Bird hunting season to open on Saturday, August 17

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is announcing that The 2019 Game Bird Shooting Season will open on Saturday, August 17, 2019, and close on Sunday, September 22, 2019.

NEPA says hunting sessions are from sunrise to 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to sunset on Saturdays and from sunrise to 9:00 am on Sundays.

Only the following birds must be hunted: Zenaida Dove/Pea Dove, White-winged Dove; White - crowned Pigeon/Baldpate and Mourning Dove/ Long-tailed Pea Dove. 

The overall  bag limit per  shooting  session  is 20 birds  with the  exception  of  the White-crowned Pigeon  which  is  15.

Shooting  within  Game Reserves/ Sanctuaries and Forest Reserves  and within 50  metre distance  from  the  boundaries  of  Game Reserves/ Sanctuaries is prohibited.

NEPA says with the support of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and Game Wardens it will carry out monitoring operations during the season to enforce the compliance of hunters.

Hunters' licences may be obtained from NEPA’s head office at 10 Caledonia Avenue, Kingston 5 or any of its authorised vendors.

The licence fee is $20,000 and NEPA advised that all applicants must have a valid firearm licence/user's permit and Tax Registration Number.

Hunter’s Bird Shooting Report not completed and returned  by the December 31 of the  same  year of the  season  will attract a late processing  fee of $5,000 before  a  Hunter’s Licence is  granted  to  hunt  during the 2019  Bird Shooting Season.

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