35942 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 114 / Tuesday, June 14, 2022 / Proposed Rules 

1Available in the docket for the rulemaking at 

https://www.regulations.gov/document/FMCSA2022-0001-0011. 

to reopen the comment period.1 OOIDA 

requested the comment period be 

reopened for ‘‘no less than 60 days’’ to 

allow for review and comment on the 

response submitted by the UCR Plan. 

The information submitted by the UCR 

Plan is clearly related to the 

recommendation for an adjustment in 

the fees submitted by the UCR Plan, and 

the comments already received from 

OOIDA and others. The Agency is 

limiting the reopening to 14 days so that 

it can quickly finalize a rule adjusting 

UCR Plan and Agreement fees prior to 

the opening of the registration period on 

October 1, 2022, for the next registration 

year beginning on January 1, 2023. 

Accordingly, FMCSA reopens the 

comment period until June 28, 2022 for 

the limited purpose of receiving 

comments on the data and information 

submitted by the UCR Plan in its 

response dated May 9, 2022. 

Robin Hutcheson, 

Deputy Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2022–12737 Filed 6–13–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

50 CFR Part 20 

[Docket No. FWS–HQ–MB–2021–0057; 

FF09M30000–223–FXMB1231099BPP0] 

RIN 1018–BF07 

Migratory Bird Hunting; Proposed 

Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations on 

Certain Federal Indian Reservations 

and Ceded Lands for the 2022–23 

Season 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (hereinafter, Service or we) 

proposes special migratory bird hunting 

regulations for certain Tribes on Federal 

Indian reservations, off-reservation trust 

lands, and ceded lands for the 2022–23 

migratory bird hunting season. In 

issuing this proposed rule, we followed 

guidelines for establishing special 

migratory bird hunting regulations for 

Indian Tribes that recognize the 

reserved hunting rights and 

management authority of Indian Tribes 

while also ensuring that the migratory 

game bird resource receives necessary 

protection. 

DATES: 

Written Comments: You must submit 

comments on the proposed regulations 

by July 14, 2022. 

Information Collection Requirements: 

If you wish to comment on the 

information collection requirements in 

this proposed rule, please send your 

comments and suggestions on this 

information collection by August 15, 

2022. 

ADDRESSES: 

Written Comments: You may submit 

comments on the proposals by one of 

the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

on Docket No. FWS–HQ–MB–2021– 

0057. 

• U.S. Mail: Public Comments 

Processing, Attn: FWS–HQ–MB–2021– 

0057, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 

MS: PRB (JAO/3W); 5275 Leesburg Pike, 

Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. 

We will post all comments on https:// 

www.regulations.gov. This generally 

means that we will post any personal 

information you provide us (see Public 

Comments, below, for more 

information). 

Information Collection Requirements: 

Send your comments and suggestions 

on the information collection 

requirements to the Service Information 

Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg 

Pike, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), Falls Church, 

VA 22041–3803 (mail); or Info_Coll@

fws.gov (email). Please reference OMB 

Control Number 1018–0171 in the 

subject line of your comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jerome Ford, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Department of the Interior, 

(202) 208–1050. Individuals in the 

United States who are deaf, deafblind, 

hard of hearing, or have a speech 

disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 

TeleBraille) to access 

telecommunications relay services. 

Individuals outside the United States 

should use the relay services offered 

within their country to make 

international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Migratory game birds are those bird 

species so designated in conventions 

between the United States and several 

foreign nations for the protection and 

management of these birds. Under the 

Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 

703–712), the Secretary of the Interior is 

authorized to determine when ‘‘hunting, 

taking, capture, killing, possession, sale, 

purchase, shipment, transportation, 

carriage, or export of any such bird, or 

any part, nest, or egg’’ of migratory game 

birds can take place and to adopt 

regulations for this purpose. These 

regulations, which are updated 

annually, must give due regard to ‘‘the 

zones of temperature and to the 

distribution, abundance, economic 

value, breeding habits, and times and 

lines of migratory flight of such birds’’ 

(16 U.S.C. 704(a)). The Secretary of the 

Interior has delegated to the Service the 

lead Federal responsibility for managing 

and conserving migratory birds in the 

United States; however, migratory bird 

management is a cooperative effort of 

Federal, State, and Tribal governments. 

Special Migratory Bird Hunting 

Regulations for Indian Tribes 

In response to Tribal requests for 

recognition of their reserved hunting 

rights and, for some Tribes, recognition 

of their authority to regulate hunting by 

both Tribal and nontribal members on 

their reservations, the Service 

developed guidelines for establishing 

special migratory bird hunting 

regulations for Indian Tribes (53 FR 

31612, August 18, 1988). The guidelines 

include possibilities for: 

(1) On-reservation hunting by both 

Tribal and nontribal members, with 

hunting by nontribal members on some 

reservations to take place within Federal 

frameworks but on dates different from 

those selected by the surrounding 

State(s); 

(2) On-reservation hunting by Tribal 

members only, outside of the usual 

Federal frameworks for season dates and 

length, and for daily bag and possession 

limits; and 

(3) Off-reservation hunting by Tribal 

members on ceded lands, outside of 

usual framework dates and season 

length, with some added flexibility in 

daily bag and possession limits. 

In all cases, the regulations 

established under the guidelines must 

be consistent with the closed season on 

migratory game birds between March 10 

and September 1 (exclusive of these 

dates) mandated by the 1916 

Convention between the United States 

and Great Britain (for Canada/cackling 

geese) for the Protection of Migratory 

Birds (Treaty). The guidelines apply to 

those Tribes having recognized reserved 

hunting rights on Federal Indian 

reservations (including off-reservation 

trust lands) and on ceded lands. They 

also apply to establishing migratory bird 

hunting regulations for nontribal 

members on all lands within the 

exterior boundaries of reservations 

where Tribes have full wildlife 

management authority over such 


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hunting or where the Tribes and 

affected States otherwise have reached 

agreement over hunting by nontribal 

members on lands owned by nonIndians within the reservation. 

Tribes usually have the authority to 

regulate migratory bird hunting by 

nonmembers on Indian-owned 

reservation lands, subject to Service 

approval. The question of jurisdiction is 

more complex on reservations that 

include lands owned by non-Indians, 

especially when the surrounding States 

have established or intend to establish 

regulations governing hunting by nonIndians on these lands. In such cases, 

we encourage the Tribes and States to 

reach agreement on regulations that 

would apply throughout the 

reservations. When appropriate, we will 

consult with a Tribe and State with the 

aim of facilitating an accord. We also 

will consult jointly with Tribal and 

State officials in the affected States 

where Tribes wish to establish special 

hunting regulations for Tribal members 

on ceded lands. 

Because of past questions regarding 

interpretation of what events trigger the 

consultation process, as well as who 

initiates it, we provide the following 

clarification: We routinely provide 

Federal Register publications and 

biological status reports pertaining to 

migratory bird management and 

regulations online for all State Directors, 

Tribes, and other interested parties. It is 

the responsibility of the States, Tribes, 

and others to notify us of any concern 

regarding proposed and final 

regulations. When we receive such 

notification, we will initiate 

consultation. 

Our guidelines for establishing special 

migratory bird hunting regulations for 

Indian Tribes provide for the continued 

harvest of waterfowl and other 

migratory game birds by Tribal members 

on reservations where such harvest has 

been a customary practice. We do not 

oppose this harvest, provided it does 

not take place during the closed season 

defined by the Treaty and does not 

adversely affect the status of the 

migratory bird resource. Before 

developing the guidelines, we reviewed 

information on the status of migratory 

bird populations and Tribal member 

participation in migratory bird hunting 

on Federal Indian reservations and 

evaluated the potential impact of Tribal 

member hunting on the migratory bird 

resource. We concluded that the impact 

of migratory bird harvest by Tribal 

members hunting on their reservations 

is minimal. 

We conclude the guidelines provide 

appropriate opportunity to 

accommodate the reserved hunting 

rights and management authority of 

Indian Tribes while ensuring that the 

migratory bird resource receives 

necessary protection. The conservation 

of this important international resource 

is paramount. While the guidelines 

should not be viewed as inflexible, we 

note that they have been employed 

successfully since 1985. We should 

stress here, however, that use of the 

guidelines is not mandatory, and no 

action is required if a Tribe wishes to 

observe the hunting regulations 

established by the State(s) in which the 

reservation is located. 

Hunting Season Proposals From Indian 

Tribes and Organizations 

On August 31, 2021, we published in 

the Federal Register (86 FR 48649) a 

proposal to amend 50 CFR part 20 to 

establish open hunting seasons and 

daily bag and possession limits for 

certain designated groups or species of 

migratory game birds for 2022–23 in the 

contiguous United States, Alaska, 

Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands. The proposal provided a 

background and overview of the 

migratory bird hunting regulations 

process and addressed the 

establishment of seasons, limits, and 

other regulations for hunting migratory 

game birds. The proposed rule also 

invited proposals from Tribes that want 

to establish special hunting regulations 

for the 2022–23 migratory game bird 

hunting season. 

For the 2022–23 migratory game bird 

hunting season, we received requests 

from 29 Tribes and Indian organizations 

for special hunting regulations. In this 

proposed rule, we respond to these 29 

requests, and they are identified in 

paragraphs (a)–(cc) below. We actively 

solicit regulatory proposals from other 

Tribal groups that are interested in 

working cooperatively for the benefit of 

waterfowl and other migratory game 

birds. We encourage Tribes to work with 

us to develop agreements for 

management of migratory bird resources 

on Tribal lands. 

The proposed frameworks for 

migratory game bird hunting regulations 

were published in the Federal Register 

on February 2, 2022 (87 FR 5946). As 

previously discussed, no action is 

required by Tribes wishing to observe 

migratory bird hunting regulations 

established by the State(s) where they 

are located. 

Below are the proposed special 

migratory bird hunting regulations for 

the 2022–23 seasons based on requests 

from Tribes that meet the established 

criteria or have recently proposed 

special hunting regulations. Before 

developing the proposed hunting 

regulations, we reviewed information on 

the status of migratory bird populations 

and expected harvest associated with 

these regulations and evaluated the 

potential impact of this harvest on the 

migratory bird resource. We concluded 

that the impact of migratory bird harvest 

associated with these special regulations 

is minimal, and we propose to approve 

all the Tribal requests. 

(a) Confederated Salish and Kootenai 

Tribes, Flathead Indian Reservation, 

Pablo, Montana (Tribal and Nontribal 

Members) 

For the past several years, the 

Confederated Salish and Kootenai 

Tribes and the State of Montana have 

entered into cooperative agreements for 

the regulation of hunting on the 

Flathead Indian Reservation. The State 

and the Tribes are currently operating 

under a cooperative agreement signed in 

1990, which addresses fishing and 

hunting management and regulation 

issues of mutual concern. This 

agreement enables all hunters to utilize 

waterfowl hunting opportunities on the 

reservation. 

As in the past, Tribal regulations for 

nontribal members would be at least as 

restrictive as Federal frameworks for the 

Pacific Flyway portion of Montana. 

