Your Guide to Hunting at National Wildlife Refuges Contents Introduction…………………….………………………………………..3 How to Use This Book…………………………………………………...4 - Species Icons - Refuge Hunting Permits Getting the Most From Your Hunting Experience…………………….6 Sidebar Stories: Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska……..……..…..11 Hunting Deer…………………………………………………….52 Becoming a More Effective Waterfowl Hunter………………….66 Hunting Turkey and Upland Birds……………………………….87 Archery, Carrying on the Tradition…………………………….113 Hunting Game, Big and Small.………….……………………..142 Overcoming Challenges: Hunting with a Disability…...……….172 Hunting Waterfowl……………………………………………..212 Teaching Young People to be Good Hunters – and More...……241 Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges by State: -Alabama……………………………..……………………………..8 -Alaska……………………………….…………………………….12 -Arizona……………………………………………………………23 -Arkansas…………………………………………………………..28 -California………………………………………………………….35 -Colorado……………..……………………………………………47 -Connecticut………………………………………………………..50 -Delaware………………………..…………………………………53 -Florida……………………………………………………………..55 -Georgia……………………...…………………………………….61 -Idaho………………………...…………………………………….68 -Illinois……………………...……………………………………...72 -Indiana…………………...………………………………………..76 -Iowa……………………...………………………………………..78 -Kansas…………………...………………………………………...83 -Kentucky……………...………………...………………….……...86 -Louisiana………….………………………………………………89 -Maine…………….………………………………………………102 -Maryland…………..…………………………….…..…………...105 -Massachusetts…….………………………………...……………108 -Michigan…………………………………………………………115 1 -Minnesota………………………………………………………..117 -Mississippi………………………………………………………128 -Missouri…………………………………………………………137 -Montana…………………………………………………………144 -Nebraska……………………………………………………...…155 -Nevada…………………………………………………………..158 -New Hampshire………………………………………………….163 -New Jersey……………………………………………………….164 -New Mexico……...……………………………………………...168 -New York……………...………………………………………...174 -North Carolina…………...………………………………………176 -North Dakota…………...………………………………………..182 -Ohio……………………..……………………………………….197 -Oklahoma………………..……………………………………….198 -Oregon………………….………………………………………..203 -Pennsylvania…….……………………………………………….210 -Rhode Island…….……………………………………………….211 -South Carolina.…………………………………………………..214 -South Dakota…………………………………………………….217 -Tennessee……….………………………………………………..223 -Texas………….………………………………………………….228 -Utah……………………………………………………………...236 -Vermont………………………………………………………….239 -Virginia…………………………………………………………..243 -Washington………………………………………………………251 -West Virginia…………………………………………………….257 -Wisconsin………………………………………………..………259 -Wyoming…………………………………………...……………264 2 Introduction “The sweetest hunts are stolen. To steal a hunt, either go far into the wilderness where no one has ever been, or else find some undiscovered place under everybody’s nose.” -Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac Widely acknowledged as the father of wildlife conservation in America, Aldo Leopold was writing about quail hunting in his beloved Wisconsin. But he could have been referring to the National Wildlife Refuge System. Where better to “steal a hunt” either in a remote corner or under everybody’s nose? The mission of the 97-million-acre System is to administer a network of public lands and waters for the conservation of fish, wildlife and plants. Refuges provide habitat for nearly every species found on the continent. They safeguard nesting, feeding and wintering areas for migrating birds. They protect the habitat of our country’s rarest animals—ocelots and jaguarundis, Key deer and Atwater’s prairie chicken. The Refuge System works to foster public understanding and appreciation of the natural world through wildlife-oriented recreation. This includes hunting, offered at more than 300 national wildlife refuges (NWRs) and protected wetlands. Hunters have been long-time Refuge System partners. Sometimes called the “first conservationists”, they have played a role in the conservation of the nation’s wildlife resources since the late 19th century. Hunters continue to support conservation by buying Federal Duck Stamps. The stamps are required for hunting waterfowl anywhere in the country and the proceeds from Duck Stamps sales are used to purchase and preserve wetland habitat, primarily in the midwest’s `prairie pothole’ region. Since the stamp’s inception in 1934, more than $700 million has been raised, purchasing more than five million acres. This book serves as an introduction to hunting on national wildlife refuges. Use it to help plan your next hunting adventure. If you view hunting as a means to exploration, you will find new hunting spots, new species to hunt and new experiences. At national wildlife refuges, you can be assured of a quality hunt. Refuge hunts are carefully managed in accordance with the Refuge System’s Guiding Principles, which state: “We are land stewards, guided by Aldo Leopold's teachings that land is a community of life and that love and respect for the land is an extension of ethics.” 