U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex 73 Weir Hill Road Sudbury, MA 01776 978/443 4661 Eastern 978/443 2898 Fax www.fws.gov/refuge/great_meadows Massachusetts Federal Relay Service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing National Wildlife 800/877 8339 Refuge Complex US Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov Hunt Regulations May 2017 and Information NT OF E TH TM E R IN A P T E E R D I . O S R . Assabet River National U M 9 AR 84 Wildlife Refuge C H 3, 1 Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge Welcome Welcome to the Assabet River, Hunt Seasons Assabet River NWR is open for the Great Meadows and Oxbow National hunting of white-tailed deer (archery, Wildlife Refuges. These three muzzleloader, shotgun), spring refuges are part of the Eastern turkey, American woodcock, ruffed Massachusetts National Wildlife grouse, Eastern cottontail rabbit, This goose, designed by Refuge Complex which encompasses and gray squirrel. Great Meadows J.N. “Ding” Darling, has eight refuges in Massachusetts. NWR is open for white-tailed deer become the symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge Within the National Wildlife (archery only) and waterfowl (ducks System. Refuge System, there are more and geese). Oxbow NWR is open than 560 refuges under the U.S. for white-tailed deer (archery, Fish and Wildlife Service. The muzzleloader, shotgun), spring and Service manages these refuges fall turkey, waterfowl (ducks and and is responsible for conserving, geese), snipe, American woodcock, protecting and enhancing the nation’s ruffed grouse, Eastern cottontail fish, wildlife, and plant habitat for the rabbit, and gray squirrel. NOT ALL continuing benefit of the American PARTS OF EACH REFUGE ARE people. OPEN FOR EACH HUNT SEASON (see map for details). Be familiar In response to hunter feedback and with the hunt maps and regulations to streamline the hunt program, to ensure you are hunting in an open some refuge regulations and area. procedures have changed. Hunters are encouraged to read this Archery permits are valid during information carefully. shotgun and muzzleloader seasons. It is imperative that you conduct Applicable refuge hunting dates yourself with the highest level of and times correspond to state consideration for the safety and regulations. See state abstracts for enjoyment of others. Please respect details. and observe refuge regulations, boundaries and safety zones. Refuge Permits All hunters are required to have a A lack of responsibility on refuge-issued permit along with state your part could result in licenses in their possession to scout a reduction or closure or hunt on each refuge. Information of refuge hunting about the application process is opportunities in the provided in a separate handout. future. Refuge The information provided below Regulations and outlines refuge-specific hunt Information regulations. Persons possessing, transporting, or carrying firearms on national wildlife refuges must comply with all provisions of state and local law. Persons may only use (discharge) Gray firearms in accordance with refuge squirrel regulations (50 CFR 27.42 and specific refuge regulations in 50 CFR Part 32). Please contact us if you are confused about any of our special regulations. Closed Areas during the hunting season. Please Not all areas of the three refuges exercise caution when hunting on are open for hunting. Please ensure or near the rivers or near nature that you are hunting on land or along trails. It is your responsibility to rivers where hunting is allowed. The know where trails are located. Also maps in this brochure show where realize that some people may wander hunting is allowed. Hunters must also comply with the 500-foot safety zone around occupied buildings and 150- Woodcock foot safety zone from public roads. off trails (even though they are not supposed to!). Please be aware that Duck non-hunters may not know that taking hunting is allowed on some parts flight of the refuges. Be respectful at all times. Refuge Management Activities Refuge staff, volunteers and contractors may be working at any time on any of the refuges during hunting season. Our management activities for wildlife and habitat management are important and will Waterfowl hunting at Great Meadows continue to be conducted during the NWR is authorized between the hunt season. We apologize if our buoys on the Concord and Sudbury activities disturb your hunt, but some Rivers. These buoys have been disturbance will be unavoidable. installed to indicate where hunting is allowed. Waterfowl hunting on the Parking rivers is allowed only between buoys You will receive a parking pass with 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and 7 and your refuge