Don't Forget Your HIP

All migratory bird hunters are required to have the $1.50 federal Harvest Information Program validation on their Idaho licenses. Idaho has the dubious distinction of being among the four states with the lowest correlation between the Harvest Information Program survey and the duck stamp survey. About 15 percent of migratory bird hunters are apparently not obtaining the validation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveys a sampling of those hunters who have the Federal Harvest Information program validation. If you are selected, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will ask you to report to them your daily harvest of migratory birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will use the harvest information to set next year's migratory bird season time frames and harvest limits. Each state must set its migratory seasons within the federal time frame and limits. Migratory birds include ducks, geese, snipe, coots, cranes and doves. Many Idaho hunters seem to be unaware that doves are considered migratory birds, not upland game birds, and hunting of them is in accordance with federal migratory bird law.