Migratory Bird Hunting; Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations on Certain Federal Indian Reservations and Ceded Lands

As part of the rulemaking process for the 2023-2024 season, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter, Service or we) proposes a revised process for establishing special regulations for certain Tribes on Federal Indian reservations, off-reservation trust lands, and ceded lands for migratory bird hunting seasons. We are proposing no longer to require that Tribes annually submit a proposal to the Service for our review and approval and no longer to publish in the Federal Register the annual Tribal migratory bird hunting regulations, and instead to adopt as regulations elements of our current guidelines for establishing special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal Indian reservations (including off-reservation trust lands) and ceded lands. The Service recognizes the reserved hunting rights and management authority of Indian Tribes. Since the 1985-86 hunting season, we have successfully employed guidelines to establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal Indian reservations and ceded lands. We conclude that Tribal migratory bird harvest has been small with negligible impact to bird population status. We anticipate that Tribal hunting of migratory birds will continue to have similar negligible impacts to bird populations in the future. By proposing these regulations, the Service seeks to strengthen Tribal sovereignty and to reduce administrative burdens on both the Tribes and the Service while continuing to sustain healthy migratory game bird populations for future generations.