The following refuge units have been opened for hunting and/or fishing, and are listed in alphabetical order with applicable refuge-specific regulations.
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of goose, duck, coot, moorhen, snipe, and dove on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We allow hunting only on designated days.
2. We only allow motorless boats or boats with electric motors on the refuge hunting area during the migratory waterfowl hunting season.
3. We open the refuge to the public from 1 hour before legal sunrise until 1 hour after legal sunset.
4. You may only possess approved nontoxic shot while in the field (see Sec. 32.2(k)).
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of quail and rabbit on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. Conditions A3 and A4 apply.
2. We only allow hunting on designated days.
C. Big Game Hunting. [Reserved]
D. Sport Fishing. [Reserved]
Desert National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. [Reserved]
B. Upland Game Hunting. [Reserved]
C. Big Game Hunting. Hunting of bighorn sheep is permitted on designated areas of the range subject to the following conditions:
1. Bighorn sheep guides are required to obtain a Special Use Permit prior to taking clients onto the range.
2. Natural bighorn sheep mortality (pick-up heads) found on the range are government property and possession or removal of them from the range is not permitted.
D. Sport Fishing. [Reserved]
Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of goose, duck, coot, moorhen, snipe, and dove on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We allow hunting only on designated days.
2. We only allow motorless boats or boats with electric motors on the refuge hunting area during the migratory waterfowl hunting season.
3. You may only possess approved nontoxic shot while in the field (see Sec. 32.2(k)).
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of quail and rabbit on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We only allow hunting on designated days.
2. Conditions A3 applies.
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 allow fishing year-round with the exception of the North Marsh that we close October 1 to February 1.
2. We only allow motorless boats or boats with electric motors on the Upper Lake, Middle Pond, and Lower Lake.
3. We prohibit the use of boats, rubber rafts, or other flotation devices on the North Marsh.
Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of dark geese, ducks, coots, moorhens, and common snipe on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations and subject to the following conditions:
1. The refuge is open to the public from 1 hour before sunrise until 2 hours after sunset.
2. We do not allow permanent or pit blinds on the refuge. You must remove all blind materials and decoys following each day's hunt.
B. Upland Game Hunting. [Reserved]
C. Big Game Hunting. [Reserved]
D. Sport Fishing. We allow fishing on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State laws and subject to the following conditions:
1. The refuge is open to the public from 1 hour before sunrise until 2 hours after sunset.
2. We allow fishing by wading and from personal flotation devices (float tubes) and bank fishing in designated areas.
3. You may use only artificial lures in the Collection Ditch and adjoining spring ponds.
4. We do not allow boats on refuge waters from January 1 through June 14.
5. During the boating season, we allow boats only on the South Marsh. June 15 through July 31, we allow only motorless boats or boats with battery-powered electric motors. Anglers must remove all gasoline-powered motors. August 1 through December 31, we allow only motorless boats and boats propelled with motors with a total of 10 horsepower or less.
6. We allow launching of boats only from designated landings.
7. We prohibit the possession of live or dead bait fish, any amphibians (including frogs), and crayfish on the refuge.
8. We do not allow storage of boats of any kind on the refuge beginning January 1 through May 31.
9. We do not allow off-road vehicles on the refuge.
Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of goose, duck, and coot on the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We prohibit hunting on the following waters: Big Spring Reservoir, Catnip Reservoir, Dunfurrena Ponds, and the ``Little Sheldon'' portion of the refuge.
2. We only allow nonmotorized boats or boats with electric motors.
3. We only allow portable blinds and temporary blinds constructed of synthetic material.
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of quail, grouse, and chukar on the refuge except in the following areas: The ``Little Sheldon'' portion of the refuge and around the Dunfurrena Ponds in accordance with State regulations subject to the following condition: We allow sage grouse hunting and require a State permit.
C. Big Game Hunting. We allow hunting of deer, antelope, and bighorn sheep on the refuge except in the following areas: The ``Little Sheldon'' portion of the refuge and around Dunfurrena Ponds in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We allow ground blinds, and you must not construct them earlier than 1 week prior to the opening day of the legal season for which you have a valid permit.
