Print vs. Digital Fishing Guides
Sinclair Boggs
Maryland DNR is currently reviewing how we deliver fishing regulations. I’d love to hear about your state’s experience with the following:
Printed vs. Online Guides: Do you still print guides? If you’ve moved to digital-only, how did the public react?
Vendors: Do you use any vendor other than Kalkomey for printed or online guides?
Digital Formats: Which digital format works best for your anglers (PDF, in-house website, eregulations website, or an app)?
Any insight or experience you're willing to share is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Sinclair
Sinclair Boggs
Marketing Strategist
Fishing and Boating Services
Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave., B-2
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
443-569-1381 (Mobile)
Rene LeBreton
Louisiana still prints fishing and hunting regulations.
We also offer digital PDF and flipbook formats.
We use JF Griffin for printing our books – they were purchased by Kalkomey last year… We design our printed book and digital files in-house.
Rene LeBreton - Public Information Director
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
2045 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70122
(o) 504-286-8745
(m) 504-400-2676
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Amanda Stroud
SCDNR still does print and eRegulations. We cut our printed quantities in half a couple years ago without backlash, but still have a demand for them. We also use JF Griffin/Kalkomey. Does Gordon-Darby do regulations books?
Thank you
Amanda
Amanda Stroud
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Office of Education, Outreach and Information
Director of Creative Services
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Wardell, Marcee (DNR)
Happy to share what we’re doing in Michigan.
We are required in statute to print copies of the fishing regulations, but the number is up to us. We’ve printed 300,000 copies for the last several years. Despite mild complaints from the public, third-party license vendors, and internal customer service staff about this not being enough, we usually have a small remainder after the season.
Since we have about 1.2 million anglers annually, we also deliver the regulations digitally in a PDF on our website and in our app. I don’t have access to the view and download stats for regulations in the app, but the majority of views of our regulations likely come from the website PDF.
Our Wildlife Division has moved to HTML only for the digital hunting regulations; however, our fishing regulations are extensive and complex—producing both a print PDF and HTML version is prohibitive. Additionally, constituents and Fisheries Division staff want the regulations to be the same in print and digital forms; content needs to look the same, be on the same page, etc. in print and digital versions.
We do the design of the regulations in-house and produce the digital version. We’ve used various printers, the relationship with which is managed through the state’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget. For the 2026 regulations, we’ve made the PDF compliant with digital accessibility requirements.
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Marcee Wardell Communications Specialist Fisheries Division | Department of Natural Resources
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Firestone, Christy
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DiPiano, Linda [DEP]
Hi from New Jersey
We still print our Freshwater Fishing Digest and our Marine Digest (as well as our Hunting & Trapping Digest). The number of copies printed depends on the number of ads sold for each digest. We seem to never have enough.
Kalkomey is our vendor for all 3 digests, and it was J.F. Griffin before that. We make all the changes and work with their designers to incorporate those changes.
We also place the same copy on our website as a high-res PDF. We break each digest down into segments to make it easier for our constituents to find what they need/want. There is also an eRegs link placed on the page where the PDF is found.
Hope this helps.
Linda
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Linda DiPiano Supervising Biologist New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Information and Education 26 Route 173 West Hampton, NJ 08827 |
Managing Your Fish and Wildlife Since 1892
From: statesdirect...@googlegroups.com <statesdirect...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Sinclair Boggs
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Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
Amanda Stroud
Another question: has anyone been contacted with their new Kalkomey point of contact for the upcoming regulation cycle?
Thank you
Amanda
Amanda Stroud
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Office of Education, Outreach and Information
Director of Creative Services
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Aaron Meier
Good Morning from snow covered Reno, Nevada!
We still print our fishing guide (and two other publications) along with a PDF link and the e-regulations website, all with Kalkomey (previously J.F. Griffin).
And yes, we were neck deep in a publication when Kalkomey made the recent change in personnel. Our contacts are now Greg Gulliver (ggul...@kalkomey.com) and Kellie Pence (kpe...@kalkomey.com).
Thank You
Aaron
Meier
Conservation Education Division Administrator
Nevada Department of Wildlife
6980 Sierra Center Parkway, Suite 120
Reno, NV 89511
Office: (775) 688-1553
Cell: (775) 685-6383
Support Nevada’s Wildlife…Buy a Hunting and Fishing License
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Laura Rose Clawson [KDWP]
Like many others, Kansas prints 3 sets of regulation summaries: hunting/furharvesting, fishing, and boating. Each is in both English and Spanish. Boating summaries are completely in-house, including printing. For hunting & fishing, we design in-house and previously used a Kansas-based vendor for ad sales, printing, and distribution. We just contracted Kalkomey to take that over.
