Woodcock hunters should be aware of this essential certification.
By Nathan Ratchford | Ducks Unlimited Conservation Communications Coordinator
Woodcock season is nearly upon us. As you gear up for fall days in your favorite aspen covers, one of the most important and exciting steps is purchasing your hunting license. Whether you’re doing so online or at your local sporting goods store, there’s one crucial task for woodcock hunters: answering the Harvest Information Program (HIP) questions. What’s the purpose of these questions, and how do they contribute to migratory bird management?
HIP is cooperatively managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and state fish and wildlife agencies. Put simply, it requires woodcock and other migratory bird hunters to get their HIP certification by answering a few questions about past harvest patterns. HIP certification is typically obtained when purchasing an annual hunting license, but even hunters with a lifetime license are required to complete the certification.
The information collected through HIP certification is later used to create a sampling framework for the USFWS Migratory Bird Harvest Survey (diary survey) and Parts Collection Survey (wing survey). These surveys, along with band recoveries and population studies, give biologists the data they need to make informed decisions on hunting regulations and migratory bird management.
WHO NEEDS IT?
HIP certification is required for any hunter intending to hunt migratory birds such as woodcock, snipe, doves, ducks, geese, swans, cranes, rails, gallinules, moorhens and coots. It’s not required for those pursuing only ruffed grouse or other non-migratory upland birds. However, if you plan on a mixed bag of woodcock and grouse this fall, like many of us do, make sure you’re HIP certified. Be sure to check your state regulations, as many states exempt hunters below a certain age. Additionally, if you plan to hunt woodcock in multiple states, you’ll need HIP certification in each state.
WHY’S IT IMPORTANT?
HIP certification is not only a legal requirement for woodcock hunters but also a critical component of migratory bird management. Data collected through HIP help biologists estimate migratory bird populations and assess the impact of hunting. Accurate harvest estimates are vital for:
- Ensuring the health and sustainability of woodcock and other migratory bird populations
- Setting appropriate hunting regulations
- Maintaining future hunting opportunities
“Hunters directly benefit from participating in HIP and the harvest surveys because their data is used to assess the health of migratory bird populations. This data provided by hunters in turn makes a meaningful contribution to ensure future hunting seasons,” said HIP Coordinator at the Wildlife Management Institute, Brad Bortner. Bortner retired in 2017 as Chief of the USFWS Division of Migratory Bird Management after 33 years.
The season is nearly here, so go get your license, stay legal and for the sake of woodcock and migratory bird conservation – don’t skip HIP!
