Is Hunting Allowed in National Wilderness Preservation System?
The National Wilderness Preservation System consists of more than 100 million acres of pristine wilderness land managed by the U.S. federal government. There are more than 700 separate wilderness areas currently designated. People can use the land for nonmotorized or nonmechanized activities, both scientific and recreational. These activities include hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, fishing and hunting.
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Administration
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The National Wilderness Preservation System is an umbrella administration created in 1964 to coordinate four preexisting federal organizations: the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and the US. .Fish and Wildlife Service. Laws and regulations on hunting differ between wilderness areas.
National Park Service
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Some individual national parks allow hunting; however, the rules and regulations regarding hunting in the national parks may be very different from hunting in state parks or on private land. Some wilderness land belongs to Native American tribes, which can have a different set of rules and regulations.
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Hunting in National Parks
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While hunting is banned in some national parks and federal wilderness land, some parks do allow hunting by permit and within designated seasons to regulate the animal populations. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin and Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri allow hunting.
Permits and Regulations
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Hunting on federal land is subject to the rules and regulations set forth by the NWPS, the specific federal organization that controls the land (for example, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a national park managed by the National Park Service) and by the state government (for example, Apostle Island is also subject to Wisconsin state law). You are responsible for learning the law regarding the specific land you wish to use for hunting. These laws can be complicated, so contact the federal agencies and park rangers for specific information.
Permission to Hunt
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Contact the specific agency that controls the wilderness area you hope to hunt on. The federal agency or the park rangers will be able to tell you if and when hunting is permitted on that particular area as well as what kind of game can be harvested, what weapons can be used, when hunting season is, what the bag limits are and the specific procedures for acquiring a hunting permit or license.
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