Goose, duck, and coot season dates 

would also be at least as restrictive as 

Federal frameworks for the Pacific 

Flyway portion of Montana. Shooting 

hours for waterfowl hunting on the 

Flathead Reservation are sunrise to 

sunset. Steel shot or other federally 

approved nontoxic shot are the only 

legal shotgun loads allowed on the 

reservation for waterfowl or other game 

bird hunting. 

For Tribal members, the Tribe 

requested duck and goose seasons 

September 1, 2022, through March 10, 

2023. Daily bag and possession limits 

were not proposed for Tribal members. 

The requested season dates and bag 

limits are similar to past regulations. 

Harvest levels are not expected to 

change significantly. Standardized 

check station data from the 1993–94 and 

1994–95 hunting seasons indicated no 

significant changes in harvest levels and 

that a large majority of the harvest is by 

nontribal members. 

(b) Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior 

Chippewa Indians, Cloquet, Minnesota 

(Tribal Members Only) 

Since 1996, the Service and the Fond 

du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 

Indians have cooperated to establish 

special migratory bird hunting 

regulations for Tribal members. The 

Fond du Lac’s proposal covers land set 

apart for the band under the Treaties of 


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1837 and 1854 in northeastern and eastcentral Minnesota and the Band’s 

Reservation near Duluth. 

The band’s requested 2022–23 

seasons are essentially the same as those 

approved last year. The requested 2022– 

23 waterfowl hunting season regulations 

for Fond du Lac are as follows: 

Ducks 

A. 1854 and 1837 Ceded Territories: 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 18 ducks, including 

no more than 12 mallards or 9 of any 

other species. 

B. Reservation: 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 12 ducks, including 

no more than 8 mallards or 6 of any 

other species. 

Mergansers 

A. 1854 and 1837 Ceded Territories: 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 15 mergansers, 

including no more than 6 hooded 

mergansers. 

B. Reservation: 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 10 mergansers, 

including no more than 4 hooded 

mergansers. 

Canada/Cackling Geese: All Areas 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 20 Canada/cackling 

geese. 

Sandhill Cranes: 1854 and 1837 Ceded 

Territories Only 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 3 sandhill cranes. A 

crane carcass tag is required prior to 

hunting. 

Tundra and Trumpeter Swans: 

Reservation Only 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 2 swans. Swan 

carcass tags are required prior to 

hunting. 

Coots and Common Gallinules: All 

Areas 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 20 coots and 

common gallinules in the aggregate. 

Sora and Virginia Rails: All Areas 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 25 sora and Virginia 

rails in the aggregate. 

Snipe: All Areas 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 8 snipe. 

Woodcock: All Areas 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 3 woodcock. 

Mourning Doves: All Areas 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

30, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 30 mourning doves. 

The following general conditions 

apply: 

1. While hunting waterfowl, a Tribal 

member must carry on his/her person a 

valid Ceded Territory License. 

2. Shooting hours for migratory birds 

are one-half hour before sunrise to onehalf hour after sunset. 

3. Except as otherwise noted, Tribal 

members will be required to comply 

with Tribal codes that will be no less 

restrictive than the provisions of chapter 

10 of the Model Off-Reservation Code. 

Except as modified by the Service rules 

adopted in response to this proposal, 

these amended regulations parallel 

Federal requirements in 50 CFR part 20 

as to hunting methods, transportation, 

sale, exportation, and other conditions 

generally applicable to migratory bird 

hunting. 

4. Band members in each zone will 

comply with State regulations providing 

for closed and restricted waterfowl 

hunting areas. 

5. There are no possession limits for 

migratory birds. For purposes of 

enforcing bag limits, all migratory birds 

in the possession or custody of band 

members on ceded lands will be 

considered to have been taken on those 

lands unless tagged by a Tribal or State 

conservation warden as having been 

taken on-reservation. All migratory 

birds that fall on reservation lands will 

not count as part of any off-reservation 

bag or possession limit. 

The band anticipates harvest will be 

fewer than 250 ducks and geese, and 

fewer than 10 sandhill cranes and 10 

trumpeter swans. 

(c) Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and 

Chippewa Indians, Suttons Bay, 

Michigan (Tribal Members Only) 

In the 1995–96 migratory bird 

seasons, the Grand Traverse Band of 

Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the 

Service first cooperated to establish 

special regulations for waterfowl. The 

Grand Traverse Band is a self-governing, 

federally recognized Tribe located on 

the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay in 

Leelanau County, Michigan. The Grand 

Traverse Band is a signatory Tribe of the 

Treaty of 1836. We have approved 

special regulations for Tribal members 

of the 1836 treaty’s signatory Tribes on 

ceded lands in Michigan since the 

1986–87 hunting season. 

For the 2022–23 season, the Tribe 

requested a duck season during 

September 1, 2022, through January 20, 

2023. The daily bag limit would be 35 

ducks and include no more than 8 

pintail, 4 canvasbacks, 5 hooded 

mergansers, 8 black ducks, 10 wood 

ducks, 8 redheads, and 20 mallards 

(only 10 of which may be females). 

For Canada/cackling geese and snow 

geese, the Tribe requested a season 

during September 1, 2022, through 

February 15, 2023. For white-fronted 

geese and brant, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 20 through 

December 30, 2022. The daily bag limit 

for Canada/cackling geese and snow 

geese would be 15 of each/in the 

aggregate, and the daily bag limit for 

white-fronted geese, including brant, 

would be 5 of each/in the aggregate. We 

further note that, based on available 

data (of major goose migration routes), 

it is unlikely that any Canada/cackling 

geese from the Southern James Bay 

Population will be harvested by the 

Tribe. 

For woodcock, the Tribe proposes a 

season during September 1 through 

November 14, 2022. The daily bag limit 

will not exceed 5 woodcock. 

For mourning doves, the Tribe 

proposes a season during September 1 

through November 14, 2022. The daily 

bag limit would be 25 mourning doves. 

For sandhill cranes, the Tribe 

proposes a season during September 1 

through November 14, 2022. The daily 

bag limit would be 2 and a season limit 

of 4 sandhill cranes. 

For snipe and rails (sora and Virginia 

Rail), the Tribe proposes a season 

during September 1 through November 

14, 2022. The daily bag limit would be 

10 of each species. 

Shooting hours would be from onehalf hour before sunrise to one-half hour 

after sunset. All other Federal 

regulations contained in 50 CFR part 20 

would apply including required use of 

nontoxic shot. The Tribe proposes to 

monitor harvest through game bag 

checks, patrols, and mail surveys. 

Harvest surveys from the 2013–14 

hunting season indicated that 

approximately 30 Tribal members 

harvested an estimated 100 ducks and 

45 Canada/cackling geese. 


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(d) Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife 

Commission, Odanah, Wisconsin (Tribal 

Members Only) 

Since 1985, various bands of the Lake 

Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians 

have exercised judicially recognized, 

off-reservation hunting rights for 

migratory birds in Wisconsin. The 

specific regulations were established by 

the Service in consultation with the 

Wisconsin Department of Natural 

Resources and the Great Lakes Indian 

Fish and Wildlife Commission 

(GLIFWC), an intertribal agency 

exercising delegated natural resource 

management and regulatory authority 

from its member Tribes in portions of 

Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. 

Beginning in 1986, a Tribal season on 

ceded lands in the western portion of 

the Michigan Upper Peninsula was 

developed in coordination with the 

Michigan Department of Natural 

Resources. We have approved 

regulations for Tribal members in both 

Michigan and Wisconsin since the 

1986–87 hunting season. In 1987, 

GLIFWC requested, and we approved, 

regulations to permit Tribal members to 

hunt on ceded lands in Minnesota, as 

well as in Michigan and Wisconsin. The 

States of Michigan and Wisconsin 

originally concurred with the 

regulations, although both Wisconsin 

and Michigan have raised various 

concerns over the years. Minnesota did 

not concur with the original regulations, 

stressing that the State would not 

recognize Chippewa Indian hunting 

rights in Minnesota’s treaty area until a 

court with jurisdiction over the State 

acknowledges and defines the extent of 

these rights. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme 

Court upheld the existence of the 

Tribes’ treaty reserved rights in 

Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band, 199 S. Ct. 

1187 (1999). 

We acknowledge all of the States’ 

concerns but point out that the U.S. 

Government has recognized the Indian 

treaty reserved rights, and that 

acceptable hunting regulations have 

been successfully implemented in 

Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 

Consequently, in view of the above, we 

have approved regulations since the 

1987–88 hunting season on ceded lands 

in all three States. In fact, this 

recognition of the principle of treaty 

reserved rights for band members to 

hunt and fish was pivotal in our 

decision to approve a 1991–92 season 

for the 1836 ceded area in Michigan. 

Since then, in the 2007 Consent Decree, 

the 1836 Treaty Tribes and the Michigan 

Department of Natural Resources and 

Environment established courtapproved regulations pertaining to offreservation hunting rights for migratory 

birds. 

For 2022, GLIFWC proposes offreservation special migratory bird 

hunting regulations on behalf of the 

member Tribes of the Voigt Intertribal 

Task Force of GLIFWC (for the 1837 and 

1842 Treaty areas in Wisconsin and 

Michigan), the Mille Lacs Band of 

Ojibwe and the six Wisconsin Bands 

(for the 1837 Treaty area in Minnesota), 

and the Bay Mills Indian Community 

(for the 1836 Treaty area in Michigan). 

Member Tribes of the Task Force are as 

follows: 

Wisconsin Minnesota Michigan 

Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of 

Chippewa Indians.

Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians ............. Lac Vieux Desert Band of Chippewa Indians. 

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior 

Chippewa Indians.

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. 

Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.

Sokaogon Chippewa Community (Mole Lake 

Band).

This year, GLIFWC requested 

operational use of enhanced methods of 

take (electronic calls and handheld nets) 

beginning with the 2022–23 hunting 

season in the 1837 and 1842 Treaty 

Areas. These methods were authorized 

over the past three hunting seasons as 

part of an experimental season; 

however, limited use of these methods 

by Tribal hunters made evaluation of 

their use difficult. The Service agreed to 

allow use of these enhanced methods of 

take for the next two hunting seasons to 

aid in evaluation, and a Memorandum 

of Agreement (MOA) is being developed 

with GLIFWC. 

Under GLIFWC’s proposed 2022–23 

regulations, GLIFWC expects total ceded 

territory harvest to be approximately 

2,000 to 3,000 ducks, 500 to 900 geese, 

fewer than 60 sandhill cranes, and 25 

swans (trumpeter and tundra in the 

aggregate), based on the results from the 

5 most recent harvest surveys. 

