The following refuge units have been opened for hunting and/or fishing, and are listed in alphabetical order with applicable refuge-specific regulations.
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, coot, and snipe on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We prohibit air-thrust boats.
2. We allow nonmotorized and motorized boats after September 20 within the designated refuge hunting areas.
3. You may only use portable blinds or construct temporary blinds of natural vegetation. Blinds will be available for general use on a first-come, first-served basis. You must remove portable blinds from the refuge at the end of each day (see Sec. 27.93 of this chapter).
4. You must remove all personal property, including decoys and boats, (see Sec. 27.93 of this chapter) from the refuge at the end of each day.
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of pheasant, grouse, partridge, and cottontail rabbit on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following condition: You may only possess approved nontoxic shotshells while in the field (see Sec. 32.2(k)).
C. Big Game Hunting. [Reserved]
D. Sport Fishing. We allow fishing on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We prohibit boats in the fishing area.
2. We prohibit use and possession of lead weights or sinkers.
Camas National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, coot, and snipe on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We prohibit public entry onto the refuge prior to 1 hour before legal hunting hours.
2. You may only use portable blinds or construct temporary blinds of natural vegetation. Blinds will be available for general use on a first-come, first-served basis. You must remove portable blinds (see Sec. 27.93 of this chapter) at the end of each day.
3. You must remove all personal property (see Sec. 27.93 of this chapter), including decoys, from the refuge at the end of each day.
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of pheasant, grouse, and partridge on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. You may only possess approved nontoxic shotshells while in the field (see Sec. 32.2(k)).
C. Big Game Hunting. [Reserved]
D. Sport Fishing. [Reserved]
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of goose, duck, coot, common snipe, and dove on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. You may hunt only duck, coot, and dove on the Lake Lowell Unit.
2. Duck and coot hunting in the East Side Recreation Area is walk-in only. Duck and coot hunters may use float tubes, nonmotorized boats, or boats equipped with only electric motors within 200 yards (180 m) of the shoreline in the South Side Recreation Area.
3. We allow only portable and temporary blinds. We prohibit permanent structures.
4. You must remove boats, decoys, blinds, other personal property, and any materials brought onto the refuge for blind construction at the end of each day.
5. We allow hunters to enter the refuge 1 hour before official shooting hours (\1/2\ hour before legal sunrise), and remain on the refuge until 1 hour after official shooting hours (legal sunset).
6. We allow the use of dogs for hunting. Dogs must be under the immediate control of the handler at all times and not allowed to roam at large.
7. From February 1 through May 31, we prohibit hunting on the Snake River Islands Unit.
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of upland game on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. You may hunt only pheasant, quail, and partridge on the Lake Lowell Unit.
2. We allow hunters to enter the refuge 1 hour before official shooting hours (\1/2\ hour before legal sunrise), and remain on the refuge until 1 hour after official shooting hours (\1/2\ hour after legal sunset).
3. We allow the use of dogs for hunting. Dogs must be under the immediate control of the handler at all times and not allowed to roam at large.
C. Big Game Hunting. We allow hunting of deer on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions;
1. You must obtain a refuge-specific hunting permit (signed brochure) to hunt deer on the Lake Lowell Unit. Hunters must sign and carry the permit in the field while hunting.
2. Only the southern portion of the Lake Lowell Unit is open to deer hunting. We define the deer hunting area on the north by the southern shoreline of Lake Lowell, on the east by the New York Canal, on the south by the southern boundary of the refuge, and on the west by Riverside Road.
3. Hunters may place up to two portable deer stands (including elevated platforms) in the Lake Lowell Unit. Hunters must place stands/platforms by hand, without the use of a vehicle. Hunters may place stands/platforms on the refuge no earlier than the beginning date of the assigned hunt permit and must remove them no later than the ending date of the hunt permit. Each stand must bear the hunter's name, address, and telephone number so that it is legible from the ground.
4. In the Lake Lowell Unit you may only shoot deer while hunting from an elevated tree stand/platform. We prohibit ground stalking and/or still hunting from the ground. We prohibit shooting a firearm or bow while on the ground, except to kill a downed deer.
5. While hunting from a tree stand, you must use a Fall-Arrest System (FAS)/Full Body Harness meeting Treestand Manufacturer's Association (TMA) Standards.
6. Hunters may only access the Lake Lowell Unit deer hunting area from Parking Areas 1-8.
7. Hunters may enter the Lake Lowell Unit no earlier than 2 hours before official shooting hours (\1/2\ hour before legal sunrise) and must leave the area within 2 hours after official shooting hours (\1/2\ hour after legal sunset). Successful hunters may extend their departure time up to 5 hours past official shooting hours (\1/2\ hour after legal sunset) to retrieve dead deer.
8. A refuge employee or State Game Warden must accompany hunters to retrieve a wounded or dead deer from any Closed Area.
D. Sport Fishing. We allow fishing on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. During the waterfowl hunting season, we allow fishing only within 200 yards (180 m) of the shoreline in front of both the Lower Dam (Fishing Area A) and the Upper Dam (Fishing Area B) on the Lake Lowell Unit.
