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Objectives
1. To discuss the administration of wildlife
law enforcement agencies.
2. To discuss general hunting and fishing
regulations and purposes for them.
3. To discuss private land use and
landowner rights.
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Administration
• United States
Department of the
Interior (DOI)
• Structure
– decentralized agency
• more than 73,000
employees
• more than 200,000
volunteers
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Administration
• Managed by:
– secretary of the Interior
– deputy of the Interior
– five assistant secretaries
– eight bureau directors
• Interior’s Presidential
appointees are confirmed
by the Senate
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Administration
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Department of the Interior Bureaus
• National Park Service
• United States Fish and
Wildlife Service
• Bureau of Indian
Affairs
• Bureau of Land
Management
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Department of the Bureau Interiors
•
•
•
•
Office of Surface Mining
Minerals Management Service
United States Geology Survey
Bureau of Reclamation
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Responsibilities
• Fostering use of land and water
• Protecting fish and wildlife
• Preserving national parks and historical
places
• Providing outdoor recreation
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United States Fish & Wildlife
Service (USFWS)
• Is an agency of The Department of the Interior
• Is law enforcement
– mission statement: “The Division of Law
Enforcement contributes to service efforts to
manage ecosystems, save endangered species,
conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat,
restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and
promote wildlife conservation”
– Federal Wardens- work with state game wardens
to ensure federal laws are preserved
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USFWS Law Enforcement
• Includes:
– headquarters office of law enforcement
– seven regional law enforcement offices
• 261 special agents
• 122 wildlife inspectors
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Requirements: Licenses,
Stamps & Tags
• Hunting License
– required for anyone hunting any bird or animal
• Fishing License
– required for anyone resident who takes or attempts
to take any aquatic life in public waters
• Stamps or Tags- an endorsement required in
addition to a license
– example: hunting migratory waterfowl also requires
a “duck stamp”
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service does not
issue licenses for hunting and fishing
– must be bought from your state natural resource
agency
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Hunting & Fishing
• State agencies:
– issue licenses
– set season times
– set animal control and
management of nonendangered species
– manage state parks,
recreation areas, and
forests
– have jurisdiction over
game wardens
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Rules for Hunting & Fishing License
• Valid license or permit and stamp must be
on the person, and available for inspection
by a game warden, at all times when
hunting or fishing
– it is unlawful to use another person’s license
– it is unlawful to let someone use your license
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Hunting & Fishing Regulations
• Hunting and Fishing Law
– state hunting and fishing laws are listed in the
Parks and Wildlife Code
• information on current regulations can be found:
– by contacting a license vendor
– by contacting the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service at www.fws.gov
– by contacting your state
fish and wildlife agency
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Reasons Laws are Set
•
•
•
•
•
To protect the resource and wildlife
To protect people and property
To ensure a fair share of all hunters
To ensure a fair chase
To provide information about wildlife
populations
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Violations
• Violations of these laws can lead to
– felony charges
– misdemeanor charges
– civil restitution
– loss of license
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Federal Laws
• There are numerous federal laws in the
form of treaties and acts which deal with
hunting and fishing
– laws pertaining to migratory birds and
waterfowl most often come to mind when thing
about federal laws
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Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
• “Establishment of a Federal prohibition, unless
permitted by regulations, to pursue, hunt, take,
capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill, possess,
offer to sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver
for shipment, ship, cause to be shipped, deliver for
transportation, transport, cause to be transported,
carry, or cause to be carried by any means whatever,
receive for shipment, transportation or carriage, or
export, at any time, or in any manner, any migratory
bird, included in the terms of this Convention… for the
protection of migratory birds… or any part, nest, or
egg of any such bird.” (16 U.S.C. 703)
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Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
• Applies to all migratory birds within international
conventions between the United States and Mexico,
the United States and Great Britain, the United States
and Russia, and the United States and Japan
• Conviction of violation would result in:
– fine of not more than $500
