The board approved rule clarifications that tighten automatic eligibility for season extensions and emphasize permanent disability criteria while retaining staff discretion; public disability‑advocacy groups supported measures intended to preserve program integrity and long‑term access for qualifying hunters.

After extensive RAC discussion, the board combined the two any‑bull rifle seasons into a single season and approved a reinstated multi‑season any‑bull permit with a cap of 5,000 permits; both motions passed unanimously and the remainder of the mid‑plan review was adopted.

Agency staff said some hunt units remain closed, archery hunts proceeded in some areas, and the agency has offered refunds or point reinstatements on a case-by-case basis, typically notifying affected license holders roughly a week before hunts.

Staff told commissioners they are exploring rule language to limit game-camera use on public lands during hunting seasons, with potential exemptions for research under special-use permits; the concept is intentionally open-ended and could focus only on transmitting (push) cameras.

The RAC approved rule changes that add nurse practitioners as authorized signers for disability accommodation forms, require reapplication every five years to confirm permanence, and adjust extension timing; members discussed fraud risk and verification steps.

The Southeastern RAC approved the division’s elk mid‑plan recommendations, including restoring multi‑season tags and retaining separate early/late rifle hunts in the short term; members debated removing permit caps and how House Bill 202 landowner incentives affect quotas.

Regional staff reported a pneumonia outbreak that killed an estimated 40% of a herd; the wildlife board has authorized tag‑turning accommodations for affected hunters while the division monitors and considers supplementation options.

After extended debate and public comment, the Northern RAC accepted the Division's elk mid‑plan recommendations, including restoring an uncapped multi‑season any‑bull permit structure and merging early/late rifle any‑bull weeks into a single season; members flagged crowding concerns and data will be reviewed in a three‑year mid‑plan check.

Commissioner Rder criticized Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife leadership and urged the board to join 15 counties in asking the governor to remove commissioners Melanie Roland and Lorna Smith; commissioners agreed to explore drafting a letter and running it by the county legal office.

During the public comment period, two speakers criticized department lethal control decisions and urged protections for wolves; WAG members debated whether to prioritize classification or monitoring first and agreed to hold initial in‑person discussions in November.

The House Game and Fisheries Committee voted to report House Bill 2690, which would authorize the Pennsylvania Game Commission to establish license classifications and fees similar to authority granted previously to the Fish and Boat Commission. Lawmakers debated oversight, historical management of pheasant programs and safeguards before the measure was reported out.

The Southern Region RAC voted 6–2 to reject a Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) recommendation to prohibit lethal snare sets targeting cougars on public land, directing staff to return with a revised proposal developed with trappers, houndsmen and other stakeholders.

The RAC accepted the Division of Wildlife Resources’ upland game and wild turkey recommendations but voted to exclude one proposed rule (R657-69-7) that would allow sale/commodification of depredation vouchers; divisions and NGOs debated potential impacts on hunter opportunity.

The council approved CWMU certificate renewals, explained public‑land inclusion rules and compensation options, and unanimously directed staff to improve public visibility of CWMU trade‑land maps (OnX or web maps) so hunters can find trade‑access parcels.

via US news | The Guardian — After January order from US department of the interior, managers across 55 sites have lifted prohibitions Donald Trump’s administration is quietly pushing national park, refuge and wilderness area managers to dramatically scale back hunting restrictions, raising questions about visitor safety and the impact on wildlife. Doug Burgum, the US Department of the Interior secretary, issued an order in January directing multiple agencies to remove what he termed “unnecessary regulatory or administrativ

The Southeastern Regional Advisory Council backed the Division of Wildlife Resources’ 2026 permit recommendations across deer, elk, pronghorn, once‑in‑a‑lifetime and CWMU allocations, approving most items unanimously and passing a separate motion 7–1 to reduce Wasatch antlerless moose permits to one.

The Northern RAC endorsed DWR's bull elk permit slate with an amendment to add five permits to each limited-entry late-archery bull elk hunt; members also flagged discussion of restoring a previous multi-season permit for mid-plan review.

After extended questioning and input from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the committee voted down House Bill 41 28 (which would have allowed a higher harvest and an earlier opener or delegated quotas to ODWC); an amendment to defer quota-setting to ODWC had failed earlier, and the full bill failed in committee 3-9.

SB 2,095 would set fees and fines for hunting guides, exempt in-state helpers from licensing (unless they are from out of state) and impose higher fees for nonresidents; committee approved the bill 6-0 after confirming it applies to waterfowl guides and reviewing fee levels (stated as $1,000 and $2,000).

The Iowa Senate passed Senate File 424, reserving 40 nonresident deer hunting licenses for Iowa conservation organizations and designating 10 as governor's tags; unaccepted governor tags will be reallocated to conservation organizations after Sept. 1, sponsors said.

In executive session the Fish and Game Committee moved ITL on HB 1045 (hunting with lights), approved an amendment and OTPA for HB 11-40 (disabled persons hunting from vehicle) 14–0, and approved amendment 0700H and recommended OTPA on HB 18-33-FN (temporary nonresident tuna-tournament license); amendments passed unanimously and most items were placed on the consent calendar.

Game, Fish and Parks presented proposed changes to antelope and turkey application draws (move special/nonresident archery draws until after May aerial survey and remove an unused third draw) and proposed changing statewide archery and muzzleloader deer license types to 'buck only' for 2026 to protect declining mule deer and address low recruitment in southeastern counties.

The committee took testimony on LD 22 17, which would allow electronic tagging of deer and remove in‑person registration fees; the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife cautioned about revenue loss, data‑collection bias and enforcement issues and proposed fee shifts to replace revenue.

House Bill 111, a yearly wildlife cleanup bill, was advanced with amendments to cap late harvest-reporting fees at $25, broaden public-notice options for land acquisitions, require DWR to notify U.S. Fish and Wildlife if a grizzly enters Utah, and shorten gun-discharge setbacks in WMAs from 600 to 300 feet.