Methodology

Sources

Season dates come only from official sources:

• The regulations, digests and season announcements published by each state wildlife agency.
• For migratory birds such as ducks, the federal frameworks published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, within which each state sets its own dates.

Apps, news articles, forums, blogs and AI-generated answers are not used as sources. They may point to where an official document is, but the date itself is always taken from the official document.

What each entry records

• State, species, zone and weapon or season type.
• Start and end dates.
• Bag limit notes, only when stated in the regulations.
• The exact URL of the official source.
• The date the entry was checked against that source.

If a detail is not in the official source, it is left out rather than estimated.

Use of AI

AI tools are used to help search for official documents and to draft page text. Every date, zone and limit is checked by hand against the official source before it is published.

Conflicting sources

When two official documents from the same agency give different dates, the page notes the difference and links both, instead of choosing one without saying so.

Yearly updates

States publish new season dates each year, usually in spring or summer. Each state page is reviewed when its new regulations come out, and the verification date is updated.

Corrections

Send corrections to [email protected]. Each one is checked against the official source and, if confirmed, the page and its verification date are updated.