A law was enacted to exempt qualified Alaska subsistence waterfowl hunters from having to purchase and carry a federal Duck Stamp.

Who is eligible for the exemption from the requirement to purchase a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp to hunt migratory birds in Alaska?

• permanent resident of a village within a subsistence harvest area (50 CFR Part 92.4 and 92.5), or
• federally qualified subsistence user (50 CFR Parts 92.4 and 100.23)

When can an eligible person hunt migratory waterfowl without a Federal Duck Stamp?

The times when you may hunt without a Federal Duck Stamp vary depending on how you qualify for this exemption.

• permanent resident of a village within a subsistence harvest area, you may hunt migratory waterfowl without a Federal Duck Stamp during any waterfowl season in Alaska, including spring/summer subsistence season and the fall sport season.
• federally qualified subsistence user (but NOT a resident of a village within a subsistence harvest area) you may hunt migratory waterfowl without a Federal Duck Stamp in Alaska during the fall sport season.

Where can a qualified person hunt without a Federal Duck Stamp?

If you qualify for this exemption, you may hunt migratory waterfowl without a Federal Duck Stamp anywhere in Alaska in accordance with state law, including relevant safety statutes. You must have a Federal Duck Stamp to hunt migratory waterfowl anywhere else in the United States.

If a person is eligible for this exemption, does that person have to purchase and carry state-required licenses or stamps while hunting?

All waterfowl hunters over 16 years or older are required to have a State hunting license and State Duck Stamp, except disabled veterans, those 60 years or older and those that qualify for a low income license.

Published: 22 April 2019

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Proposed rule for subsistence harvest of migratory bird in Alaska available for public comment The proposed rule for the subsistence harvest of migratory birds in Alaska during the spring and summer of 2018 has been made available for public comment. No changes to the subsistence harvest have been proposed.

These regulations are reviewed annually by the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management Council. The council is responsible for management of the harvest. Members of the council include representatives of Alaska Native peoples, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Only Alaska residents who qualify may harvest under these regulations.

You can read the proposed rule and submit your comments on the internet at: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. FWS-R7-MB-2018-02001.

Comments may also be submitted by mail to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R7-MB2018-02001; Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 5275 Leesburg Place, MS: BPHC; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

Learn more about the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management Council at: https://www.fws.gov/alaska/ambcc/. The proposed rule is also available at this site.

Posted: February 1, 2018

Contact: Andrea Medeiros, USFWS
907-786-3695, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Published: 22 April 2019

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We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are officially opening the 2018 Subsistence Migratory Bird Harvest Season in Alaska, by publishing the Final Rule in the Federal Register (XXXXXXX). The season opens April 2nd which runs through August 31st, 2018.These annual harvest regulations allow for the continuation of customary and traditional subsistence uses of migratory birds in Alaska and prescribe regional information on when and where the harvesting of birds may occur. These regulations were developed under a co-management process involving the Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Alaska Native representatives. The rule making is necessary because the regulations governing the subsistence harvest of migratory birds in Alaska are subject to annual review. Only administrative changes are proposed for the 2018 regulations.

Learn more about the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management Council at: https://www.fws.gov/alaska/ambcc/Index.htm. The proposed rule is also available at this site.

March 30, 2018 Contact: Andrea Medeiros, USFWS
907-786-3695, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.