The Importance of Hunting Tags

At the beginning of every hunting season, there are a few things every outdoors person needs to collect: a hunting license, ammunition, and the right hunting tag. While not every type of game requires a hunting tag, there are plenty that do. For many hunters, tags just seem like another cost or process to make getting out into the field more difficult.

The reality is that your hunting tag is a critical part of the hunting experience, even if it isn’t quite as obvious. Here’s what you need to know about why hunting tags exist and how they actually help hunters.

The History of Hunting In The U.S.

Hunting laws and tags actually go back before the Revolutionary War, even if the practice wasn’t as popular or necessary just yet. As settlers expanded west, the need to track and control hunting became apparent.

Take bison, for example. These large animals used to roam across the entire country, from New York to the Carolinas over to Texas. Bison no longer exist in these areas as they were hunted to near extinction. Without big game hunting rules, everything is a free-for-all, which doesn’t bode well.

The first game wardens and hunting seasons were eventually established around 1880. From there, these rules continued to evolve into what we see today.

The Science of Hunting Tags

The idea behind tags is to help state wildlife agencies manage the population of animals. These organizations have years and years of data to help determine how many animals can be harvested each year. That’s why there are some years when you can only bag one deer and other years when you can take home up to three.

For many species in most locations, tags are available for anyone who wants them. Animals like deer, antelope, etc., are often readily available in the wild. Other animals, like fish or small game, may not require a tag at all.

There are some species, however, that don’t have large enough populations to allow endless tags. Most states resort to a lottery system for these animals. For example, there are close to 50,000 hunters who request a moose tag in Maine each year. The state only doles out about 2,200. If there wasn’t this kind of control, hunters could potentially kill enough moose to eliminate them from the area completely.

Your Tag Is Better For Nature

Mandating hunting tags for certain species of animals makes another impact beyond helping control and maintain animals populations. Most states only give tags to hunters who have properly passed a hunter’s safety course, which helps reduce the number of hunting accidents each year.

Money from hunting tags goes back into funding public lands. In fact, many state parks wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for revenue produced by tags. These funds also help pay for game wardens who help reduce poachers from violating the rules.

The more you learn about hunting tags, the easier it is to see how these simple things positively impact the hunting scene. Without them, there may not be enough game to continue hunting in future years. The next time you feel a little unhappy about having to fork over money for another tax or fee, remember that it’s these hunting tags that make your hunting trip even possible to begin with.