Visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at:  http://www.fws.gov   or call 1 800/344 WILD.  Hearing impaired visitors may call the Federal Relay Service at:  1 800/877 8339. Contact Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge lakeumbagog@fws.gov Privacy, disclaimer and copyright information

        
Hunting Regulations 2006-2007

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.

Click here for a map of hunting areas on the refuge.

	The Refuge will be open to hunting in accordance with state regulations but no longer than from one half hour before legal sunrise to one half hour after legal sunset.  We close the refuge to night hunting.
	When state and Refuge regulations differ, the more restrictive rule applies.
	Hunters must unload all firearms (all ammunition removed) and nock no arrows outside of legal hunting hours.  All firearms in vehicles on the refuge must be unloaded or dismantled.
	Distributing bait or hunting over bait is prohibited on the Refuge.
	The use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) is prohibited. Disabled hunters may request an ATV special use permit.
	The use of other motor vehicles is restricted to designated roads.
	All hunters are required to hold valid permits,   licenses, and stamps according to state and federal regulations.
	While hunting, possession or use of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
	Hunters must wear two articles of hunter-orange clothing or material.  One article must be a solid-colored hunger 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).
	Dogs will not be allowed on the Refuge during pre-hunt scouting.
	No dog training is permitted on the Refuge.
	All dogs must be under the control of their owner at all times, except as provided for in the sections entitled “Upland Game” and “Big Game.”
	All 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.
	Use of an artificial light to spot, locate, or take wildlife is prohibited.
	Any commercial/profit making venture on refuge lands including guiding requires a Special Use Permit (contact refuge office).

	We allow hunting of ducks, geese, American crow, and woodcock.
	You may use trained dogs to assist with retrieval of downed birds.
	Hunters may only possess non-toxic shot when hunting waterfowl and migratory game birds.
	Permanent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service blinds will be provided at various locations on the Refuge and will be available for public use by first come, first serve reservation. To view the locations of the duck blinds, click here.
	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.

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.
	Only non-toxic shot may in the possession of the hunter when hunting upland game with a shotgun on refuge land
	When hunting wild turkey, the hunter is exempt from wearing hunter orange.
	The Refuge is not open to bobcat hunting.
	We allow hunting of coyotes and snowshoe hare with dogs during State hunting seasons.
	All dogs used to hunt coyote (maximum of 4 dogs permitted for coyote) must be equipped with working radiotelemetry collars and hunters must be in possession of a working radiotelemetry receiver for said collars.  We do not require radio-telemetry collars for dogs used to hunt snowshoe hare but no more than 2 dogs may be used per hunter.
	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.

Big Game

	We allow hunting of bear, white-tailed deer, and moose.
	Only removable tree stands are permitted on the Refuge and 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.
	The Refuge will be open to hunting bear with dogs during State hunting season with a maximum of 4 dogs per hunter.
	We prohibit training during or outside of dog season for bear.
	We allow pre-hunt scouting of the refuge; however, we prohibit dogs and firearms during pre-hunt scouting.
	Hunters must take the first bear they tree with dogs, with the exception of cubs or a sow with cubs.
	As a condition of bear hunting with dogs on the Refuge, hunters must report to the states of Maine or New Hampshire the Refuge location where the bear was taken.
	All dogs used to hunt bear must be equipped with working radiotelemetry collars and hunters must be in possession of a working radiotelemetry receiver for said collars.

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, click here for New Hampshire and click here for Maine.

Click here for a list of all federal laws governing hunting on National Wildlife Refuges