As Adaptive Harvest Management is taking hold in Europe, it is worth following progress in North America where the concept was developed. In the 2025-26 waterfowl season, for the first time in over 25 years the daily bag limit for Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) was increased to 3 pintails per day in the lower 48 US States. This came as a surprise to some, as the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey reported that the Pintail breeding population had declined 11% from 2023 to 2024 and the population was 49% below the long-term average.

So why did the regulations change? While harvest can affect Pintail survival and population size, scientists agree that Pintail harvest has far less impact on populations than breeding habitat conditions. New population models show that more liberal bag limits may be possible without affecting long-term trends.

Officials say the approach supports balanced, science-based waterfowl management. Over the next 3 years, the results will be closely monitored as hunters gain more experience with the new daily bag limit. After this, the strategy will be reevaluated, with the goal of protecting pintail populations while maintaining sustainable hunting opportunities for waterfowl hunters.

This experience helps answer the question of whether hunting a species with a declining population is sustainable. The answer is not automatically no. It depends on the species’ biology and the level of offtake. Thankfully, wintering populations of Pintail in Europe are steadily increasing, but it is good to know that science exists to guide such decisions.

More information – https://www.fws.gov/story/new-era-pintail-regulations