The Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology (SDUE) announced the start of the sport hunting season on properties or ranches registered as Wildlife Management Units (UMAs).
This activity, also known as “hunting tourism,” is coordinated by the Wildlife Department to contribute to wildlife conservation through sustainable use and to promote economic development in rural areas.
This practice, legally established in the territory since 1952, also promotes reproduction and genetic improvement, contributes to wildlife conservation, and provides hunting experiences.
Since 2005, an agreement has been in place with the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) to assume responsibilities related to wildlife, decentralizing 20 procedures previously handled by the Federal Government.
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Among these procedures is the application for “Authorization for the Extraction of Specimens, Parts, or Derivatives,” an activity supported by the General Wildlife Law and its Regulations, which govern and apply it as an extractive activity.
The game species that may be harvested in Chihuahua are: white-tailed deer, mule deer, coyote, puma (or mountain lion), collared peccary, rabbit, hare, quail, wild turkey, doves, migratory waterfowl such as geese, ducks, coots, and sandhill cranes, as well as European wild boar and Barbary sheep.
To have the harvesting authorized, the applicant must meet specific requirements based on the Law’s Regulations, which include having a property registered as a Wildlife Management Unit (UMA) and possessing a Management Plan prepared by a registered technical professional with the General Directorate of Wildlife.
The Plan must specify which species will be harvested, request the harvesting rate based on a population census of the species of interest, and confirm that these are wild species naturally distributed throughout the country.
Interested parties must demonstrate that the requested rates are lower than the natural renewal rate of the populations subject to harvesting, in the case of wild species in their natural habitat, and that there will be no negative impact on those populations. Depending on the number of authorized specimens, a fee is payable to the Revenue Collection Office for “hunting tag,” which will be affixed to the harvested animal.
The tag is a numbered identification system that includes the UMA (Wildlife Management Unit) information, registration number, authorized species, possession number, municipality where the UMA is located, and harvesting season, to certify its legal origin. Currently, there are approximately 250 active Wildlife Management Units (UMAs) in the state. Some of these provide hunting services, including airport-ranch transportation, cooks, lodging, guides, trophies, and assistance with exporting species.
In the case of the Bighorn Sheep, the State Government has a program implemented through agreements with some UMAs to ensure the proper conservation and management of these animals.
Source: diario
