Trending Now - Trump Eases Hunting Regulations in National Parks and Refuges

WHO:

AP News - President Donald Trump’s administration, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, National Parks Conservation Association, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Ducks Unlimited, Dan Wenk (former Yellowstone National Park superintendent), Elaine Leslie (former head of the NPS’ biological resources department).

WHAT:

AP News - Trump is lifting restrictions on hunting in national parks, refuges, and wilderness areas.

AP News - An order was issued by Secretary Doug Burgum to remove “unnecessary regulatory or administrative barriers” to hunting and fishing.

AP News - The hunting season in Cape Cod National Seashore would be extended through the spring and summer.

AP News - Hunters in Lake Meredith National Recreation Area would be allowed to clean their kills in bathrooms.

AP News - Hunters would be allowed to kill alligators in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

AP News - Only about 4.2% of the U.S. population identified as a hunter older than 16 in 2024.

WHERE:

AP News - The order applies to 55 sites in the lower 48 states under the National Park Service’s jurisdiction.

AP News - Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Texas, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana.

WHY:

AP News - The order aims to expand opportunities for the public to hunt and fish on Department-managed lands to strengthen conservation outcomes and support rural economies.

AP News - Hunting continues to decline due to increasing urbanization, leading to a shortage of revenue from license sales and excise taxes on guns and ammunition.

HOW:

AP News - The order allows for the use of tree stands, training dogs, using vehicles to retrieve animals, and hunting along trails.

AP News - The National Park Service typically adopts state hunting and fishing regulations but can impose additional restrictions for public safety and wildlife protection.

(UPDATED May 9, 2026 05:51 UTC)

President Trump is lifting restrictions on hunting in national parks, refuges, and wilderness areas, with an order issued by Secretary Doug Burgum aimed at removing regulatory barriers to hunting and fishing. This new policy will apply to 55 sites across the lower 48 states, including Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Texas, and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana, and it will also extend the hunting season in Cape Cod through the spring and summer. Additionally, hunters will now be allowed to clean their kills in bathrooms at Lake Meredith and hunt alligators in Jean Lafitte, as the administration seeks to expand public hunting opportunities to bolster conservation efforts and support rural economies.