We also do species-specific game regulation brochures for the big ones for us (deer, turkey, upland birds, etc.) that are mailed with permits. We will be reevaluating that approach and format this year.
We are in the process of building a new website that will have the regulation content live on the page, but we will ensure accessibility of the PDF until that new site is ready.
Laura
Laura Rose Clawson | Chief of Public Affairs
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Office 785-296-2015
Cell 785-940-0646
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DiPiano, Linda [DEP]
Same with New Jersey – we were just about finished with one, and we found out about the change.
Same points of contact that Aaron mentioned.
Linda
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Linda DiPiano Supervising Biologist New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Information and Education 26 Route 173 West Hampton, NJ 08827 |
Managing Your Fish and Wildlife Since 1892
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Gustafson, Jane
Hi all from weather-confusion Nebraska, where it was 75 degrees yesterday, and will be snowing tomorrow!
- We still print our Fishing Guide (regulations) – and just changed to a larger size format (a little under 8.5” x 11”) with the 2026 version. (previous version was 5.5” x 8.5”.) the larger size allowed for better readability, more content, more ad sales.
- We do have it in digital format online – as a flipbook – on our website. It can be accessed there or downloaded to a computer/mobile device.
- Not sure what our anglers prefer…..they are not often in agreement on anything. 😊
- The number we print varies; we are printing a few less each year, trying to print just enough to not run out, but not recycle any, either.
- We do not work with a vendor – we send out a printing RFP every 3-5 years that results in a multi-year printing contract for printing all our guides (fishing, small game hunting & waterfowl, big game, turkey, state parks).
- We do sell advertising in all of these (just starting on the state park version); we have a contracted individual that sells these ads for us, along with advertising in our agency magazine, Nebraskaland.
Hope this is helpful.
Jane
Jane Gustafson
Asst. Division Administrator
Marketing & Advertising Manager
Communications Division
Office: 402-471-5481
Hulquist, Kali M (DFG)
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We print four regional sport fishing regulation books each cycle: Northern, Southcentral, Southeast, and Southwest.
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PDFs are available online, and regulations are also accessible through the ADF&G mobile app.
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We communicate updates through social media, email subscriptions, press releases, and emergency order notifications. Emergency orders are posted online and shared on social throughout the season.
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We also create and share informational videos.
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Our Division of Wildlife Conservation prints one hard-copy regulation book annually, with supplements as needed, and provides PDF and app versions.
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Because of Alaska’s size and connectivity challenges in some communities, we continue to offer both print and digital formats. Preferences vary, some anglers prefer a hard copy, while others rely on the app or PDFs, and we want to make sure anglers can access sport fishing regulations in the format that works best for them.
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Print quantities are adjusted each cycle. Each fall, I coordinate with regional offices to estimate needs, and they check with local businesses that distribute the books to help project demand.
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All design and layout work is done in-house. I work closely with regional coordinators, area managers, assistant managers, information officers, front desk staff (work the closet with the public) and technicians to incorporate Board of Fisheries changes.
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Our books follow the Board of Fisheries regulatory cycle and are typically printed by March/April. Covers note that they are effective until the next summary book is issued.
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We use a local printing company, Anchorage Printing. Contracts are bid periodically, typically every five years. I provide press-ready PDFs, review color proofs, and attend press checks to confirm color accuracy, map and text alignment, and final edits before signing off.
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The printer delivers to our offices, where vendors pick up, and ships to other ADF&G offices by barge or plane
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Hulquist, Kali M (DFG)
I’m happy to share what we’re doing here in Alaska from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fish.
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We print four regional sport fishing regulation books each cycle: Northern, Southcentral, Southeast, and Southwest.
-
PDFs are available online, and regulations are also accessible through the ADF&G mobile app.
-
We communicate updates through social media, email subscriptions, press releases, and emergency order notifications. Emergency orders are posted online and shared on social throughout the season.
-
We also create and share informational videos.
-
Our Division of Wildlife Conservation prints one hard-copy regulation book annually, with supplements as needed, and provides PDF and app versions.
-
Because of Alaska’s size and connectivity challenges in some communities, we continue to offer both print and digital formats. Preferences vary, some anglers prefer a hard copy, while others rely on the app or PDFs, and we want to make sure anglers can access sport fishing regulations in the format that works best for them.
