A New Era for Pintail Regulations

By Brandon Reishus; Rosalie Wetzel; Mike Brasher, PhD

For the first time since 1997, duck hunters in the Lower 48 may have the opportunity to legally harvest up to three pintails a day. This change is the result of a new, interim northern pintail harvest strategy that the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) adopted in May 2024. The strategy reflects decades of collaborative research and monitoring, using the best available science to balance hunting opportunities with the long-term conservation of pintail populations.

Lessons from the early 20th century teach us that unregulated harvest can drive waterfowl populations to dangerously low levels. Today, waterfowl hunting regulations are based on the most rigorous science in wildlife management, grounded in nearly 80 years of research and monitoring. Authority for regulating the harvest of waterfowl and other migratory birds in the United States rests with the USFWS. However, state agencies provide important input through the Flyway Councils. Some regulations, such as methods of harvest and legal shooting hours, are relatively fixed over time. Others, such as season timing, season length, and bag limits, are established annually based on decision protocols in harvest strategies that are jointly agreed upon by the USFWS and Flyway Councils.

Over the years, both the data and the processes that we use to set harvest regulations have evolved. In 1995, the Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) approach was adopted to provide a framework for making objective decisions in the face of uncertainties. This process is adaptive in that the harvest strategy evolves to account for new knowledge generated by comparing predicted and observed population sizes. Through this method, additional harvest strategies and population models are used to set frameworks for species such as American black ducks, scaup, and northern pintails. Under AHM, harvest strategies occasionally change as scientists and managers adapt their approach to reflect new information and methods.

The new pintail harvest management strategy provides a range of options, including a closed season as well as bag limits ranging from one to three pintails per day. In August 2024, the AHM report issued by the USFWS recommended a three-pintail daily bag limit in all flyways for the 2025–26 hunting season. This came as a surprise to some hunters after the 2024 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (WBPHS) reported that the pintail breeding population had declined 11 percent from the 2023 estimate and was 49 percent below the long-term average. Some hunters questioned why such a dramatic increase in pintail bag limits had been recommended.

The decision to allow a three-pintail daily bag limit for the 2025–26 waterfowl season was informed by the new pintail harvest strategy and long-term data from the WBPHS—the largest and longest-running wildlife survey in the world. Importantly, the new pintail harvest strategy incorporates an additional decade of monitoring with improved population models that provide a better understanding of the effects of harvest and the relationships between pintail populations and their habitats.

While harvest can affect pintail survival and population size, scientists agree that its effect is small compared to that of annual breeding habitat conditions. A key outcome of the new modeling effort is a recognition of the potential for more liberal bag limits without jeopardizing the health of the pintail population. The new strategy also attempts to address concerns of state agencies and their constituents regarding restrictive pintail regulations under previous harvest strategies. However, given the limited experience with three-pintail bag limits in recent years, the new strategy is being implemented on an interim basis and will be monitored annually to address any issues that may emerge. After a three-pintail bag limit has been implemented for three waterfowl seasons, which do not necessarily have to occur in consecutive years, the USFWS and Flyway Councils will reevaluate the strategy to decide if it meets the objectives and make changes if needed. Following are frequently asked questions about the new approach, its implications for duck hunters, and what we can expect from population management in the coming years. 

What are the objectives of the new pintail harvest strategy?

The new strategy has five main objectives: (1) ensure long-term health and sustainability of the pintail population in accordance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, (2) balance conservation and hunting opportunities over the long term, (3) keep the hunting season open if the pintail breeding population is above the new 1.2 million–bird threshold, (4) allow a three-bird bag limit under certain conditions, (5) provide a consistent bag limit in the Atlantic Flyway when the season is open elsewhere.

Did this new strategy affect pintail regulations for the 2024–25 hunting season?

No. Regulations for the 2024–25 season did not change in response to the new harvest strategy. The maximum allowable daily pintail limit remains one bird in all flyways for the remainder of the season.

Does the new harvest strategy for pintails include different bag limits for drakes and hens?

No. The new strategy does not include sex restrictions. Any combination of male and female pintails may be legally harvested as long as the total does not exceed the allowable pintail limit. Though it might seem counterintuitive, the most recent research and scientific modeling show us that restricting the harvest of female pintails would not meaningfully affect the subsequent breeding population. Another underlying objective of the new strategy is to minimize the complexity of regulations.

What information will determine the annual pintail limit under the new strategy?

The recommended daily bag limit (allowing from one to three birds) for the Pacific, Central, and Mississippi Flyways will be determined by the pintail breeding population size and the mean latitude of breeding pintails observed during the WBPHS. The Atlantic Flyway will be afforded a three-pintail limit in all years when the pintail season is open.

Why does the Atlantic Flyway have a fixed three-pintail limit?

From 2010 to 2018, the pintail harvest in the Atlantic Flyway accounted for an average of 3.3 percent of the continental harvest. Allowing a consistent three-pintail limit in the Atlantic Flyway would have minimal impact on the continental population and simplifies regulations for hunters in the region.

Does the new harvest strategy have a threshold that would call for a closed season on pintails?

Yes. If the pintail breeding population falls below 1.2 million birds, the strategy calls for a closed season across all flyways for the following hunting season.

Looking Ahead

Harvest regulations directly affect waterfowl hunters and are a subject of frequent discussion. Substantial time and resources are devoted to setting regulations each year, and while differences in regulations among species may cause confusion, we can rest assured that harvest managers continue to seek improvements that will enhance hunting opportunities when populations of pintails and other species allow it. Decades of science and the partnerships formed to create responsible harvest regulations mean that legal harvest will not threaten the sustainability of waterfowl populations. More importantly, we have learned that maintaining abundant waterfowl populations depends primarily on our success in conserving the habitats the birds rely upon. For more information about the new pintail harvest strategy, visit fws.gov/story/2024-06/new-strategy-inform-northern-pintail-hunting-regulations.

Brandon Reishus is migratory game bird coordinator with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Rosalie Wetzel is communication specialist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Program National Office, and Dr. Mike Brasher is senior waterfowl scientist at DU national headquarters in Memphis.