permit. The number on 8. There are no buoys on the Nashua this pass will correspond with your River as waterfowl hunting there is permit number. The pass must be only allowed south of Route 2 to the visible on your dashboard at all times Still River Depot Road boat launch. when parked in a designated hunter parking lot. Nature Trails Nature trails are located on all Hunter lots are shown on the hunt refuges in areas where hunting is maps. You may be fined or towed if allowed. Other outdoor enthusiasts your vehicle blocks gates, roads or may be using the Nashua River, buildings. Sudbury River or Concord River Turkey Some parking areas are on Tree stands non-refuge lands (Rt. 225 boat Refuge hunters will be allowed to launch in Bedford and Lake keep one tree stand on each refuge George Street in Devens) or during the white-tailed deer archery, are commonly used by the shotgun and muzzleloader seasons. general public to access Tree stands must be marked with the Sudbury River. the hunter’s permit number in such a Please be courteous fashion that it can be visible from the of others if ground. Tree stands may be put up parking in these as soon as the first eligible scouting areas. Also, day of the permitted season and ensure you must be removed by January 15. Any are on refuge tree stand remaining on the refuge property after January 15 may be confiscated. before you Climbers or ladder type tree stands begin hunting. are recommended. Nails, spikes, screws or other objects may not be At Great driven into any tree to access or Meadows secure the stand. NWR, hunters MUST NOT Having a tree stand in place does access the not claim your right to a specific refuge from area of the refuge. Hunters must Town of Carlisle rely on good judgment and hunter conservation ethics to avoid conflict. Tree stands lands. Parking left up are done so at the sole risk is available in of the hunter. Stands left on the the hunter lot at 342 Maple Street, refuge may be secured with a lock. Carlisle. Please be courteous as this The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a private residence. is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged property. Scouting Scouting may begin four weeks prior to opening day of the permitted season. Hunters may scout any day, sunrise to sunset. Hunters engaged in scouting must carry state and refuge licenses and permits. Hours Hunters may enter the refuge no earlier than an hour and a half before legal hunting hours and leave no later than two hours after legal sunset. Eastern cottontail rabbit Youth hunting respectful of refuge visitors, staff or Any child contractors who may be in the area. between the ages During turkey season, hunters must of 12 and 17 can wear an orange cap when moving to receive a refuge and between their hunt location. hunting permit (not subject to Refuge boundaries White-tailed lottery process) and We have tried to clearly mark refuge deer must be accompanied boundaries. However, not all refuge by a licensed hunter areas are completely signed. Please 18 years of age or older refer to the refuge maps and call the when hunting. refuge office if you need clarification on a refuge boundary. Non-hunting companion Approved shot Each permitted hunter Hunters may possess only approved may be accompanied non-toxic shot when hunting by one non-hunting ruffed grouse, rabbit, squirrel and companion. Non- migratory birds. hunting companions cannot engage in Dogs the act of hunting Dogs are not allowed on any of the but they can help refuges during scouting. For seasons retrieve and carry where State regulations allow the use downed game. of dogs, we allow no more than two All companions dogs per hunting party. must carry personal identification with them and be willing to show it to any law enforcement official. Non-hunting Canvasback companions must be close enough to decoys the hunter to speak to them without raising their voice. Hunter orange During any season in which it is legal to hunt deer with a shotgun or muzzleloader, we require all hunters to wear a minimum of 500 square inches of orange clothing or material on their chest, back and head (except if hunting waterfowl from a blind or boat). During all Decoys other times, hunters engaged in Decoys can only be used while woodcock, ruffed grouse, squirrel, or hunting waterfowl or turkey. cottontail rabbit hunting at Assabet River or Oxbow NWRs, as well as Trail markers snipe hunting at Oxbow NWR, are We do not permit the marking of any required to wear at the minimum tree, trail, or other refuge feature a solid-orange hat. This is not only with flagging or paint. Hunters may a safety consideration, but it is also use reflective tacks and other small reflective markers, which need to be compliance with regulations.