Public Land Hunting Access Expands Across America

For years, hunters have heard the same complaint: there’s never enough access.

Too many gates. Too many restrictions. And, too many maps that make about as much sense as a treasure hunt drawn by a raccoon.

That may finally be changing. The Trump administration and the Department of the Interior are making a major push to expand access to public lands, open new hunting opportunities, and make it easier for hunters to find places to go afield.

And if you’ve been looking for a reason to plan that duck hunt, deer trip, or Western adventure, this might be it.

Just this spring, the Department of the Interior announced plans to acquire more than 5,000 acres of new habitat near national wildlife refuges in Texas, Virginia, and Illinois. The land purchases are part of a broader conservation effort funded through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act that will conserve, restore, or enhance more than 185,000 acres of habitat across the country.

That’s good news for ducks. It’s also good news for hunters.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the projects will improve opportunities for hunting, fishing, birdwatching, and outdoor recreation while supporting local economies.

But the habitat expansion is only part of the story. The bigger headline for many hunters is access.

The Department of the Interior recently announced expanded hunting and fishing opportunities at roughly 75 locations across the country. Changes include longer seasons in some areas, expanded use of hunting dogs and stands, improved game recovery access, and the opening of previously unavailable federal lands.

At the same time, the National Park Service has rolled back more than 100 outdated closures and restrictions across 36 park units, removing regulations that duplicated state wildlife laws or created unnecessary barriers for hunters.

In other words, less paperwork and more hunting. Perhaps the most useful change is one most hunters won’t see immediately.

The Department of the Interior is building a new public-facing mapping system through the MAPLand and MAPWaters Acts. The goal is simple: help hunters figure out where they can legally go and what they can legally do once they get there.

“By improving access to reliable, up-to-date information, we’re supporting outdoor recreation, reducing confusion on the ground and helping people make the most of the lands and waters they own,” Secretary Burgum said in the press release. “Outdoor recreation is a cornerstone of many local economies and a way of life for millions of Americans. These improvements will help people spend less time searching for information and more time enjoying the outdoors.”

The new system will eventually provide detailed information on:

• Public access points
• Roads and trails
• Seasonal closures
• Easements
• Hunting and shooting areas
• Water access locations

Anyone who has ever spent three hours staring at land ownership maps before a hunt can appreciate that.

NSSF praised the announcement, noting that more than 92 million acres (roughly 95% of National Wildlife Refuge System lands) could ultimately be available for hunting opportunities under the proposal. The organization also pointed out that hunters and the firearm industry have contributed more than $30 billion toward wildlife conservation through excise taxes since 1937.

That’s an important reminder. Hunters didn’t just benefit from America’s public lands system. They helped build it. And now, it looks like there may be more opportunities than ever to enjoy it.

So start scouting. Dust off the boots. Check those maps!

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