Trump Administration Directs Agencies to Scale Back Hunting Restrictions on Federal Lands

The Trump administration is directing federal land managers to scale back restrictions on hunting and trapping in national parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas. U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued an order in January that instructs multiple agencies to remove what he termed “unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers” to hunting and fishing.

The order requires managers to justify any regulations they wish to retain. Burgum stated that expanding opportunities for hunting and fishing on department-managed lands strengthens conservation outcomes, supports rural economies, public health and access to outdoor spaces.

“The Department's policy is clear: public and federally managed lands should be open to hunting and fishing unless a specific, documented, and legally supported exception applies,” Burgum wrote. The order applies to 55 sites in the lower 48 states under National Park Service jurisdiction, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

Managers at various locations have already lifted prohibitions on hunting stands that damage trees, training hunting dogs, using vehicles to retrieve animals and hunting along trails. The New York Times was the first to report on the changes. Examples of the adjustments include extending the hunting season through spring and summer at Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, permitting hunters to clean kills in bathrooms at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Texas, and allowing alligator hunting in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana.

Hunting is currently allowed across about 51 million National Park Service acres spanning 76 sites, although only about 8 million of those acres lie in the contiguous United States. Fishing is allowed in 213 sites. National Park Service sites typically adopt state hunting and fishing regulations but can impose additional restrictions to protect public safety and wildlife resources, such as prohibiting shooting along trails or near buildings.

The order was issued as hunting participation continues to decline. Only about 4.2 percent of the U.S. population identified as a hunter older than 16 in 2024, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Census data. State wildlife agencies have seen reduced revenue from license sales and excise taxes on guns and ammunition.

Reactions to the Order A spokesperson for the Interior Department said in an email that the order is a commonsense approach to public land management. The spokesperson added that any closures or limits needed for public safety, resource protection or legal compliance will remain in place.

The spokesperson stated that sportsmen and women have been strong stewards of public lands and that the order ensures their access is not unnecessarily restricted by outdated or overly broad limitations not required by law. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership posted a statement online in January calling the order a balance between wildlife management and outdoor traditions.

Ducks Unlimited posted a statement in March saying the order recognizes duck hunters’ vital role and will streamline federal regulations to make them more consistent with state rules. A former head of the National Park Service biological resources department said the order undermines a process established in good faith and does not reflect science-based management.

The former official added that not every place needs to be open to every activity if it comes at the expense of other users or degrades public resources. The order clears the way for practices including tree stands, training dogs and cleaning game in certain facilities at the affected sites.