Despite the strong tradition of ethics that the vast majority of hunter and anglers abide by, there are those that disregard the laws that regulate hunting and fishing. To address these violations, the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact (IWVC) was created in 1989 to provide a mechanism to allow state fish and wildlife agencies to share information about fish and wildlife violations between the states. The availability of this information helps stop poachers and other violators from moving their illegal activity to another state after receiving a violation elsewhere.
Earlier in 2013, Vermont became the 39th state to sign on to the Compact, after passing legislation last year. HB 53, sponsored by Representatives Lewis, McAllister, McNeil, and Reis (members of the Vermont Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus), was signed into law by Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member Governor Peter Shumlin on May 8, 2012