Harvest surveys conducted after the 

1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 

2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 

2020 Tribal seasons indicate that Tribal 

off-reservation harvest has averaged 

approximately 1,500 ducks and 375 

geese annually during this period. Due 

to the limited distribution of doves and 

dove habitat in the ceded territory, and 

the relatively small number of Tribal 

off-reservation migratory bird hunters, 

dove harvest is negligible. Two sandhill 

cranes were reported harvested in each 

of the first three Tribal crane seasons 

(2012–2014), 3 in 2015, 0 in 2016, 15 in 

2017, 31 in 2018, 24 in 2019, and 36 in 

2020. No swans were harvested in the 

first three Tribal swan seasons (2014– 

2016), but two swans were harvested in 

2017 and 2018, respectively, nine in 

2019, and none in 2020. All swans 

harvested have been trumpeters. 

The proposed 2022–23 waterfowl 

hunting season regulations apply to all 

treaty areas (except where noted) for 

GLIFWC as follows: 

Ducks 

Season Dates: September 1–December 

31, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 50 ducks in the 1837 

and 1842 Treaty Area; 30 ducks in the 

1836 Treaty Area. 

Mergansers 

Season Dates: September 1–December 

31, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 10 mergansers. 

Geese 

Season Dates: September 1–December 

31, 2022. In addition, any portion of the 

ceded territory that is open to Statelicensed hunters for goose hunting 

outside of these dates will also be open 

concurrently for Tribal members. 

Daily Bag Limit: 20 geese in the 

aggregate. 


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Other Migratory Birds 

A. Coots and Common Gallinules: 

Season Dates: September 1–December 

31, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 20 coots and 

common gallinules in the aggregate. 

B. Sora and Virginia Rails: 

Season Dates: September 1–December 

31, 2022. 

Daily Bag and Possession Limits: The 

daily bag limit is 20 sora and Virginia 

rails in the aggregate, and the possession 

limit is 25 sora and Virginia rails in the 

aggregate. 

C. Snipe: 

Season Dates: September 1–December 

31, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 16 snipe. 

D. Woodcock: 

Season Dates: 1836 Ceded Territory: 

September 1–December 31, 2022; 1837 

and 1842 Ceded Territories: September 

3–December 31, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 10 woodcock. 

E. Mourning Doves: 1837 and 1842 

Ceded Territories only. 

Season Dates: September 1–November 

29, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 15 mourning doves. 

F. Sandhill Cranes: 

Season Dates: September 1–December 

31, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 10 sandhill cranes 

and no seasonal bag limit in the 1837 

and 1842 Treaty areas; 3 sandhill cranes 

and no seasonal bag limit in the 1836 

Treaty area. 

G. Swans: 1837 and 1842 Ceded 

Territories only. 

Season Dates: September 1–December 

31, 2022. 

Daily Bag Limit: 5 swans. All 

harvested swans must be registered by 

presenting the fully feathered carcass to 

a Tribal registration station or GLIFWC 

warden. If the total number of trumpeter 

swans harvested reaches 20, the swan 

season will be closed by emergency 

Tribal rule. 

General Conditions 

A. All Tribal members will be 

required to obtain a valid Tribal 

waterfowl hunting permit. 

B. Except as otherwise noted, Tribal 

members will be required to comply 

with Tribal codes that will be no less 

restrictive than the model ceded 

territory conservation codes approved 

by Federal courts in the Lac Courte 

Oreilles v. State of Wisconsin (Voigt) 

and Mille Lacs Band v. State of 

Minnesota cases. Chapter 10 in each of 

these model codes regulates ceded 

territory migratory bird hunting. Both 

versions of chapter 10 parallel Federal 

requirements as to hunting methods, 

transportation, sale, exportation, and 

other conditions generally applicable to 

migratory bird hunting. They also 

automatically include by reference the 

Federal migratory bird regulations 

adopted in response to this proposal. 

C. Particular regulations of note 

include: 

1. Nontoxic shot will be required for 

all waterfowl hunting by Tribal 

members. 

2. Tribal members in each zone will 

comply with Tribal regulations 

providing for closed and restricted 

waterfowl hunting areas. These 

regulations generally incorporate the 

same restrictions contained in parallel 

State regulations. 

3. There are no possession limits, 

with the exception of 25 rails (in the 

aggregate) and 20 trumpeter swans total. 

For purposes of enforcing bag limits, all 

migratory birds in the possession and 

custody of Tribal members on ceded 

lands will be considered to have been 

taken on those lands unless tagged by a 

Tribal or State conservation warden as 

taken on reservation lands. All 

migratory birds that fall on reservation 

lands will not count as part of any offreservation bag or possession limit. 

4. There are no shell limit restrictions. 

5. Hunting hours are from 30 minutes 

before sunrise to 30 minutes after 

sunset, except that, within the 1837 and 

1842 Ceded Territories, hunters may use 

non-mechanical nets or snares that are 

operated by hand to take those birds 

subject to an open hunting season at any 

time (see further proposed regulations 

below). Capturing, without the aid of 

other devices (i.e., by hand), and 

immediately killing birds subject to an 

open season may also be done 

regardless of the time of day. 

6. Within the 1837 and 1842 Ceded 

Territories, Tribal members will be 

allowed to use electronic calls. 

Individuals using these devices will be 

required to complete a hunt survey for 

each hunt where electronic calls are 

used. Required information will include 

the date, time, and location of the hunt; 

number of hunters; the number of each 

species harvested per hunting event; if 

other hunters were in the area, any 

interactions with other hunters; and 

other information deemed appropriate. 

Survey results will be summarized and 

documented in a Commission report, 

which will be submitted to the Service. 

Barring unforeseen results, this 

application will be replicated for 2 years 

(through the 2023–24 season), after 

which a full evaluation would be 

completed. 

7. Within the 1837 and 1842 Ceded 

Territories, Tribal members will be 

allowed to use non-mechanical, handoperated nets (i.e., throw/cast nets or 

handheld nets typically used to land 

fish) and hand-operated snares and may 

chase and capture migratory birds 

without the aid of hunting devices (i.e., 

by hand). At this time, non-attended 

nets or snares will not be authorized 

under this regulation. Tribal members 

using nets or snares to take migratory 

birds, or taking birds by hand, will be 

required to complete a hunt survey for 

each hunt where these methods are 

used; and they will be required to 

submit the data to the Commission 

when requested at the end of the season. 

Required information will include the 

date, time, and location of the hunt; 

number of hunters; the number of each 

species harvested per hunting event; 

and other information deemed 

appropriate. Results will be summarized 

and documented in a Commission 

report, which will be submitted to the 

Service. Barring unforeseen results, this 

application will be replicated for 2 years 

(through the 2023–24 season), after 

which a full evaluation would be 

completed. 

(e) Jicarilla Apache Tribe, Jicarilla 

Indian Reservation, Dulce, New Mexico 

(Tribal Members and Nontribal 

Members) 

The Jicarilla Apache Tribe has had 

special migratory bird hunting 

regulations for Tribal members and 

nonmembers since the 1986–87 hunting 

season. The Tribe owns all lands on the 

reservation and has recognized full 

wildlife management authority. 

The Tribe requested a 2022–23 

waterfowl season during October 8 

through November 30, 2022. Daily bag 

and possession limits for waterfowl 

would be the same as the Federal 

frameworks for the Pacific Flyway 

portion of New Mexico, except that the 

Tribe requested daily bag and 

possession limits for Canada/cackling 

geese of two and four, respectively. 

Other regulations specific to the Pacific 

Flyway portion of New Mexico would 

be in effect. 

During the Jicarilla Game and Fish 

Department’s 2019 season, estimated 

duck harvest was 205. The species 

composition included mainly mallards, 

and gadwall. The estimated harvest of 

geese was nine birds. 

The proposed regulations are 

essentially the same as were established 

last year. The Tribe anticipates the 

maximum 2022–23 waterfowl harvest 

would be around 200 ducks and 20 

geese. 


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(f) Kalispel Tribe, Kalispel Reservation, 

Usk, Washington (Tribal Members and 

Nontribal Members) 

The Kalispel Reservation was 

established by Executive Order in 1914, 

and currently comprises approximately 

4,600 acres. The Tribe owns all 

Reservation land and has full 

management authority. The Kalispel 

Tribe has a fully developed wildlife 

program with hunting and fishing 

codes. The Tribe enjoys excellent 

wildlife management relations with the 

State. The Tribe and the State have an 

operational memorandum of 

understanding with emphasis on 

fisheries but also for wildlife. 

The nontribal member seasons 

described below would pertain to a 176- 

acre waterfowl management unit and 

800 acres of reservation land. Hunters 

must be accompanied by a guide from 

the Tribe. The Tribe is utilizing this 

opportunity to rehabilitate an area that 

needs protection because of past land 

use practices, as well as to provide 

additional waterfowl hunting in the 

area. Beginning in 1996, the requested 

regulations also included a proposal for 

Kalispel-member-only migratory bird 

hunting on Kalispel-ceded lands within 

Washington, Montana, and Idaho. 

The Kalispel Tribe requested duck 

and goose seasons for Tribal members 

only on reservation lands with dates 

consistent with Federal framework dates 

(September 24, 2022–January 31, 2023). 

For nontribal members on Tribally 

managed lands, the Tribe requested 

duck and goose seasons with the earliest 

possible opening date and to remain 

open for the maximum number of days 

allowed by Federal frameworks (107 

days from September 24, 2022–January 

8, 2023). The Tribe requested a season 

for ducks during September 24–25, 

2022, and during October 1, 2022, 

through January 8, 2023. Hunters should 

obtain further information on specific 

hunt days from the Kalispel Tribe. 

For nontribal members, the daily bag 

and possession limits would be the 

same as those for the duck and goose 

season in the State of Washington. 

The Tribe reports past nontribal 

member harvest of 1.5 ducks per day. 

Under the proposal, the Tribe expects 

harvest to be similar to last year, that is, 

fewer than 100 geese and 160 ducks. 

All other State and Federal 

regulations contained in 50 CFR part 20, 

such as use of nontoxic shot and 

possession of a signed Migratory Bird 

Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck 

Stamp), would apply. 

For Tribal members on Kalispel-ceded 

lands, the Kalispel Tribe requested a 

duck season during October 1, 2022, 

through January 31, 2023, and a goose 

season during September 3, 2022, 

through January 31, 2023. Daily bag and 

possession limits would be consistent 

with those for the State of Washington. 

The Tribe reports that there was no 

harvest by Tribal members in 2021–22. 

Under the proposal, the Tribe expects 

harvest to be fewer than 200 birds total 

for the season. Tribal members would be 

required to possess a signed Federal 

Duck Stamp and a Tribal ceded lands 

permit. 

(g) Klamath Tribe, Chiloquin, Oregon 

(Tribal Members Only) 

The Klamath Tribe currently has no 

reservation, per se. However, the 

Klamath Tribe has reserved hunting, 

fishing, and gathering rights within its 

former reservation boundary. This area 

of former reservation, granted to the 

Klamaths by the Treaty of 1864, is over 

1 million acres. Tribal natural resource 

management authority is derived from 

the Treaty of 1864 and carried out 

cooperatively under the judicially 

enforced Consent Decree of 1981. The 

parties to this Consent Decree are the 

Federal Government, the State of 

Oregon, and the Klamath Tribe. The 

Klamath Indian Game Commission sets 

the seasons. The Tribal biological staff 

and Tribal regulatory enforcement 

officers monitor Tribal harvest by 

frequent bag checks and hunter 

interviews. 

