Hunting Regulations
Those hunting within the Refuge must follow all regulations as described in the New Hampshire or Maine hunting regulations, seasons, and bag limits as well as the Refuge-specific regulations outlined below.
Although hunters will not be required to obtain permits to hunt on the Refuge, they may be asked to participate in hunter surveys in conjunction with state agencies. This will enable the Refuge to gather information regarding the hunt, which will be valuable in assessing and managing future hunting programs.
General Guidelines
- Refuge hunting hours coincide with
state hunting hours but can not be
longer than from one half hour before
legal sunrise to one half hour after
legal sunset. The refuge is closed to
night hunting.
- Use of an artificial light to spot, locate,
or take wildlife is prohibited.
- When state and refuge regulations
differ, the more restrictive rule
applies.
- Any commercial/profit making venture
on refuge lands, including guiding,
requires a Special Use Permit (contact
refuge office).
- Distributing bait or hunting over bait
is prohibited on the refuge.
- The use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
is prohibited.
- Cars and trucks are welcome to drive
on logging roads to access the refuge,
however, driving on skid roads or
skidder trails is prohibited.
- While hunting, possession or use of
alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
Firearms and Hunter-Orange
- Individuals may lawfully possess a firearm on the refuge in accordance with federal and state laws, and only use (discharge) firearms while hunting (target shooting is prohibited).
- Hunters may only possess non-toxic
shot when hunting waterfowl,
migratory game birds and upland
game (using a shotgun) on refuge
lands.
- Hunter must wear two articles of hunter-orange clothing or material.
One article must be a solid-colored
hunter-orange hat; the other must
cover a major portion of the torso,
such as a jacket, vest, coat or poncho
and must be a minimum of 50%
hunter-orange in color (i.e. orange
camouflage) except; when hunting
waterfowl or hunting with a bow and
arrow while in an elevated tree stand
or ground blind (archery hunters must
wear orange as outlined above while
moving on the ground).
- All persons participating in a hunt with hounds must also wear hunter orange as outlined above.
Hunting with Dogs
- Hunters may use a maximum of four
(4) dogs for bear and coyote, and a
maximum of two (2) dogs for rabbits,
hares, migratory game birds, and
upland game birds per hunter.
- Dog training is not permitted on the
refuge.
- All dogs must be under the control of
their owner at all times, except; when
hunting coyote and bear, dogs must be
equipped with working radiotelemetry
collars and hunters must be
in possession of a working radiotelemetry
receiver for the collars.
- Dogs must be picked up the same day
they are released and may only be
present on the refuge when the owner
or an accountable person is
accompanying them.
Waterfowl and Migratory Game Birds
- We allow hunting of ducks, geese, American crow and woodcock.
Big Game
- We allow hunting of bear, white-tailed deer and moose.
Upland Game
- We allow hunting of coyote, fox,
raccoon, woodchuck, red and eastern
gray squirrel, porcupine, skunk,
snowshoe hare, ring-necked pheasant
and ruffed grouse.
- Currently, the refuge is not open to
bobcat or turkey hunting.
Blinds and Tree Stands
- Permanent waterfowl blinds are
available at various locations on the
refuge and may be reserved on a first
come, first served basis by calling the
refuge.
- Reservations for particular blinds may
be made up to one year in advance for
a maximum of one week from Monday
through Sunday during the hunting
season.
- Reservations for additional weeks may
be made up to one week in advance on
a space available basis.
- No other permanent blinds are
permitted on the refuge.
- Temporary blinds are permitted on
the refuge, but blinds, boats, and
decoys must be removed from the
refuge at the end of each day.
- Only removable tree stands are
permitted and they must be removed
by the end of the season.
- No one shall insert a nail, screw, spike,
wire, or ceramic metal, or other
damaging object into trees.
Trapping
- Currently, the refuge is not open to trapping.
For a pdf version of the 2011 Hunt Regulations, click here (pdf - 235kb).
For further hunting information or to reserve a duck blind, contact:
Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 240
Errol, NH 03579
Phone: (603) 482-3415
lakeumbagog@fws.gov
Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 550 refuges within the National Wildlife Refuge system. Compatible public use is encouraged on the refuge including, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation, fishing and hunting. For a current listing of state-specific Refuge regulations, look at the Code of Federal Regulations pages for New Hampshire and Maine.
For a list of all federal laws governing hunting on National Wildlife Refuges, visit the Code of Federal Regulations Wildlife and Fisheries Web site.
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