NDOW news release:
With Nevada’s bird hunting seasons on the horizon, now is the time for hunters to get “HIP” by registering for their Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Anyone who hunts migratory birds such as doves, ducks, geese, swans and rails, among others, is required to participate in the HIP program.
Hunters must have their HIP number written on their hunting license and, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, there is a space designated specifically for it. State game wardens will be looking for the number when they check hunting licenses. There is no charge for obtaining the numbers and the process typically takes just a few minutes, but hunters must purchase their hunting license first. In Nevada, hunters may obtain their HIP numbers by calling 866-703-4605 or online at www.ndowlicensing.com.
HIP is a cooperative effort between individual state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and is designed to gather accurate information on the level and distribution of harvest of migratory birds, including doves, ducks and woodcock. It provides the opportunity for some hunters to share information with biologists that may help them manage North America’s population of migratory game birds.
Each year the US Fish & Wildlife service contacts a random sample from a list of hunters who obtained their HIP number for that year and asks them for information about the kind and number of migratory birds they harvested during the hunting season. Reports collected from the hunters in the sample are used to develop reliable estimates of the total number of all migratory birds harvested throughout the country. In this way, hunters serve as biologist’s eyes and ears in the field, helping to improve
wildlife conservation efforts and protecting the hunting heritage.
“Hunters are the original conservationists. They became involved long before it became the “trendy” thing to do, by taxing themselves, paying license fees and buying stamps. Not to mention their on-the-ground efforts in behalf of wildlife,” said Martin Olson, hunter education coordinator for NDOW. “The HIP program is just another page in their long conservation history.”
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.
