Hunting License Requirements in the US
This is the time for luscious games like deer, ducks and fish, and Americans dream of getting a catch of lifetime. However, hunting or fishing should be done by keeping our environment into consideration, and so, hunting and fishing licenses should be carried by all aspiring hunters and anglers. Here a big difficulty arises when various local governments make it compulsory to buy them manually. Instead, if online hunting and fishing licenses are available widely, the outdoor enthusiasts can buy them comfortably even from their phones. Let’s see what are general hunting and fishing license requirements.
Age Requirement
The hunters and anglers looking forward to hunting and fishing should be at least 16 years of age. Exception to this applies to hunting on a ground owned by themselves or their immediate family. There are other licenses too which depend on the kind of game hunted.
Cost of Hunting/Fishing Licenses
Cost of hunting or fishing licenses vary from state to state. You should visit the website of the particular state in which you are going to hunt or fish, to find out the cost.
Types of Hunting Licenses
The type of hunting license you will need depends on the particular species you are looking forward to hunting. However, you will need a basic hunting license in all cases.
- If you will be hunting a wild turkey, deer or bear, you will need to have a Big Game License
- If you will be hunting a duck or any other waterfowl, you will need a Waterfowl License
- Many states issue a Sportsman’s License; this is annual and covers all requirements for hunting and fishing
Pittman-Robertson Act
Pittman-Robertson Act was passed in 1937 through which an excise tax is applied to ammunition, firearms, handguns and archery equipment. This tax is applied by states based on a formula of the number of hunters and land area. It gives the concerned state funds required for wildlife conservation, conducting wildlife surveys and research, managing wildlife and areas, educating hunters, building and running public shooting ranges, and buying land.
Is Hunting Safe for Hunters as well as Non-hunters?
In every state of the USA, hundreds of thousands of people hunt every year of whom, on an average 0.01% encounter some incident. As per the statistics of the U.S. National Safety Council, there is 20 times more likeliness for people to die during a car mishap than while they are hunting. Therefore hunting is considered to be a very safe outdoor activity.
Hunting Laws and their Violation
A survey has found that:
- 64% of US citizens think that many hunters infringe hunting laws or their behavior is unsafe while hunting.
- 49% of hunters also think the same way.
- 74% of US citizens think that hunters are aware of hunting laws but still violate them.
However, the fact is most hunters have been found not violating hunting laws. On the contrary, they are law-abiding and ethical citizens.
All in all, hunting is an outdoor recreational activity that can offer a healthy enjoyment to the community, if all the hunting rules are followed, and most hunters do follow them. In such a condition, it is fair to make hunting licenses easily accessible online, even through one’s smartphone, so that more and more aspiring hunters can obtain it. eGov.com is an important resource for government officials with which they can improve their technology and make recreational activities like hunting easily available to people.