3 How to Use This Guide Your Guide to Hunting at National Wildlife Refuges gives an overview of hunting opportunities found at refuges nationwide. The guide is organized by state. In cases where a national wildlife refuge crosses state borders, the refuge is listed in the state where its office or headquarters is located and cross referenced. There is no hunting at national wildlife refuges in Hawaii. Without exception, all refuges follow state and federal regulations, including license requirements. In addition, since hunting on national wildlife refuges has to be conducted in a manner that does not negatively impact wildlife conservation, refuges have refuge-specific hunting management plans. These may include special rules and regulations, lottery drawings for hunts and designated hunting areas. This guide provides an overview of each refuge’s regulations, but refuge hunt programs change frequently. Always check with the refuge staff for updates regarding species, hunt dates and other regulations. Be aware that most refuge offices and visitor centers are closed on federal holidays. Many refuges have detailed hunt brochures that provide information necessary for an enjoyable hunt, and most refuges post hunting information on their Web sites. Your Guide to Hunting at National Wildlife Refuges provides links to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge profile pages which provide access to refuge Web sites. Species Icons After each refuge description, a list of icons indicates the types of hunting available. For the most part, these icons are not all inclusive. A refuge that offers big game hunting, for example, is likely to offer a hunt for one big-game species, rather than the whole gamut of big game. The following icons are used: WF: Waterfowl, including duck, goose, coot and merganser. MB: Migratory birds other than waterfowl. These birds include mourning dove, woodcock, snipe, rail and gallinule. UB: Upland birds, including pheasant, grouse, quail, chukar and gray (Hungarian) partridge. SG: Small game, which includes squirrel, rabbit, hare, raccoon. D: Deer, including white-tail, Coues white-tail, mule deer and black-tail. T: Turkey. BG: Native big game other than deer, including elk, moose, caribou, mountain sheep, mountain goat, bear, mountain lion, musk ox and javelina. 4 EX: Exotics, defined as non-native big-game species that are hunted for the purpose of population control. Species available for hunting at different national wildlife refuges include sika elk, sambar deer, feral hog, nilgai and oryx. Refuge Hunting Permits Some refuges require special hunting permits, while others are open to hunters for general hunting seasons without permits. Permit requirements are listed following the text, but check with refuge staff for specifics. Some permits are free while others have a small charge. Permit requirements do occasionally change. Refuge staff have the latest information on fees, harvest reports, and how to apply for lottery hunts. In all cases, state hunting licenses are required. Links to state government websites are listed with states. 5 Getting the Most from Your Hunting Experience State and Federal Regulations • Everyone who hunts on a national wildlife refuge must have the required state license(s). (State government links are provided under state listings.) Some refuges also require their own permits and/or user fees. These are noted in this guide. • Everyone over 16 years old who is hunting migratory waterfowl must have a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp). Proceeds from these stamps are used to purchase wetland habitat for waterfowl. More than $700 million have been collected from the sale of Duck Stamps since 1934, leading to purchase of over five million acres of wetland. In some cases, state stamps are also required. • All state and/or refuge regulations for bag and possession limits must be followed, as well as those for tagging and checking in after the hunt. • Federal law (Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations) allows only non-toxic shot for upland and waterfowl hunting in Waterfowl Production Areas and Wetland Management Districts. Most refuges ban toxic shot. • Follow state and/or refuge rules for wearing hunter orange. • In some cases, a boat will be required to access hunting areas. While refuges have different rules on boats, all require adherence to U.S. Coast Guard and state regulations. Refuge Requirements • Hunting on refuges is permitted during certain time periods and in designated areas only, and these are subject to change. It is critical to contact the refuge for authorized activities and current