The Tribe requested duck and goose 

seasons during October 5, 2022, through 

January 31, 2023. Daily bag limits would 

be nine ducks, nine geese, and nine 

coots, with possession limits two times 

the daily bag limit. Shooting hours 

would be one-half hour before sunrise to 

one-half hour after sunset. Steel shot is 

required. 

Based on the number of birds 

produced in the Klamath Basin, this 

year’s harvest would be similar to last 

year’s. Past information on Tribal 

harvest suggests that more than 70 

percent of the annual goose harvest is 

local birds produced in the Klamath 

Basin. 

(h) Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Cass 

Lake, Minnesota (Tribal Members Only) 

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is a 

federally recognized Tribe located in 

Cass Lake, Minnesota. The reservation 

employs conservation officers to enforce 

conservation regulations. The Service 

and the Tribe have cooperatively 

established migratory bird hunting 

regulations since 2000. 

The Tribe requested a duck season 

during September 3 through December 

31, 2022, and a goose season during 

September 3 through December 31, 

2022. Daily bag limits for ducks would 

be 10 ducks, including no more than 5 

pintail, 5 canvasbacks, and 5 black 

ducks. Daily bag limits for geese would 

be 10 geese. Possession limits would be 

two times the daily bag limit. 

Shooting hours are one-half hour 

before sunrise to one-half hour after 

sunset. Only steel or other approved 

nontoxic shot may be used to harvest 

waterfowl. Waterfowl may not be 

pursued or taken while under the power 

of a motorized watercraft. Use of live 

decoys, bait, and commercial use of 

migratory birds is prohibited. No 

hunting will be allowed on or near a 

wild rice bed that is being actively 

harvested. No travel by boat is allowed 

within a wild rice bed. Nonnative 

species must be removed from 

watercraft and hunting equipment 

before leaving an access point. Several 

waterfowl refuges are closed to the 

taking of waterfowl. 

The annual harvest by Tribal 

members on the Leech Lake Reservation 

is estimated at 250 to 500 birds. 

(i) Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, 

Manistee, Michigan (Tribal Members 

Only) 

The Little River Band of Ottawa 

Indians (LRBOI) is a self-governing, 

federally recognized Tribe located in 

Manistee, Michigan, and a signatory 

Tribe of the Treaty of 1836. We have 

approved special regulations for Tribal 

members of the 1836 treaty’s signatory 

Tribes on ceded lands in Michigan since 

the 1986–87 hunting season. Ceded 

lands are located in Lake, Mason, 

Manistee, and Wexford Counties. The 

Band proposes regulations to govern the 

hunting of migratory birds by Tribal 

members within the 1836 Ceded 

Territory as well as on the Band’s 

Reservation. 

LRBOI requested a duck and 

merganser season from September 1, 

2022, through January 31, 2023. The 

daily bag limit would be 12 ducks and 

include no more than 2 pintail, 4 

canvasbacks, 4 black ducks, 6 wood 

ducks, 4 redheads, 8 mallards (only 4 of 

which may be female), 10 common and 

red-breasted mergansers, and 2 hooded 

mergansers. Possession limits would be 

three times the daily bag limit. 

For coots and gallinules, the Tribe 

requested a season during September 

14, 2022, through January 31, 2023. 

Daily bag limits would be 30 coots and 

gallinules and 60 in possession. 

For geese, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 1, 2022, 

through February 15, 2023. Daily bag 

limits would be 10 geese. 

For woodcock, snipe, and rails (sora 

and Virginia), the Tribe requested a 


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season during September 1, 2022, 

through December 31, 2022. The daily 

bag limit would be 5 woodcock and 25 

snipe or rails in the aggregate. 

Possession limits for all species would 

be three times the daily bag limit. 

For mourning doves, the Tribe 

requested a season during September 1, 

2022, through March 1, 2023, with a 

daily bag limit of 25 mourning doves. 

The possession limit would be three 

times the daily bag limit. 

For sandhill cranes, the Tribe 

requested a season during September 1, 

2022, through December 31, 2022, with 

a daily bag limit of two sandhill cranes. 

The possession limit would be three 

times the daily bag limit. 

The Tribe monitors harvest through 

mail surveys. 

General conditions are as follows: 

A. All Tribal members will be 

required to obtain a valid Tribal 

resource card and 2022–23 hunting 

license. 

B. Except as modified by the Service 

rules adopted in response to this 

proposal, these amended regulations 

parallel all Federal regulations 

contained in 50 CFR part 20. Shooting 

hours will be from one-half hour before 

sunrise to sunset. 

C. Particular regulations of note 

include: 

1. Nontoxic shot will be required for 

all waterfowl hunting by Tribal 

members. 

2. Tribal members in each zone will 

comply with Tribal regulations 

providing for closed and restricted 

waterfowl hunting areas. These 

regulations generally incorporate the 

same restrictions contained in parallel 

State regulations. 

D. Tribal members hunting in 

Michigan will comply with Tribal codes 

that contain provisions parallel to 

Michigan law regarding duck blinds and 

decoys. 

(j) The Little Traverse Bay Bands of 

Odawa Indians, Petoskey, Michigan 

(Tribal Members Only) 

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of 

Odawa Indians (LTBB) is a selfgoverning, federally recognized Tribe 

located in Petoskey, Michigan, and a 

signatory Tribe of the Treaty of 1836. 

We have approved special regulations 

for Tribal members of the 1836 treaty’s 

signatory Tribes on ceded lands in 

Michigan since the 1986–87 hunting 

season. 

For the 2022–23 season, the LTBB 

requested regulations similar to those of 

other Tribes in the 1836 treaty area. The 

LTBB requested regulations to govern 

the hunting of migratory birds by Tribal 

members on the LTBB reservation and 

within the 1836 Treaty Ceded Territory. 

The duck and merganser season would 

be during September 1, 2022, through 

January 31, 2023. The daily bag limit 

would be 20 ducks and 10 mergansers 

and would include no more than 5 

female mallards, 5 pintail, 5 

canvasbacks, 5 scaup, 5 hooded 

mergansers, 5 black ducks, 5 wood 

ducks, and 5 redheads. Possession 

limits would be two times the daily bag 

limit. 

For Canada/cackling geese, the LTBB 

requested a season during September 1, 

2022, through February 8, 2023. The 

daily bag limit would be 20 Canada/ 

cackling geese. We further note that, 

based on available data (of major goose 

migration routes), it is unlikely that any 

Canada/cackling geese from the 

Southern James Bay Population would 

be harvested by the LTBB. Possession 

limits are twice the daily bag limit. 

For woodcock, the LTBB requested a 

season during September 1 through 

December 1, 2022. The daily bag limit 

will not exceed 10 woodcock. For snipe, 

the LTBB requested a season during 

September 1 through December 31, 

2022. The daily bag limit will not 

exceed 15 snipe. For mourning doves, 

the LTBB requested a season during 

September 1 through November 14, 

2022. The daily bag limit will not 

exceed 15 mourning doves. For sora and 

Virginia rails, the LTBB requested a 

season during September 1 through 

December 31, 2022. The daily bag limit 

will not exceed 20 sora and 20 Virginia 

rails. For coots and gallinules, the LTBB 

requested a season during September 1 

through December 31, 2022. The daily 

bag limit would not exceed 20 coots and 

20 gallinules. The possession limits 

would be two times the daily bag limits. 

The LTBB also proposes a sandhill 

crane season during September 1 

through December 1, 2022. The daily 

bag limit would be two sandhill cranes. 

The possession limit would be two 

times the daily bag limit. 

All other Federal regulations 

contained in 50 CFR part 20 would 

apply, except the Tribe proposes the use 

of electronic calls for all species 

proposed. The Tribe has agreed to 

extend the experimental MOA with the 

Service regarding the use of electronic 

calling through the 2022–23 season. 

The LTBB proposes to monitor 

harvest through game bag checks, 

patrols, and mail surveys. In particular, 

the LTBB proposes monitoring the 

harvest of Southern James Bay Canada/ 

cackling geese and sandhill cranes to 

assess any impacts of Tribal hunting on 

the population. 

(k) Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule 

Reservation, Lower Brule, South Dakota 

(Tribal Members and Nontribal 

Members) 

The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe first 

established Tribal migratory bird 

hunting regulations for the Lower Brule 

Reservation in 1994. The Lower Brule 

Reservation is about 214,000 acres in 

size and is located on and adjacent to 

the Missouri River, south of Pierre. Land 

ownership on the reservation is mixed, 

and until recently, the Lower Brule 

Tribe had full management authority 

over fish and wildlife via an MOA with 

the State of South Dakota. The MOA 

provided the Tribe jurisdiction over fish 

and wildlife on reservation lands, 

including deeded and U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers-taken lands. For the 2022– 

23 season, the two parties have come to 

an agreement that provides the public a 

clear understanding of the Lower Brule 

Sioux Wildlife Department license 

requirements and hunting season 

regulations. The Lower Brule 

Reservation waterfowl season is open to 

Tribal and nontribal members. 

For the 2022–23 migratory bird 

hunting season, the Lower Brule Sioux 

Tribe requested a nontribal member 

duck, merganser, and coot season length 

of 97 days, or the maximum number of 

days allowed by Federal frameworks in 

the High Plains Management Unit for 

this season. The Tribe proposes a duck 

season during October 1, 2022, through 

January 5, 2023. The daily bag limit 

would be six ducks (including 

merganser) or the maximum number 

that Federal frameworks allow, 

including no more than two female 

mallards and five mallards in total, two 

pintail, two redheads, two canvasbacks, 

three wood duck, three scaup, and one 

mottled duck. Two bonus blue-winged 

teal are allowed during October 1–16, 

2022. The daily bag limit for coots 

would be 15. Possession limits would be 

three times the daily bag limits. 

The Tribe requested a nontribal 

member Canada/cackling goose season 

during October 29, 2022, through 

February 12, 2023 (107-day season 

length), with a daily bag limit of six 

Canada/cackling geese. The Tribe 

requested a nontribal member whitefronted goose season during October 22, 

2022, through January 17, 2023, with a 

daily bag limit of two white-fronted 

geese and possession limit of three 

times the daily bag limit. The Tribe 

requested a nontribal-member light 

goose season during October 22, 2022, 

through February 5, 2023. The daily bag 

limit would be 20 light geese, or the 

maximum number that Federal 


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frameworks allow, with no possession 

limits. 

The Tribe requested a dove season for 

nontribal members during September 1, 

2022, through November 29, 2022. The 

daily bag limit would be 15 doves and 

possession limit three times the daily 

bag limit. 

