Continuing its effort to improve public land access for hunters, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has announced that it will open or expand hunting and fishing opportunities on 60,000 acres across 10 national wildlife refuges, raising the number of refuges where public land hunting and fishing is permitted to 373 and 311, respectively.
“The nation’s sportsmen and women lead the conservation of wildlife and their habitats throughout our nation. They are passionate about the outdoors and are committed to sustainably managing these resources for all Americans to enjoy,” said USFWS Principal Deputy Director Greg Sheehan in a recent press release. “Refuges provide all Americans with places to hunt, fish, observe the natural world firsthand and experience the great outdoors.” Expanding public hunting and fishing opportunities is something the USFWS is delighted to do, especially when they coincide with refuge management goals.
Hunting and/or fishing will be opened or expanded on the following 10 national wildife refuges:
Georgia and South Carolina- Savannah River National Wildlife Refuge: Expand migratory game bird hunting, upland game and big game hunting. The refuge is already open to all off the above and sport fishing.
Indiana
- Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge: Expand migratory game bird hunting, upland game and big game hunting and sport fishing. The refuge is already open to all of the above and sport fishing.
Minnesota
- Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge: Expand migratory game bird hunting, upland game and big game hunting. The refuge is already open to all of the above and sport fishing.
North Dakota
- Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge: Open moose hunting for the first time. The refuge is already open to upland game and other big game hunting.
- Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge: Open moose and turkey hunting for the first time. Expand upland game and big game hunting. The refuge is already open to upland game hunting, other big game hunting and sport fishing.
Oklahoma
- Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge: Expand upland game and big game hunting. The refuge is already open to migratory game bird hunting, upland game and big game hunting and sport fishing.
Oregon
- Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge: Expand migratory game bird hunting. The refuge is already open to migratory game bird hunting.
- Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge: Open sport fishing for the first time. The refuge is already open to migratory game bird hunting.
Wisconsin
- Horicon National Wildlife Refuge: Expand migratory game bird hunting, upland game and big game hunting. The refuge is already open to all of the above and sport fishing.
- Fox River National Wildlife Refuge: Expand big game hunting. The refuge is already open to big game hunting.
For more information, click here.
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