Harvest Information Program

The Harvest Information Program (HIP) is a legally required certification for migratory bird hunters that helps biologists manage migratory birds. Information collected about Texas migratory bird hunters benefits conservation efforts that ultimately affect seasons, bag limits and other conservation measures.

Learn more about what HIP is, why HIP matters and HIP's impact on Texas hunters.

Get HIP

Get HIP if you intend to harvest migratory game bird species:

  • Ducks
  • Geese
  • Doves
  • Cranes
  • Rails
  • Coots
  • Gallinules
  • Woodcock
  • Snipe.

Inform your license clerk that you intend to hunt migratory game birds and need to be HIP-certified.

Image of migratory game birds

Skip HIP

Skip HIP if you intend to harvest non migratory game bird species:

  • Quail
  • Fish
  • Turkey
  • Deer
Image of non migratory game birds species

What is HIP?

The Harvest Information Program (HIP) is often misunderstood by hunters as a survey of their actual harvest. In reality, it serves a very different purpose. HIP is a sampling frame - a way of categorizing licensed migratory bird hunters from which statistically valid surveys can later be conducted.

When Texas hunters purchase their licenses and are asked HIP screening questions (about dove, duck, or goose hunting activity the previous season), their responses are not considered harvest data. Instead, this information simply places them into categories within the HIP sampling frame, ensuring that subsequent harvest surveys that do collect harvest data target the right types of hunters.

Why HIP Matters

Collects Contacts for Future Harvest Surveys
HIP, by itself, is not a harvest survey - HIP registration does not measure or record the number of birds harvested in Texas. Instead, HIP registration builds the sample pool of hunters to potentially be contacted later for detailed harvest surveys. HIP registration alone does not measure or record the number of birds harvested in Texas.
Creates a Foundation for Harvest Estimates
By identifying hunters who pursue migratory game birds, HIP ensures that follow-up harvest surveys capture an accurate cross-section of hunting effort and harvest.
Impacts Final Harvest Estimates
The reliability of national and state-level harvest estimates depends heavily on HIP being an accurate and complete sampling frame. If hunters misunderstand HIP or fail to participate correctly, follow-up harvest surveys will be less representative, which can affect the precision of final estimates used for important management decisions.

How HIP Impacts Texas Hunters

For hunters in Texas, answering HIP questions truthfully is critical. While HIP does not track your personal harvest, it ensures you and hunters like you are properly represented in the surveys that ultimately shape season frameworks, bag limits, and conservation decisions for ducks, geese, doves, and other migratory game birds across the Central Flyway.