For Tribal members, the Lower Brule 

Sioux Tribe requested a duck, 

merganser, and coot season during 

September 1, 2022, through March 10, 

2023. The daily bag limit would be six 

ducks, including no more than two 

female mallards and five mallards in 

total, one pintail, two redheads, two 

canvasbacks, three wood ducks, three 

scaup, two bonus teal during the first 16 

days of the season, and two mottled 

ducks or the maximum number that 

Federal frameworks allow. The daily 

bag limit for mergansers would be five, 

only two of which could be hooded 

mergansers. The daily bag limit for coots 

is 15. Possession limits would be three 

times the daily bag limits. 

The Tribe requested a Canada/ 

cackling goose season for Tribal 

members during September 1, 2022, 

through March 10, 2023, with a daily 

bag limit of six Canada/cackling geese. 

The possession limit would be three 

times the daily bag limit. The Tribe 

requested a white-fronted goose season 

for Tribal members during September 1, 

2022, through March 10, 2023, with a 

daily bag limit of two white-fronted 

geese and a possession limit of three 

times the daily bag limit, or the 

maximum limits that Federal 

regulations allow. The Tribe requested a 

light goose season for Tribal members 

during September 1, 2022, through 

March 10, 2023. The daily bag limit 

would be 20 light geese, or the 

maximum number that Federal 

frameworks allow, with no possession 

limits. 

The Tribe requested a dove season for 

Tribal members during September 1, 

2022, through January 31, 2023. The 

daily bag limit would be 15 doves, and 

the possession limit would be three 

times the daily bag limit. 

In the 2020 season, nontribal 

members harvested 125 geese and 821 

ducks. Estimated duck harvest was 45 

percent higher than the average harvest 

from 1993 through 2019. Goose harvest 

was 70 percent lower than the 1993– 

2019 average. Tribal members harvested 

approximately 119 ducks and 64 geese 

in 2020. 

The Tribe anticipates a duck and 

goose harvest similar to those of the 

previous years. All basic Federal 

regulations contained in 50 CFR part 20, 

including the use of nontoxic shot, Duck 

Stamps, etc., would apply. In addition, 

the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe has an 

official Conservation Code that was 

established by Tribal Council 

Resolution in June 1982 and updated in 

1996. 

(l) Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Port 

Angeles, Washington (Tribal Members 

Only) 

Since 1996, the Service and the Point 

No Point Treaty Tribes, of which Lower 

Elwha was one, have cooperated to 

establish special regulations for 

migratory bird hunting. The Tribes are 

now acting independently, and it is our 

understanding that the Lower Elwha 

Klallam Tribe would like to establish 

migratory bird hunting regulations for 

Tribal members for the 2022–23 season. 

The Tribe has a reservation on the 

Olympic Peninsula in Washington State 

and is a successor to the signatories of 

the Treaty of Point No Point of 1855. 

For the 2022–23 season, the Tribe 

requested special migratory bird 

hunting regulations for ducks (including 

merganser), geese, coots, band-tailed 

pigeons, snipe, and mourning doves. 

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe 

requested a duck and coot season during 

September 4, 2022, through January 2, 

2023. The daily bag limit would be 

seven ducks, including no more than 

two female mallards, one pintail, one 

canvasback, and two redheads. The 

daily bag and possession limit of 

harlequin ducks is one per season. The 

coot daily bag limit would be 25. The 

possession limit would be two times the 

daily bag limit, except as noted above. 

For geese, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 4, 2022, 

through January 2, 2023. The daily bag 

limit would be four geese, including no 

more than three light geese. The season 

on Aleutian Canada/cackling geese 

would be closed. 

For brant, the Tribe requested to 

maintain a closed season. 

For mourning doves and band-tailed 

pigeon, the Tribe requested seasons 

during September 1, 2022, through 

February 27, 2023, with a daily bag limit 

of 10 mourning doves, and 2 band-tailed 

pigeons. The possession limits would be 

two times the daily bag limits. 

For snipe, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 4, 2022, 

through January 2, 2023, with a daily 

bag limit of eight snipe. The possession 

limit would be two times the daily bag 

limit. 

All Tribal hunters authorized to hunt 

migratory birds are required to obtain a 

Tribal hunting permit from the Lower 

Elwha Klallam Tribe pursuant to Tribal 

law. Hunting hours would be from onehalf hour before sunrise to sunset. Only 

steel, tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer, 

tungsten-matrix, and tin shot are 

allowed for hunting waterfowl. It is 

unlawful to use or possess lead shot 

while hunting waterfowl. 

The Tribe reported no harvest in 

2020–21 or 2021–22 and anticipates 

harvest to be fewer than 10 birds. Tribal 

reservation police and Tribal fisheries 

enforcement officers have the authority 

to enforce these migratory bird hunting 

regulations for the Lower Elwha Klallam 

Tribe. 

(m) Makah Indian Tribe, Neah Bay, 

Washington (Tribal Members Only) 

The Makah Indian Tribe and the 

Service have been cooperating to 

establish special regulations for 

migratory game birds on the Makah 

Reservation and traditional hunting 

land off the Makah Reservation since 

the 2001–02 hunting season. Lands off 

the Makah Reservation are those 

contained within the boundaries of the 

State of Washington Game Management 

Units 601–603. 

The Makah Indian Tribe requested a 

duck and coot season from September 

24, 2022, through January 31, 2023. The 

daily bag limit would be seven ducks, 

including no more than seven mallards 

(only two female mallards), two 

canvasbacks, one pintail, three scaup, 

and two redheads. The daily bag limit 

for coots would be 25. The Tribe has a 

year-round closure on wood ducks and 

harlequin ducks. Shooting hours for all 

species of waterfowl are one-half hour 

before sunrise to sunset. 

For geese, the Tribe proposes a season 

during September 24, 2022, through 

January 31, 2023. The daily bag limit 

would be 4 Canada/cackling geese, 10 

white-fronted geese, 10 light geese, and 

2 brant. The Tribe notes that there is a 

year-round closure on dusky Canada 

geese. 

For band-tailed pigeons, the Tribe 

requested a season during September 15 

through September 23, 2022. The daily 

bag limit would be two band-tailed 

pigeons. 

The Tribe anticipates that harvest 

under these regulations would be 

relatively low since there are no known 

dedicated waterfowl hunters and any 

harvest of waterfowl or band-tailed 

pigeons is usually incidental to hunting 

for other species, such as deer, elk, and 

bear. The Tribe expects fewer than 50 

ducks and 10 geese to be harvested 

during the 2022–23 migratory bird 

hunting season. 

All other Federal regulations 

contained in 50 CFR part 20 would 

apply. The following restrictions are 

also proposed by the Tribe: 

1. As per Makah Ordinance 44, only 

shotguns may be used to hunt any 


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species of waterfowl. Additionally, 

shotguns must not be discharged within 

300 feet of an occupied building, 

occupied area, or active logging 

operation. 

2. Hunters must be eligible enrolled 

Makah Tribal members and must carry 

their Indian Treaty Fishing and Hunting 

Identification Card while hunting. See 

Makah General Hunting Regulations. 

3. The Makah Reservation Area is 

open except in designated wilderness 

areas, or within 1 mile of Cape Flattery 

and Shi-Shi Trails, or in any area that 

is closed to hunting by another 

ordinance or regulation. 

4. The use of live decoys and/or 

baiting to pursue any species of 

waterfowl is prohibited. 

5. Only approved nontoxic shot is 

allowed for waterfowl; the use of lead 

shot is prohibited. 

6. The use of dogs is permitted to 

hunt all species under this regulation. 

7. Hunters must report any neck or leg 

bands placed by the Federal 

Government to Natural Resources 

Enforcement or by calling 1–800–327– 

BAND. 

(n) Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Auburn, 

Washington (Tribal Members Only) 

The Muckleshoot Tribe is a federally 

recognized Tribe with reserved hunting 

rights under the Treaty of Medicine 

Creek 1854 and Treaty of Point Elliott 

1855. Hunting occurs within the treaty 

areas as well as on lands traditionally 

hunted by the Muckleshoot Indian 

Tribe. 

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe 

requested a duck, merganser, and coot 

season during September 1, 2022, 

through March 10, 2023. The daily bag 

limit would be seven, including no 

more than two female mallards, two 

canvasbacks, two pintail, three scaup, 

two redheads, two scoters, two longtailed ducks, and two goldeneyes. The 

daily bag limit for coots would be 25. 

The limit on harlequin ducks would be 

one per season. 

For geese, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 1, 2022, 

through March 10, 2023. The daily bag 

limit would be 4 Canada/cackling geese, 

6 light geese, 10 white-fronted geese, 

and 2 brant. The season on dusky 

Canada geese would be closed. 

For band-tailed pigeons, mourning 

doves, and snipe, the Tribe requested 

seasons during September 1, 2022, 

through March 10, 2023. The daily bag 

limits would be 2 band-tailed pigeons, 

15 mourning doves, and 8 snipe. The 

possession limits would be three times 

the daily bag limits on all species unless 

otherwise noted. 

The Tribe anticipates that harvest 

under this regulation will be relatively 

low since no known harvest has 

occurred over the past 20 years, and 

there are no known dedicated waterfowl 

or other migratory bird hunters. Harvest 

will be for personal cultural and 

subsistence purposes. We anticipate 

fewer than 100 ducks and 100 geese 

may be harvested. 

All other Federal regulations 

contained in 50 CFR part 20 would 

apply. The following restrictions are 

also proposed by the Tribe: 

1. Hunting can occur on reservation 

and off reservation on lands where the 

Tribe has treaty-reserved hunting rights 

or has documented traditional use. 

2. Shooting hours for all species of 

waterfowl are one-half hour before 

sunrise to one-half after sunset. 

3. Hunters must be eligible enrolled 

Muckleshoot Tribal members and must 

carry their Tribal identification while 

hunting. 

4. Tribal members hunting migratory 

birds must also have a combined 

Migratory Bird Hunting Permit and 

Harvest Report Card. 

5. The use of live decoys and/or 

baiting to pursue any species of 

waterfowl is prohibited. 

6. Hunting for migratory birds is with 

shotgun only. Only steel, tungsten-iron, 

tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix, and 

tin shot are allowed for hunting 

waterfowl. It is unlawful to use or 

possess lead shot while hunting 

waterfowl. 

(o) Navajo Nation, Navajo Indian 

Reservation, Window Rock, Arizona 

(Tribal Members and Nontribal 

members) 

Since 1985, we have established 

uniform migratory bird hunting 

regulations for Tribal members and 

nonmembers on the Navajo Indian 

Reservation (in parts of Arizona, New 

Mexico, and Utah). The Navajo Nation 

owns almost all lands on the reservation 

and has full wildlife management 

authority. 

For Tribal and nontribal members for 

the 2022–23 season, the Tribe requested 

the earliest opening dates with a split 

season to end on the last day for ducks, 

mergansers, Canada/cackling geese, and 

coot seasons, and the same daily bag 

and possession limits allowed by 

Federal frameworks in Arizona. 

