“I bought my hunting license; why do I need all these permits?” It’s a fair question. Skeptics might complain that it’s just a way for the state to make more money. Granted, it does bring in additional revenue, but selling additional stamps and authorities does far more than that. Let’s look at a few examples.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) requires waterfowl hunters to purchase a federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or what hunters commonly refer to as a “duck stamp.” As the name implies, it is an authorization to hunt migratory birds, and a source of funding for conservation. According to FWS, “For every dollar you spend on Federal Duck Stamps, ninety-eight cents goes directly to purchase vital habitat or acquire conservation easements for protection in the National Wildlife Refuge System.”
Even if you don’t hunt on federal land, that money is not just to provide places to hunt, though it does. Much of it goes to preserving, restoring or enhancing wetlands, which are vital to waterfowl and a host of other non-game wildlife species, and are dramatically decreasing. No wetlands, no ducks, no duck hunting.
The same holds true for state stamps. Maine no longer sells or requires you to have a state stamp, which is kind of a shame because in addition to allowing you to hunt, those stamps were collectible works of art. You do need to indicate whether you intend to hunt waterfowl when you purchase your hunting license, and this points out another importance for stamps (or authorizations).
It allows state and federal wildlife agencies to track the number of hunters participating in a particular activity. Hunting license sales tell us how many hunters there are, but duck stamp sales tell us how many waterfowl hunters there are. Those waterfowl hunters are then required to report on things like how many days they hunted, which species they hunted and how many they killed. From this, wildlife managers can extract important information like level of activity, success rates and total kill. This information can then be compared to both short- and long-term trends as an index to things like hunting pressure and population levels. Subsequently, it can be used for setting future season and bag limits.
That is also a big part of how Maine uses its antlerless deer permit system and mandatory registration. By comparing permits sold to deer harvested, managers can see success rates and evaluate if the permit allocation was too high, too low or just about right, then adjust if necessary. Like the duck stamps, some of that money also goes toward conservation, specifically, acquisition and management of deer wintering areas, which are a critical and often lacking habitat component in northern and eastern Maine.
Knowing how many hunters there are and how much they spend is important to state wildlife agencies for another reason. Passed in 1937, the Pittman-Robertson (PR) Wildlife Restoration Act imposed an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition. The funds are used to provide matching grants, at roughly a 3:1 ratio to states for wildlife restoration projects, like managing deer wintering areas.
All that money is important because with a few limited exceptions, hunters and anglers fund the bulk of wildlife conservation. A couple decades ago now, there was an effort championed by state and federal agencies and professional wildlife managers and biologists to require, or at least encourage non-consumptive wildlife “users,” to pay their fair share. It was eventually authorized, but not in the way it was originally intended. If you buy a stamp or a permit don’t complain; you’re doing your part to support wildlife conservation. If you don’t, think about thanking those who do, even if you’re not a hunter.
Bob Humphrey is a freelance writer and Registered Maine Guide who lives in Pownal. He can be reached at: bob@bobhumphrey.com
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