2. You must remove blinds (see Sec. 27.93 of this chapter) within 24 hours of harvesting an animal or at the end of the permittee's legal season.
3. You must tag blinds with the owner's name and permit number.
4. We prohibit destruction of natural vegetation (see Sec. 27.51 of this chapter) or below-ground excavation.
D. Sport Fishing. We allow fishing in Big Spring Reservoir, Catnip Reservoir, and in the Dunfurrena Ponds in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We only allow nonmotorized boats or boats with electric motors.
2. We only allow individuals who are age 12 or under, age 65 or older, or disabled to fish in McGee Pond.
Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of migratory game birds on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions.
1. We prohibit hunting inside the posted no hunting zone around the residence of the former Alves property.
2. We prohibit hunting inside the posted no hunting zone located south of Division Road as shown in the refuge brochure.
3. We prohibit loaded weapons (see Sec. 27.42(b) of this chapter) inside the posted retrieval zone. The zone begins on the north edge of Division Road and extends 200 yards (180 m) northward.
4. 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) firearms in accordance with refuge regulations (Sec. 27.42 of this chapter and specific refuge regulations in part 32).
5. We prohibit boating outside of the waterfowl and youth waterfowl hunting season except in Willow Lake where we allow nonmotorized boating all year.
6. We prohibit boats on Swan Lake, the northeast corner of North Nutgrass Lake, and the north end of Pintail Bay. We allow the use of nonmotorized carts, sleds, floating blinds, and other floating devices in these areas to transport hunting equipment and to conceal hunters, but not to transport hunters.
7. We only allow outboard motor boats on Lead Lake, Tule Lake, Goose Lake, South Nutgrass Lake, the southeast corner of North Nutgrass Lake, and south end of Pintail Bay.
8. We only allow air-thrust boats on Goose Lake, South Nutgrass Lake, the southeast corner of North Nutgrass Lake, and the south end of Pintail Bay.
9. You may not operate air-thrust boats until 1 hour after the legal shooting time on opening day of waterfowl season.
10. We require air-thrust boat owners to get a Special Use Permit from the refuge manager and to display a number on their airboats.
11. We allow nonmotorized boats on all lakes and bays except Swan Lake, the northeast corner of North Nutgrass Lake, and the north end of Pintail Bay.
12. We prohibit all-terrain vehicles on the refuge (see Sec. 27.31(f) of this chapter).
13. We only allow parking on boat landings and designated parking areas.
14. We only allow camping in designated areas.
15. We prohibit campfires (see Sec. 27.95 of this chapter).
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of upland game species on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. Conditions A1, A2, A4, A12, A13, A14, and A15 apply.
2. Hunters must only use shotguns with approved nontoxic shot (see Sec. 32.2(k)).
3. We prohibit the use or possession of lead shot (see Sec. 32.2(k)).
4. We prohibit hunting after legal sunset.
C. Big Game Hunting. We allow hunting of mule deer on designated areas of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. Conditions A1, A2, A12, A13, A14, and A15 apply.
2. Hunters must only use shotguns, muzzleloading weapons, or bow and arrow, and may possess and use only nontoxic projectiles for hunting (see Sec. 32.2(k)).
3. 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) firearms in accordance with refuge regulations (Sec. 27.42 of this chapter and specific refuge regulations in part 32).
D. Sport Fishing. [Reserved] [58 FR 5064, Jan. 19, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 6694, Feb. 11, 1994; 60 FR 62044, Dec. 4, 1995; 61 FR 46397, Sept. 3, 1996; 62 FR 47380, Sept. 9, 1997; 63 FR 46919, Sept. 3, 1998; 65 FR 30786, May 12, 2000; 65 FR 56405, Sept. 18, 2000; 66 FR 46360, Sept. 4, 2001; 67 FR 58948, Sept. 18, 2002; 69 FR 54362, 54429, Sept. 8, 2004; 74 FR 45693, Sept. 3, 2009; 74 FR 50737, Oct. 1, 2009; 76 FR 56080, Sept. 9, 2011; 80 FR 51923, Aug. 26, 2015]