunting opportunity. Adults will also be able to participate in the limited access dove hunts.

This administrative regulation change will result in no initial change in administrative cost to the Department.

There will be no additional cost on a continuing basis.

The source of funding is the State Game and Fish Fund.

It will not be necessary to increase any other fees or increase funding to implement this administrative regulation.

No new fees will be established.

Tiering was not applied. The same requirements and limits apply to all migratory bird hunters.

The Department’s Divisions of Wildlife and Law Enforcement will be impacted by this administrative regulation.

KRS 150.025(1), 150.360, 150.600, and 50 C.F.R. Parts 20 and 21.

No revenue will be generated by this administrative regulation during the first year.

No revenue will be generated during subsequent years.

There will be no additional costs to administer this program for the first year.

There will be no additional costs to administer this program for subsequent years.

There will be no cost savings for regulated entities in the first year.

There will be no cost savings for regulated entities in subsequent years.

There will be no additional costs for regulated entities in the first year.

There will be no additional costs in subsequent years for regulated entities.

Neutral

Neutral

These regulations changes will not impact the cost of migratory bird hunting and thus will not impact hunters fiscally.

"Major economic impact" means an overall negative or adverse economic impact from an administrative regulation of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or more on state or local government or regulated entities, in aggregate, as determined by the promulgating administrative bodies. [KRS 13A.010(13)] These regulation changes will not have a “Major economic impact”.

Wildlife and Fisheries, Federal Code of Regulations, 50 C.F.R. Part 20, Migratory Bird Hunting; Part 21, Migratory Bird Permits.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources sets migratory birds seasons within the frameworks established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and published in 50 C.F.R. Parts 20 and 21.

50 C.F.R. Part 20 contains season frameworks for the earliest opening and latest closing date, the maximum number of days a species is open to hunting, and daily bag and possession limits. 50 C.F.R. Part 21 defines permits and the necessary requirements to hold and possess migratory game birds before, during and after periods open for hunting.

Yes.

The federal mandate defines the regulatory frameworks that a state may allow. States are permitted to be more restrictive but not more liberal in their respective regulations. State management objectives necessitate more restrictive regulations to protect local, regional and/or state populations of birds important to Kentucky’s migratory bird hunters. Restricting bag limits provides the state the ability to protect populations that may be of concern on the state level but not on a national scale. The greatest concentrations of migratory birds and the greatest hunting pressure often occur on public lands managed by the Department. The Department imposes more restrictive regulations on these lands in effort to meet migratory bird management objectives while still providing quality hunting opportunity.