Idaho hunters fined after trusting AI for hunting regulation dates

Idaho hunters have received citations this fall after artificial intelligence search results provided incorrect hunting season dates, with some duck hunters shooting on days when the season was actually closed. The incidents highlight growing concerns among wildlife agencies about AI-generated misinformation leading hunters to unknowingly violate regulations.

What you should know: Idaho Fish and Game has issued citations to hunters who relied on AI-powered searches that returned inaccurate season dates and regulations.

• Duck hunters were caught shooting on the wrong days because AI told them the season was open when it wasn’t, according to Idaho Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips.
• In some cases, search engines pulled proposed hunting dates from commission meetings rather than the final published regulations.
• One instance involved AI attaching fishing regulations from another state to an Idaho river “with a similar name.”

Why this matters: Wildlife agencies are working to address the problem early as hunters increasingly turn to AI for regulatory information, which could lead to more violations and confusion.

• “It’s one of those things, when it starts to bubble up, we want to alert people to what’s going on,” Phillips said.
• Wyoming Game and Fish Department spokeswoman Amanda Fry noted they’re “seeing inaccuracies in some AI-generated overviews of our regulations.”

The bigger picture: Experienced hunters warn that relying on AI for hunting regulations is unreliable and potentially costly.

• Scott Weber, a decades-long Wyoming hunter, said using AI-driven searches “is a crapshoot, regarding whether you’re right or not.”
• Hunters remain legally responsible for knowing all regulations, regardless of where they got their information, and can face significant fines for violations.

What agencies recommend: Wildlife officials emphasize that hunters should only trust official state agency websites and resources for accurate regulation information.

• Wyoming Game and Fish encourages hunters to “reference our website directly for accurate information on our laws and regulations.”
• Agencies also offer phone consultations, office visits, newsletters, and news updates to help hunters stay informed.
• Weber stressed that official regulations published yearly by state agencies are “the only way to go.”