Be in the Know: Hunting Season Edition

 What is Hunting Season?

Hunting Season refers to the months of the year that it is legal to hunt in Trinidad and Tobago. The hunting season in Trinidad and Tobago began on October 1st, 2021. In order to hunt, one would need to apply for a hunting permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. According to our legislation, any animal classed as vermin (bats, rats, squirrels, manicou, yellow-tail birds, and green parrots) can be hunted by owners or occupants of privately owned land without a permit, however, hunting in the forest reserves requires a permit/license.

Figure 1: showing the opening of hunting season (Texas.gov 2021)

What can you hunt and how could you hunt it?

            The government of Trinidad and Tobago has published a list of game species that can be pursued during the hunting season. This list is categorized into Reptiles (cayman and lizards), Mammals (Agouti, Armadillo/Tattoo, Deer, Lappe and Quenk), Birds (13 listed species), and Caged Birds (8 listed species).  The full list of species can be viewed on the Government’s Biodiversity site. These game animals cannot be hunted in areas designated as a “Game Sanctuary”. A Game Sanctuary is an area where game animals are protected. There are many methods that can be used to capture and or hunt animals. These include:

·        “trapping with nets, cages, tranquilizers, etc.;

·        Attaching devices such as tags, bands, collars, radio/satellite telemetry emitter etc.;

·      Marking with paint, dyes, clipping body parts (fins, feathers, flippers, ears, etc.)

·  Drawing body fluids such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, semen and ova” (National Wildlife Policy 2013 Page 20).


Figure 2: Loop News (2017)

Are there any issues with the Hunting Season?

            In Trinidad and Tobago's legislation, there are barely any regulations to prevent hunters from taking animals that are too young or premature. It is simply up to the discretion of the hunter. This means that it is crucial for us to know why it is important to converse the juvenile animals. Therefore, if too many juvenile animals are killed there will not be enough mature animals to continue to the reproductive process and populations will decrease continuously.

Figure 3: showing El Soccoro Centre for Wildlife Conservation


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