| Any hunter needs to respect the laws of the land whether he is involved in sport hunting or managing animal populations. Any violation can lead to strict disciplinary action or jail sentences, never mind the wrath of anti hunters and conservationists.
To appreciate these laws and regulations, one must understand the basic rules that govern natural resources. These resources are divided into two groups: ‘commons’ and ‘propriety’. The former means resources owned by everyone in society, like the environment. Propriety resources on the other hand, can be owned by individuals. A coal mine is an example.
In Europe, the wildlife belonged to the landowner. This concept came from the days of kingdoms. In North American, wildlife is treated as a common resource. So many organizations took root to represent the people managing wildlife.
In the US, the states regulate and implement laws on resident wildlife, those that move around in a limited area. Mammals and gamebirds fall into this category. Migratory animals are looked after by the federal government. There are clear laws in place as to what animals can be killed and when and so on.
There are mainly 3 groups of wildlife laws. One allows equitable sharing of common resources or ‘commons’. Licensing is one of such rules. Anybody who earns a license is allowed to secure some of the wildlife for himself. With ‘bag limits’ in place, restricting the amount of game that can be in possession of a person at any given time, making it impossible for one individual to take much more than others, from the land.
Then there are laws to protect wildlife, for the interest of next generations. Rules that come into this group limit the type of species that can be killed and also put limits on the age or sex of the prey that can be hunted. This is to encourage reproduction. There are also habitat conservation regulations, such as limits on deforestation and land use.
The third class of laws deals with protecting human lives and property. They can be applied to hunters and non hunters. You get laws that restrict the use and transport of firearms and other equipment. One can’t indulge in hunting or any target practice in some areas, because humans may be at risk. Sometimes, there are specific shooting hours. These laws also cover clothing regulations to make hunting safe. |