– imprisonment of not more than six
months
• Conviction of selling would result in:
– fine of not more than $2,000
– imprisonment of not more than two
years
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Migratory Bird Treaty Reform
Act of 1998
• Amended the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of
1918
– made it unlawful to take migratory game birds
using bait if the person knows or should know
the area has been baited
– made it unlawful to bait an area used for the
purpose of taking migratory game birds or the
area adjacent to it
– violators can be fined up to $100,000 and up
to one year imprisonment
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Migratory Bird Hunting &
Conservation Stamp Act
• Commonly called the Duck Stamp Act
• Requires a person 16 years of age or
older, who is engaging in hunting, to
possess a federal hunting stamp
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Fish & Wildlife Act of 1956
• “Establishes a comprehensive national fish,
shellfish, and wildlife resources policy with
emphasis on the commercial fishing industry but
also with a direction to administer the Act with
regard to the inherent right of every citizen and
resident to fish for pleasure, enjoyment, and
betterment and to maintain and increase public
opportunities for recreational use of fish and
wildlife resources.” (16 U.S.C. 742a-742j)
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Federal Laws
• There are also several other laws, acts,
and treaties which can be found at
www.fws.gov/laws/laws_digest/
resource_laws.htm
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Landowners & Property Rights
• Private land
– can be hunted on if you:
• own your own land
• receive permission to hunt
• pay to hunt
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Hunting Lease
• Landowner provides you access to private land
after certain arrangements are made
– lease agreement- written agreement between
landowner and lessee
– content of lease agreement
• name of all parties- landowner and lessee
• length of lease- when the lease will end and begin
• description of lease area- identifies lease area by
boundaries
• lease privileges- lists all permitted pre-season
activities
• lease fee- costs of lease, payment type and due date
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Hunting Lease
• Landowner provides you access to private land
after certain arrangements are made
– content of lease agreement
• indemnification statement- provides protection for the
lessee against liability in case of injury or death to
any lessee or property damage
• provisions of damages- procedures for reporting
damage to the landowner
• hunting rights- identifies game permitted to hunt and
other rules regarding hunting on property
• hunter rights- specifies general rules for hunter
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Types of Hunting Leases
•
•
•
•
Year-round lease
Limited lease
Day hunting
Guided hunt
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Assessment
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Assessment
1.
Which is NOT a division of Texas Parks & Wildlife?
A.Inland fisheries
B.Communications
C.Law enforcement
D.Marketing
2.
A game warden has _______________________.
A. As much power as a state peace officer
B. Less power than a state peace officer
C. A very small jurisdiction
D. All of the above
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Assessment
3.
Texas has 97 percent privately owned land.
A.True
B.False
4.
A fishing license is NOT required if __________________.
A.You were born before Sept. 1, 1930
B.You were born after Sept. 1, 1930
C.You were born on Sept. 2, 1930
D.You are 18 years of age
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Assessment
5.
Hunting and fishing laws are made ________________.
A.To annoy hunters
B.To ensure a fair chase
C.To make the state money
D.All of the above
6.
The United States Department of the Interior employs how
many people?
A.More than 73,000
B.More than 100,000
C.More than 123,000
D.More than 200,000
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Assessment
7.
Violations of hunting and fishing laws can lead to which of the
following?
A.Loss of license
B.Misdemeanor charges
C.Felony charges
D.All of the above
8.
The United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) has ten
regional law enforcement offices.
A.True
B.False
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Assessment
9.
It is not unlawful to use another person’s hunting or fishing
license.
A.True
B.False
10. Private land can be hunted if which of the following is true?
A. You own the land
B. You have received permission to hunt the land
C. You have paid a fee to hunt on the land
D. All of the above
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Sources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
http://www.doi.gov/facts.html
http://www.doi.gov/secretary/officials_org chart.html
http://www.doi.gov/secretary/officials.html
http://www.doi.gov/subject.html
http://www.fws.gov/le/AboutLE/about_le.htm
http://www.fws.gov/laws/laws_digest/ migtrea.html
http://www.fws.gov/laws/laws_digest/ mighunt.html
http://www.fws.gov/laws/laws_digest/fwact.html
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Acknowledgements
Research Coordinator
Ashley Come
Julie Boatright
Graphic Designer
Melody Rowell
Technical Writer
Jessica Odom
Production Manager
Dusty Moore
V.P. of Brand Management
Clayton Franklin
Executive Producer
Gordon W. Davis, Ph.D.
© MMXIV
CEV Multimedia, Ltd.
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