-
Print quantities are adjusted each cycle. Each fall, I coordinate with regional offices to estimate needs, and they check with local businesses that distribute the books to help project demand.
-
All design and layout work is done in-house. I work closely with regional coordinators, area managers, assistant managers, information officers, front desk staff (work the closet with the public) and technicians to incorporate Board of Fisheries changes.
-
Our books follow the Board of Fisheries regulatory cycle and are typically printed by March/April. Covers note that they are effective until the next summary book is issued.
-
We use a local printing company, Anchorage Printing. Contracts are bid periodically, typically every five years. I provide press-ready PDFs, review color proofs, and attend press checks to confirm color accuracy, map and text alignment, and final edits before signing off.
-
The printer delivers to our offices, where vendors pick up, and ships to other ADF&G offices by barge or plane
Kali Hulquist
Assistant Statewide Communication Coordinator/ Program Coordinator I
Division of Sport Fish - Statewide
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99518
(907) 267.2254
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Lininger - DNR, Debbie
- Colorado still prints our (~8.5x11) English version of our fishing regs and a smaller quantity of the Spanish version.
- Both versions are also online on our website as PDFs, downloadable and accessible. Corrections after printing are put into the online version so it remains the most current and valuable.
- Our print quantities are reduced a little each year, and we continue to scrutinize the higher cost of printing and distribution over just online versions.
- We do not work with an outside vendor to create our publication and do not have any outside ads in our regs.
- We mail packages/distribute our regs from our warehouse to our 550 license vendors, city visitor/welcome centers who request them, USFS & BLM offices and our Colorado Parks and Wildlife locations.
CPW Marketing Coordinator
Abigail....@dnr.ohio.gov
Hello from Ohio!
We both print and post a pdf online. Who does the printing varies year to year because we have to bid it out.
Cheers,
Abby
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Ross Self
Ross L. Self
Chief, Freshwater Fisheries
S. C. Department of Natural Resources
mail:
P.O. Box 167
Columbia, SC 29202
shipping:
260 D. Epting Ln
West Columbia, SC 29172-2773
Phone: 803-734-3808
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O'Neill-McLeod, Peggy
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Office: (406) 444-3051
Montana FWP | Montana Outdoors Magazine
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Hello from Ohio!
We both print and post a pdf online. Who does the printing varies year to year because we have to bid it out.
Cheers,
Abby
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Hello everyone from Alaska,
I’m happy to share what we’re doing here in Alaska from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fish.
Printed vs. Online Guides
- We print four regional sport fishing regulation books each cycle: Northern, Southcentral, Southeast, and Southwest.
- PDFs are available online [adfg.alaska.gov], and regulations are also accessible through the ADF&G mobile app [adfg.alaska.gov].
- We communicate updates through social media, email subscriptions, press releases, and emergency order notifications. Emergency orders are posted online [adfg.alaska.gov] and shared on social throughout the season.
- PDFs are available online [adfg.alaska.gov], and regulations are also accessible through the ADF&G mobile app [adfg.alaska.gov].
- We communicate updates through social media, email subscriptions, press releases, and emergency order notifications. Emergency orders are posted online [adfg.alaska.gov] and shared on social throughout the season.
|
Linda DiPiano Supervising Biologist New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Information and Education 26 Route 173 West Hampton, NJ 08827 |
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Sinclair Boggs
Sinclair Boggs
Marketing Strategist
Fishing and Boating Services
Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave., B-2
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
443-569-1381 (Mobile)
Michael Hobson
Good Afternoon,
Please find responses for Texas below.
How do you communicate fishing regulations to the public in your state?
In Texas, our primary communication tool for all of our regulations (hunting and fishing) is digital. We have an online version (https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/) as well as an app(https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/app/).
Do you still print guides? If you’ve moved to digital-only, how did the public react?
We do print a very small amount of guides (136,250) which are only available at TPWD locations. The initial reaction to a primarily digital option was not good hence why we print the limited number that we do.
Do you use any vendor other than Kalkomey for printed or online guides?
Yes, we print our regulations using the same printer we use for our magazine, Royle Printing.
Which digital format works best for your anglers (PDF, in-house website, eregulations website, or an app)?
I can’t say for certain but I would say our app is probably most popular because you can use it with or without service.
Any insight or experience you're willing to share is greatly appreciated.
Before you make any big changes, talk to your constituents, well in advance.
Thank you,
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