2. From October 1 through April 14, we allow nonmotorized boats from \1/2\ hour before legal sunrise to \1/2\ hour after legal sunset only within 200 yards (180 m) of the shoreline in front of both the Lower Dam (Fishing Area A) and the Upper Dam (Fishing Area B) on the Lake Lowell Unit.
3. From April 15 through September 30, we allow motorized and nonmotorized boats from \1/2\ hour before legal sunrise to \1/2\ hour after legal sunset throughout the Lake Lowell Unit.
4. From February 1 through May 31, we prohibit fishing from the islands within the Snake River Islands Unit.
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, coot, and snipe on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We only allow nonmotorized boats.
2. You may only use portable blinds or construct temporary blinds of natural vegetation. Blinds will be available for general use on a first-come, first-served basis. You must remove portable blinds (see Sec. 27.93 of this chapter) at the end of each day.
3. We only allow hunters and dogs to retrieve game in designated hunting areas.
4. You must remove all personal property, including decoys and boats, (see Sec. 27.93 of this chapter) from the refuge at the end of each day.
B. Upland Game Hunting. [Reserved]
C. Big Game Hunting. [Reserved]
D. Sport Fishing. [Reserved]
Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of goose, duck, and coot on designated areas (designated area changed due to increased size of safety zone) of the refuge in accordance with State and Federal regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We allow hunting only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
2. You may possess only approved nontoxic shotshells (see Sec. 32.2(k)) in quantities of 25 or less per day.
3. We prohibit the discharge of firearms in the posted retrieving/safety zone.
4. On waterfowl hunt days, we allow public entry onto the refuge from 3:00 a.m. until 1 hour after legal sunset.
5. We prohibit overnight vehicle parking on the refuge.
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of forest grouse and wild turkey on that portion of the refuge that lies west of Lion's Den Road in accordance with State regulations subject to the following condition: You may possess only approved nontoxic shotshells (see Sec. 32.2(k)) while in the field.
C. Big Game Hunting. We allow hunting of deer, elk, black bear, moose, and mountain lion on that portion of the refuge that lies west of Lion's Den Road and hunting of deer at an ADA-accessible blind near Aspen Slough in accordance with State regulations and subject to the following conditions:
1. We prohibit all use of dogs for hunting of big game.
2. You may only participate in deer hunting at the ADA-accessible blind with valid State licenses and tags.
3. You may only participate in deer hunting at the ADA-accessible blind with a refuge permit issued through a random drawing for up to four 7-day archery-only permits and up to six 7-day archery/special weapons-only permits.
4. We only allow deer hunting at the ADA-accessible blind using the following weapons: Muzzleloader, archery equipment, crossbow, shotgun using slugs, or handgun using straight-walled cartridges not originally established for rifles.
5. We prohibit use of toxic (lead) ammunition when deer hunting at the ADA-accessible blind.
D. Sport Fishing. We allow sport fishing on Myrtle Creek in accordance with State regulations subject to the following condition: We allow bank fishing only.
Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, coot, and snipe on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We only allow hunters and dogs to retrieve game in designated hunting areas.
2. You may only use portable blinds or construct temporary blinds of dead natural vegetation. Blinds will be available for general use on a first-come, first-served basis. You must remove portable blinds (see Sec. 27.93 of this chapter) at the end of each day. We prohibit use of rock piles above the high-water mark for blind construction. We prohibit pit blinds (see Sec. 27.92 of this chapter).
3. We only allow vehicle parking in designated parking lots.
4. On West Hunting Area (Lake Walcott), we allow hunting on the uplands and over water within 100 yards (90 m) of the shoreline. We only allow use of boats for retrieval of game.
5. On East Hunting Area (Tule Island), we allow boats during the waterfowl hunting season.
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of pheasant, grouse, partridge, and cottontail rabbit on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following condition: You may only possess approved nontoxic shotshells while in the field (see Sec. 32.2(k)).
C. Big Game Hunting. [Reserved]
D. Sport Fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We allow bank fishing year-round. We only allow vehicle access (see Sec. 27.31 of this chapter) to shoreline fishing areas on designated routes.
2. We allow ice fishing in accordance with State regulations. We prohibit motor vehicles (see Sec. 27.31 of this chapter) on the ice.
3. We allow bank and float-tube fishing year-round, throughout all of Lake Walcott. [58 FR 5064, Jan. 19, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 6691, Feb. 11, 1994; 60 FR 62041, Dec. 4, 1995; 65 FR 30782, May 12, 2000; 65 FR 56402, Sept. 18, 2000; 66 FR 46355, Sept. 4, 2001; 69 FR 54362, 54386, Sept. 8, 2004; 74 FR 45683, Sept. 3, 2009; 74 FR 50736, Oct. 1, 2009; 77 FR 56039, Sept. 12, 2012; 79 FR 14827, Mar. 17, 2014]