For mourning dove, the Navajo Nation 

requested seasons during September 1– 

30, 2022, with daily bag limits of 10 

mourning doves. For band-tailed 

pigeon, the Navajo Nation requested 

seasons during September 1–14, 2022, 

with daily bag limits of two band-tailed 

pigeons. Possession limits would be two 

times the daily bag limits. 

The Nation requires Tribal members 

and nonmembers to comply with all 

basic Federal migratory bird hunting 

regulations in 50 CFR part 20 pertaining 

to shooting hours and manner of taking. 

In addition, each waterfowl hunter aged 

16 or older must carry on his/her person 

a valid Duck Stamp, which must be 

signed in ink across the face. Special 

regulations established by the Navajo 

Nation also apply on the reservation. 

The Tribe anticipates a total harvest of 

fewer than 500 mourning doves; fewer 

than 10 band-tailed pigeons; fewer than 

1,000 ducks, merganser, and coot; and 

fewer than 1,000 Canada/cackling geese 

for the 2022–23 season. The Tribe 

measures harvest by mail survey forms. 

Through the established Navajo Nation 

Code, titles 17 and 18, and 23 U.S.C. 

1165, the Tribe will take action to close 

the season, reduce bag limits, or take 

other appropriate actions if the harvest 

is detrimental to the migratory bird 

resource. 

(p) Oneida Tribe of Indians of 

Wisconsin, Oneida, Wisconsin (Tribal 

Members Only) 

Since 1991–92, the Oneida Tribe of 

Indians of Wisconsin and the Service 

have cooperated to establish uniform 

regulations for migratory bird hunting 

by Tribal and nontribal hunters within 

the original Oneida Reservation 

boundaries. Since 1985, the Oneida 

Tribe’s Conservation Department has 

enforced the Tribe’s hunting regulations 

within those original reservation limits. 

The Oneida Tribe also has a good 

working relationship with the State of 

Wisconsin, and the majority of the 

seasons and limits are the same for the 

Tribe and Wisconsin. 

For the 2022–23 season, the Tribe 

requested special migratory bird 

hunting regulations. For ducks, the 

Tribe requested a season during 

September 10 through December 4, 

2022. The daily bag limit would be six 

ducks, which could include no more 

than three female mallards, two 

redheads, two pintails, and two hooded 

mergansers. The possession limit would 

be 24 ducks in the aggregate. 

For geese, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 1 and 

December 31, 2022, with a daily bag 

limit of 5 geese species (Canada/ 

cackling geese, snow/blue geese, Ross’s 

geese, and brant) and 20 in the 

aggregate. If 500 geese are harvested 

before the season concludes, the Tribe 

will recommend closing the season 

early. 

For woodcock, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 1 through 


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November 6, 2022, with a daily bag and 

possession limit of two and four, 

respectively. 

For mourning dove, the Tribe 

requested a season during September 1 

through November 6, 2022, with a daily 

bag and possession limit of 10 and 20, 

respectively. 

Shooting hours would be one-half 

hour before sunrise to 15 minutes after 

sunset. Nontribal hunters hunting on 

the Reservation or on lands under the 

jurisdiction of the Tribe must comply 

with all State of Wisconsin regulations, 

including shooting hours of one-half 

hour before sunrise to sunset, season 

dates, and daily bag limits. Tribal 

members and nontribal hunters hunting 

on the Reservation or on lands under 

the jurisdiction of the Tribe must 

observe all basic Federal migratory bird 

hunting regulations found in 50 CFR 

part 20, with the following exceptions: 

Oneida members would be exempt from 

the purchase of the Duck Stamp; and 

shotgun capacity is not limited to three 

shells. 

(q) Point No Point Treaty Council 

Tribes, Kingston, Washington (Tribal 

Members Only) 

Point No Point Treaty Council Tribes 

(Council) consists of the Port Gamble 

S’Klallam Tribe and Jamestown 

S’Klallam Tribe. The two Tribes have 

reservations and ceded areas in 

northwestern Washington State and are 

the successors to the signatories of the 

Treaty of Point No Point of 1855. The 

requested special migratory bird 

hunting regulations for the 2022–23 

season would apply to Tribal members 

both on and off reservations within the 

Point No Point Treaty Areas; however, 

the Port Gamble S’Klallam and 

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal season 

dates differ only where indicated below. 

The Council requested a duck, 

merganser, and coot season during 

September 1, 2022, through March 10, 

2023. The daily bag limit would be 

seven ducks and mergansers. The daily 

bag and possession limits on harlequin 

ducks would be one per season. The 

daily bag limit for coots would be seven. 

Possession limits would be three times 

the daily bag limits. 

For geese, the Council requested a 

season during September 1, 2022, 

through March 10, 2023. The daily bag 

limits for Canada/cackling geese, light 

geese, and white-fronted geese would be 

5, 6, and 10, respectively. The Council 

notes that there is a year-round closure 

on dusky Canada geese. For brant, the 

Council proposes a season during 

January 1 through January 31, 2023, for 

the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and 

during January 15 through January 31, 

2023, for the Jamestown S’Klallam 

Tribe. The daily bag limit for brant 

would be two. Possession limits would 

be three times the daily bag limits. 

For band-tailed pigeons, the Council 

requested a season during September 15 

through November 30, 2022. The daily 

bag limit would be two band-tailed 

pigeons. For snipe, the council 

requested a season during September 1, 

2022, through March 10, 2023. The 

daily bag limit would be eight snipe. For 

mourning dove, the Council requested a 

season during September 1, 2022, 

through March 10, 2023. The daily bag 

limit would be 10 mourning doves. 

Possession limits would be three times 

the daily bag limits. 

The Council anticipates a total harvest 

of fewer than 100 birds for the 2022–23 

season. The Tribal fish and wildlife 

enforcement officers have the authority 

to enforce these Tribal regulations. 

(r) Saginaw Tribe of Chippewa Indians, 

Mt. Pleasant, Michigan (Tribal Members 

Only) 

The Saginaw Tribe of Chippewa 

Indians is a federally recognized, selfgoverning Indian Tribe, located on the 

Isabella Reservation lands bound by 

Saginaw Bay in Isabella and Arenac 

Counties, Michigan. 

For ducks, merganser, and snipe, the 

Tribe requested a season during 

September 1, 2022, through January 31, 

2023. The daily bag limit would be 20 

ducks, which could include no more 

than five each of the following: female 

mallards, wood ducks, black ducks, 

pintail, redhead, scaup, and 

canvasbacks. The possession limit 

would be 40 ducks. The daily bag limit 

for mergansers would be 10, no more 

than 5 of which may be hooded 

mergansers, and for snipe would be 16. 

For geese, coots, gallinules, soras, and 

Virginia rails, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 1, 2022, 

through January 31, 2023. The daily bag 

limit for geese would be 20. The daily 

bag limit for coots, gallinules, soras, and 

Virginia rails would be 20 in the 

aggregate. 

For woodcock and mourning doves, 

the Tribe requested a season during 

September 1, 2022, through January 31, 

2023, with daily bag limits of 10 and 25, 

respectively. 

For sandhill cranes, the Tribe 

requested a season during September 1, 

2022, through January 31, 2023, with a 

daily bag limit of one. 

All Saginaw Tribe members 

exercising hunting treaty rights are 

required to comply with Tribal 

Ordinance 11. Hunting hours would be 

from one-half hour before sunrise to 

one-half hour after sunset. All other 

regulations in 50 CFR part 20 apply, 

including the use of only nontoxic shot 

for hunting waterfowl. 

(s) Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, 

Darrington, Washington (Tribal 

Members Only) 

The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe (SSIT) 

requested a 2022–23 hunting season on 

all open and unclaimed lands under the 

Treaty of Point Elliott of January 22, 

1855. The Tribe’s reservation is located 

in Darrington, Washington, just west of 

the North Cascade Mountain range in 

Skagit County on the Sauk and Suiattle 

Rivers. The Tribe owns and manages all 

the land on the reservation and some 

lands surrounding or near the 

reservation in Skagit and Snohomish 

Counties. All of the lands that are Tribal 

or reservation lands are closed for 

nontribal hunting, unless opened by an 

SSIT special regulation. 

The Tribe requested a season for 

ducks, geese, brant, coots, mourning 

doves, and band-tailed pigeons during 

September 1, 2022, through March 10, 

2023. The daily bag limit would be 20 

ducks, 10 geese, 5 brant, and 25 coots. 

The daily bag limit for mourning doves 

and band-tailed pigeons would be 20 in 

the aggregate. The possession limit is 

two times the daily bag limits. 

Hunting hours would be from onehalf hour before sunrise to one-half hour 

after sunset. All other regulations in 50 

CFR part 20 apply, including the use of 

only nontoxic shot for hunting 

waterfowl. 

(t) Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa 

Indians, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan 

(Tribal Members Only) 

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of 

Chippewa Indians is a federally 

recognized, self-governing Indian Tribe, 

distributed throughout the eastern 

Upper Peninsula and northern Lower 

Peninsula of Michigan. The Tribe has 

retained the right to hunt, fish, trap, and 

gather on the lands ceded in the Treaty 

of Washington (1836). 

The Tribe requested special migratory 

bird hunting regulations for the 2022–23 

season. For ducks, merganser, and 

snipe, the Tribe requested a season 

during September 1 through December 

31, 2022. The daily bag limit would be 

20 ducks, which could include no more 

than 10 mallards (5 female mallards), 5 

wood ducks, 5 black ducks, and 5 

canvasbacks. The daily bag limit for 

mergansers would be 10 and 20 in the 

aggregate, and for snipe 16 and 32 in the 

aggregate. 

For geese, coots, gallinules, soras, and 

Virginia rails, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 1 through 

December 31, 2022. In addition, any 


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portion of the ceded territory that is 

open to State-licensed hunters for goose 

hunting after December 31 will also be 

opened concurrently for Tribal 

members. The daily bag limit for geese 

would be 20. The daily bag limit for 

coots, gallinules, soras, and Virginia 

rails would be 20 in the aggregate. 

For woodcock, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 2 through 

December 1, 2022, with daily bag and 

possession limits of 10 and 20, 

respectively. 

For mourning doves, the Tribe 

requested a season during September 1 

through November 14, 2022, with daily 

bag and possession limits of 10 and 20, 

respectively. 

In 2020, the total estimated number of 

waterfowl hunters was 4,183, who 

harvested an estimated 3,504 ducks and 

1,808 geese. All Sault Ste. Marie Tribe 

members exercising hunting treaty 

rights within the 1836 Ceded Territory 

are required to submit annual harvest 

reports including date of harvest, 

number and species harvested, and 

location of harvest. Shooting hours 

would be from one-half hour before 

sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. All 

other regulations in 50 CFR part 20 

apply, including the use of only 

nontoxic shot for hunting waterfowl. 

(u) Skokomish Tribe, Shelton, 

Washington (Tribal Members Only) 

Since 1996, the Service and the Point 

No Point Treaty Tribes, of which the 

Skokomish Tribe was one, have 

cooperated to establish special 

regulations for migratory bird hunting. 

