HIP Law and Legal Definition
HIP means the Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program. The HIP is a program by which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the various state wildlife agencies develop estimates of the number of all migratory birds harvested throughout the United States. These estimates provide biologists the information they need to make right decisions relating to hunting seasons, bag limits, and population management.
In 1991, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the revision of migratory bird hunting regulations. Pursuant to the new regulations, all migratory bird hunters were required to register with the Harvest Information Program (HIP). This program was active in every state (except Hawaii) by 1998. A small number of those registering for HIP are mailed a more thorough survey, based on their responses to the screening questions answered during registration.
The following is an example of a state law (Illinois)referring to the term:
Registration in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program shall be required for those persons who are required to have a hunting license before taking or attempting to take any bird of the species defined as migratory game birds by Section 2.2, except that this subsection shall not apply to crows in this State or hand-reared birds on licensed game breeding and hunting preserve areas, for which an open season is established by this Act. Persons registering with the Program must carry proof of registration with them while migratory bird hunting.
The Department shall publish suitable prescribed regulations pertaining to registration by the migratory bird hunter in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program. [520 ILCS 5/3.1].