The Tribes have been acting 

independently since 2005. The Tribe 

has a reservation on the Olympic 

Peninsula in Washington State and is a 

successor to the signatories of the Treaty 

of Point No Point of 1855. 

For the 2022–23 season, the 

Skokomish Tribe requested a duck and 

coot season during September 16, 2022, 

through February 28, 2023. The daily 

bag limit would be seven ducks, 

including no more than two female 

mallards, one pintail, one canvasback, 

and two redheads. The daily bag and 

possession limits for harlequin ducks 

would be one per season. The daily bag 

limit for coots would be 25. The 

possession limit would be two times the 

daily bag limits, except as noted above. 

For geese, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 16, 2022, 

through February 28, 2023. The daily 

bag limit would be four, including no 

more than three light geese. The season 

on Aleutian Canada geese would be 

closed. For brant, the Tribe usually 

requests a season during November 1, 

2022, through February 15, 2023, with 

a daily bag limit of two. The possession 

limits would be two times the daily bag 

limits. 

For mourning doves, band-tailed 

pigeons, and snipe, the Tribe requested 

a season during September 16, 2022, 

through February 28, 2023, with a daily 

bag limit of 10, 2, and 8, respectively. 

The possession limits would be two 

times the daily bag limits. 

All Tribal members authorized to 

hunt migratory birds are required to 

obtain a Tribal hunting permit from the 

Skokomish Tribe pursuant to Tribal law. 

Shooting hours would be from one-half 

hour before sunrise to sunset. Only 

steel, tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer, 

tungsten-matrix, and tin shot are 

allowed for hunting waterfowl. It is 

unlawful to use or possess lead shot 

while hunting waterfowl. 

The Tribe anticipates harvest to be 

fewer than 150 birds. The Skokomish 

Public Safety Office enforcement 

officers have the authority to enforce 

these migratory bird hunting 

regulations. 

(v) Spokane Tribe of Indians, Spokane 

Indian Reservation, Wellpinit, 

Washington (Tribal Members Only) 

The Spokane Indian Reservation is 

located in northeastern Washington 

State. The reservation comprises 

approximately 157,000 acres. The 

boundaries of the Reservation are the 

Columbia River to the west, the Spokane 

River to the south (now Lake Roosevelt), 

Tshimakain Creek to the east, and the 

48th Parallel as the north boundary. 

Tribal membership comprises 

approximately 2,300 enrolled Spokane 

Tribal Members. 

The Spokane Tribe of Indians 

requested special migratory bird 

hunting regulations that would allow 

Tribal Members, spouses of Spokane 

Tribal Members, and first-generation 

descendants of a Spokane Tribal 

Member with a Tribal permit and 

Federal Duck Stamp an opportunity to 

utilize the reservation and ceded lands 

for waterfowl hunting. These 

regulations would also benefit Tribal 

membership through access to this 

resource throughout Spokane Tribal 

ceded lands in eastern Washington. By 

Spokane Tribal Referendum, spouses of 

Spokane Tribal Members and children 

of Spokane Tribal Members not enrolled 

are allowed to harvest game animals 

within the Spokane Indian Reservation 

with the issuance of hunting permits. 

The Tribe requested a duck season 

during September 2, 2022, through 

January 31, 2023. The daily bag and 

possession limits for ducks would be 

consistent with Federal frameworks for 

Washington. 

The Tribe requested a goose season 

during September 2, 2022, through 

January 31, 2023. The daily bag limit 

and possession limit for geese would be 

consistent with Federal frameworks for 

Washington. 

Based on the quantity of requests the 

Spokane Tribe of Indians has received, 

the Tribe anticipates harvest levels for 

the 2022–23 season for both ducks and 

geese to be fewer than 100 total birds, 

with goose harvest at fewer than 50. 

Hunter success will be monitored 

through mandatory harvest reports 

returned within 30 days of the season 

closure. 

(w) Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, 

Arlington, Washington (Tribal Members 

Only) 

The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians 

and the Service have cooperated to 

establish special regulations for 

migratory game birds since 2001. For 

the 2022–23 season, the Tribe requested 

regulations to hunt all open and 

unclaimed lands under the Treaty of 

Point Elliott of January 22, 1855, 

including their main hunting grounds 

around Camano Island, Skagit Flats, and 

Port Susan to the border of the Tulalip 

Tribes Reservation. Ceded lands are 

located in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, 

and Kings Counties and a portion of 

Pierce County, Washington. The 

Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians is a 

federally recognized Tribe and reserves 

the Treaty Right to hunt (U.S. v. 

Washington). 

The Tribe requested a duck (including 

merganser) and goose season during 

October 1, 2022, through March 10, 

2023. The daily bag limit on ducks 

(including sea ducks and mergansers) 

would be 10 including no more than 7 

mallards (3 of which may be female), 3 

pintail, 3 redheads, 3 scaup, 4 hooded 

mergansers, and 3 canvasbacks. 

Possession limits would be two times 

the daily bag limits. For geese, the daily 

bag limits would be 6 Canada/cackling 

geese, 12 white-fronted geese, and 8 

light geese. The possession limits would 

be three times the daily bag limits. The 

season on brant would be closed. 

The Tribe requested a coot, snipe, and 

swan season during October 1, 2022, 

through January 31, 2023. The daily bag 

limit for coots would be 25 and for 

snipe would be 10. The possession 

limits would be two times the daily bag 

limits. The daily bag and possession 

limits for swans would be two per 

season. Swan hunters must have a swan 

hunting permit issued by the Tribe. 

Harvest is regulated by a punch card 

system. Tribal members hunting on 

lands under this proposal will observe 

all basic Federal migratory bird hunting 


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regulations found in 50 CFR part 20, 

which will be enforced by the 

Stillaguamish Tribal law enforcement. 

Tribal members are required to use steel 

shot or a nontoxic shot as required by 

Federal regulations. 

The Tribe anticipates a total harvest of 

200 ducks, 100 geese, 50 mergansers, 

100 coots, and 100 snipe. Anticipated 

harvest includes subsistence and 

ceremonial needs. Certain species may 

be closed to hunting for conservation 

purposes, and consideration for the 

needs of certain species will be 

addressed. 

(x) Swinomish Indian Tribal 

Community, LaConner, Washington 

(Tribal Members Only) 

In 1996, the Service and the 

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community 

began cooperating to establish special 

regulations for migratory bird hunting. 

The Swinomish Indian Tribal 

Community is a federally recognized 

Indian Tribe consisting of the 

Swinomish, Lower Skagit, Samish, and 

Kikialous. The Swinomish Reservation 

was established by the Treaty of Point 

Elliott of January 22, 1855, and lies in 

the Puget Sound area north of Seattle, 

Washington. 

For the 2022–23 season, the Tribal 

Community requested a migratory game 

bird hunting season on all areas that are 

open and unclaimed and consistent 

with the meaning of the treaty. The 

Tribe requested duck (including 

merganser), goose, coot, snipe, brant, 

mourning dove, and band-tailed pigeon 

seasons during September 1, 2022, 

through March 10, 2023. The daily bag 

limits would be 20 ducks, 10 geese, 5 

brant, 25 coots, 15 snipe, 15 mourning 

doves, and 3 band-tailed pigeons. The 

possession limits would be two times 

the daily bag limits, except that the 

possession limit for coots would be 

three times the daily bag limit. 

Shooting hours would be 30 minutes 

before official sunrise until 30 minutes 

after official sunset. Lead shot is 

prohibited. 

The Community anticipates that the 

regulations will result in the harvest of 

approximately 600 ducks and 200 geese. 

The Swinomish utilize a report card and 

permit system to monitor harvest and 

will implement steps to limit harvest 

where conservation is needed. All 

Tribal regulations will be enforced by 

Tribal fish and game officers. 

(y) The Tulalip Tribes of Washington, 

Tulalip Indian Reservation, Marysville, 

Washington (Tribal Members Only) 

The Tulalip Tribes are the successors 

in interest to the Tribes and bands 

signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott of 

January 22, 1855. The Tulalip Tribes’ 

government is located on the Tulalip 

Indian Reservation just north of the City 

of Everett in Snohomish County, 

Washington. The Tribes or individual 

Tribal members own all of the land on 

the reservation, and they have full 

wildlife management authority. All 

lands within the boundaries of the 

Tulalip Tribes Reservation are closed to 

nonmember hunting unless opened by 

Tulalip Tribal regulations. 

For ducks, mergansers, coots, and 

snipe, the Tribe requested seasons for 

Tribal members during September 1, 

2022, through February 28, 2023. Daily 

bag and possession limits would be 15 

and 30 ducks, respectively, except that 

for blue-winged teal, canvasbacks, 

harlequin ducks, pintail, and wood 

ducks, the bag and possession limits 

would be the same as those established 

in accordance with Federal frameworks 

for Washington. For coots, the daily bag 

and possession limits would be 25 and 

75, respectively, and for snipe 8 and 24, 

respectively. Ceremonial hunting may 

be authorized by the Department of 

Natural Resources at any time upon 

application of a qualified Tribal 

member. Such a hunt must have a bag 

limit designed to limit harvest only to 

those birds necessary to provide for the 

ceremony. 

For geese, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 1, 2022, 

through February 28, 2023. The daily 

bag and possession limits would be 10 

and 30 geese, respectively, except that 

the bag limits for cackling geese and 

dusky Canada geese would be those 

established in accordance with Federal 

frameworks for Washington. The daily 

bag and possession limits for brant are 

5 and 10, respectively. 

For mourning doves, and band-tailed 

pigeon, the Tribe requested a season 

during September 1, 2022, through 

February 28, 2023. For mourning doves, 

the daily bag and possession limits 

would be 15 and 45, respectively. For 

band-tailed pigeon, the daily bag and 

possession limits would be 4 and 12, 

respectively. 

All hunters on Tulalip Tribal lands 

are required to adhere to shooting hour 

regulations set at one-half hour before 

sunrise to sunset, use of federally 

approved nontoxic shot, special Tribal 

permit requirements, and a number of 

other Tribal regulations enforced by the 

Tribe. Each nontribal hunter 16 years of 

age and older hunting pursuant to 

Tulalip Tribes’ Ordinance No. 67 must 

possess a valid Federal Duck Stamp and 

a valid State of Washington Migratory 

Waterfowl Stamp. Each hunter must 

validate stamps by signing across the 

face. 

Although the season length requested 

by the Tulalip Tribes appears to be quite 

liberal, harvest information indicates a 

total take by Tribal and nontribal 

hunters of fewer than 1,000 ducks and 

500 geese annually. 

(z) Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Sedro 

Woolley, Washington (Tribal Members 

Only) 

The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and 

the Service have cooperated to establish 

special regulations for migratory game 

birds since 2001. The Tribe has 

jurisdiction over lands within Skagit, 

Island, and Whatcom Counties, 

Washington. The Tribe issues Tribal 

hunters a harvest report card that will 

be shared with the State of Washington. 

For the 2022–23 season, the Tribe 

requested a duck season during October 

1, 2022, through February 28, 2023. The 

daily bag and possession limits would 

be 15 and 20 ducks, respectively. The 

Tribe requests a coot season during 

October 1, 2022, through February 15, 

2023. The daily bag and possession 

limits would be 20 and 30 coots, 

respectively. 

The Tribe requested a goose season 

during October 1, 2022, through 

February 28, 2023. The daily bag and 

possession limits would be 7 and 10 

geese, respectively. For brant, the Tribe 

requested a season during November 1 

through 10, 2022, with a daily bag and 

possession limit of two brant. 

The Tribe requested a mourning dove 

season during September 1 through 

December 31, 2022. The daily bag and 

possession limits would be 12 and 15 

mourning doves, respectively. 

The anticipated migratory bird 

harvest would be 100 ducks, 5 geese, 2 

brant, and 10 coots. Tribal members 

must have the Tribal identification and 

Tribal harvest report card on their 

person to hunt. Tribal members hunting 

on the Reservation will observe all basic 

Federal migratory bird hunting 

regulations found in 50 CFR part 20, 

except shooting hours would be 15 

minutes before official sunrise to 15 

minutes after official sunset. 

(aa) Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and 

Ouray Reservation (Tribal Members 

Only) 

The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah 

and Ouray Reservation is a selfgoverning, federally recognized Tribe 

located in Northeastern Utah. The Ute 

Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray 

Reservation is the second largest Indian 

Reservation in the United States and 

covers over 4.5 million acres. The Ute 

Indian Tribe started coordination with 

the Service in 2021 for special migratory 

bird hunting regulations. The Service 


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and the Tribe have cooperatively 

established migratory bird hunting 

regulations for sandhill cranes and 

swans (tundra and incidental trumpeter) 

for the 2022–23 season. The Tribe does 

hunt other migratory game birds but 

follows the State of Utah (Uintah and 

Duchesne Counties) for seasons and bag 

limits except for in some cases where 

the Tribe may be more restrictive. 

The Tribe requests authorization to 

issue 10 sandhill crane hunting permits 

to Tribal members only and a sandhill 

crane hunting season with an opening 

and closing date consistent with the 

State of Utah’s earliest and latest 

sandhill crane hunting dates for the 

State. The bag and possession limit 

would be one sandhill crane per 

member/permit. 

The Tribe requests authorization to 

issue five swan (tundra/trumpeter) 

hunting permits to Tribal members only 

and a swan season during dates 

consistent with the State of Utah swan 

season dates. The bag and possession 

limit would be one swan per member/ 

permit. The Tribe will require all swan 

hunters to successfully complete an 

educational course on swan 

identification and conservation to 

minimize take of trumpeter swans 

during the swan season. All hunters that 

harvest a swan must have the swan or 

species-determinant parts examined by 

a biologist or other designated 

representative of the Tribe within 72 

hours of harvest for species 

determination. The Tribe will evaluate 

hunter participation, species-specific 

swan harvest, and hunter compliance in 

providing species-determinant parts (at 

least the intact head) of harvested swans 

for species identification. The Tribe will 

use appropriate measures to maximize 

hunter compliance with the Tribe’s 

program for swan harvest reporting. The 

Tribe will provide to the Service by June 

30 following the swan season a report 

detailing hunter participation, speciesspecific swan harvest, and hunter 

compliance in reporting harvest. 

The following restrictions are also 

proposed by the Tribe: No rifles, 

revolvers, pistols, or shotgun pellets 

larger than #2 birdshot may be used in 

pursuit of migratory game birds. Only 

Service-approved nontoxic shot may be 

used to take migratory game birds. No 

baiting is allowed, including no take of 

sandhill cranes on or over lands where 

standing crops have been manipulated 

to distribute or scatter grain or other 

feed on the land where it was grown. 

For additional information, see the Ute 

Indian Tribes General Hunting 

Regulations. 

(bb) White Earth Band of Ojibwe, White 

Earth, Minnesota (Tribal Members Only) 

The White Earth Band of Ojibwe is a 

federally recognized Tribe located in 

northwest Minnesota and encompasses 

all of Mahnomen County and parts of 

Becker and Clearwater Counties. The 

reservation employs conservation 

officers to enforce migratory bird 

regulations. The Tribe and the Service 

first cooperated to establish special 

Tribal regulations in 1999. 

The White Earth Band of Ojibwe 

requested a duck season during 

September 10 through December 11, 

2022. The daily bag limit would be 10 

ducks, including no more than 2 female 

mallards, 2 pintail, and 2 canvasbacks. 

For mergansers, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 10 through 

December 11, 2022. The daily bag limit 

would be five, no more than two of 

which may be hooded mergansers. For 

geese, the Tribe requested an early 

season during September 1 through 23, 

2022, and a late season during 

September 24 through December 18, 

2022. The daily bag limits would be 10 

geese in the early season and 7 geese in 

the late season. 

For coots, the Tribe requested a 

season during September 1 through 

November 30, 2022, with a daily bag 

limit of 20. For snipe, woodcock, rails, 

and mourning doves, the Tribe 

requested seasons during September 1 

through November 30, 2022, with daily 

bag limits of 10, 10, 25, and 25, 

respectively. Shooting hours are onehalf hour before sunrise to one-half hour 

after sunset. Nontoxic shot is required. 

Based on past harvest surveys, the 

Tribe anticipates harvest of 1,000 to 

2,000 Canada/cackling geese and 1,000 

to 1,500 ducks. The White Earth 

Reservation Tribal Council employs four 

full-time conservation officers to enforce 

migratory bird regulations. 

(cc) White Mountain Apache Tribe, Fort 

Apache Indian Reservation, Whiteriver, 

Arizona (Tribal Members and Nontribal 

Hunters) 

The White Mountain Apache Tribe 

owns all associated reservation lands, 

and the Tribe has recognized full 

wildlife management authority. 

The hunting zone for waterfowl is 

restricted and is described as: The 

length of the Black River west of the 

Bonito Creek and Black River 

confluence and the entire length of the 

Salt River forming the southern 

boundary of the reservation; the White 

River, extending from the Canyon Day 

Stockman Station to the Salt River; and 

all stock ponds located within Wildlife 

Management Units 4, 5, 6, and 7. Tanks 

located below the Mogollon Rim, within 

Wildlife Management Units 2 and 3, 

will be open to waterfowl hunting 

during the 2022–23 season. The length 

of the Black River east of the Black 

River/Bonito Creek confluence is closed 

to waterfowl hunting. All other waters 

of the reservation would be closed to 

waterfowl hunting for the 2022–23 

season. 

For nontribal and Tribal members, the 

Tribe requested duck (except scaup), 

coot, merganser, gallinule, and moorhen 

hunting seasons during October 15, 

2022, through January 22, 2023. For 

scaup, the Tribe requested a season 

during November 5, 2022, through 

January 22, 2023. The daily bag limit 

would be seven ducks (including 

merganser), which may include no more 

than two redheads, one pintail, two 

scaup (when open), two female 

mallards, and two canvasbacks. The 

daily bag limit for coots and gallinules 

would be 25 in the aggregate. 

For Canada/cackling geese, the Tribe 

requested a season during October 15, 

2022, through January 22, 2023. The 

daily bag and possession limits would 

be three and six Canada/cackling geese, 

respectively. 

Seasons for band-tailed pigeons and 

mourning doves are closed. 

Possession limits are two times the 

daily bag limits. Shooting hours would 

be from one-half hour before sunrise to 

sunset. There would be no open season 

for sandhill cranes, rails, and snipe on 

the White Mountain Apache lands 

under this proposal. 

A number of special regulations apply 

to Tribal and nontribal hunters, which 

may be obtained from the White 

Mountain Apache Tribe Game and Fish 

Department. 

Public Comments 

The Department of the Interior’s 

policy is, whenever possible, to afford 

the public an opportunity to participate 

in the rulemaking process. Accordingly, 

we invite interested persons to submit 

written comments, suggestions, or 

recommendations regarding the 

proposed regulations. Before 

promulgating final migratory game bird 

hunting regulations, we will consider all 

comments we receive. These comments, 

and any additional information we 

receive, may lead to final regulations 

that differ from these proposals. 

You may submit your comments and 

materials concerning this proposed rule 

by one of the methods listed in 

ADDRESSES. We will not accept 

comments sent by email or fax. We will 

not consider mailed comments that are 

not postmarked by the date specified in 

DATES. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 114 / Tuesday, June 14, 2022 / Proposed Rules 35955 

We will post all comments in their 

entirety—including your personal 

identifying information—on https://

www.regulations.gov. Before including 

your address, phone number, email 

address, or other personal identifying 

information in your comment, you 

should be aware that your entire 

comment—including your personal 

identifying information—may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you can ask us in your comment to 

withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Comments and materials we receive, 

as well as supporting documentation we 

used in preparing this proposed rule, 

will be available for public inspection 

on https://www.regulations.gov, or by 

appointment, during normal business 

hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Division of Migratory Bird 

Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls 

Church, VA 22041–3803. 

We will consider, but possibly may 

not respond in detail to, each comment. 

As in the past, we will summarize all 

comments we receive during the 

comment period and respond to them 

after the closing date in the preamble of 

a final rule. 

Required Determinations 

Based on our most current data, we 

are affirming our required 

determinations made in the August 31, 

2021, proposed rule (86 FR 48649); 

please see that document for 

descriptions of our actions to ensure 

compliance with the following statutes 

and Executive Orders: 

• National Environmental Policy Act; 

• Endangered Species Act; 

• Regulatory Flexibility Act; 

• Small Business Regulatory 

Enforcement Fairness Act; 

• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act; 

• Executive Orders 12630, 12866, 

12988, 13132, 13175, 13211, and 13563. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This proposed rule contains existing 

information collections. All information 

collections require approval under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA, 

44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). We may not 

conduct or sponsor and you are not 

required to respond to a collection of 

information unless it displays a 

currently valid Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) control number. The 

OMB has reviewed and approved the 

information collection requirements 

associated with establishing annual 

migratory bird hunting seasons and 

migratory bird surveys and assigned the 

following OMB control numbers: 

• 1018–0171, ‘‘Establishment of 

Annual Migratory Bird Hunting 

Seasons, 50 CFR part 20’’ (expires 10/ 

31/2024); 

• 1018–0019, ‘‘North American 

Woodcock Singing Ground Survey’’ 

(expires 2/29/2024); and 

• 1018–0023, ‘‘Migratory Bird 

Surveys, 50 CFR 20.20’’ (expires 4/30/ 

2023). 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 20 

Exports, Hunting, Imports, Reporting 

and recordkeeping requirements, 

Transportation, Wildlife. 

Authority 

The rules that eventually will be 

promulgated for the 2022–23 hunting 

season are authorized under 16 U.S.C. 

703–712 and 16 U.S.C. 742 a–j. 

Shannon Estenoz, 

Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and 

Parks. 

[FR Doc. 2022–12754 Filed 6–13–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1