PONDICHERRY DIVISION
Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge
Hunting RegulationsMap of Areas Closed to Hunting
A. Migratory Game Bird Hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, common snipe, and American woodcock on the Pondicherry Division of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. You may only use portable blinds. You must remove all blinds, decoys, shell casings, and other personal equipment and refuse from the refuge by legal sunset (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
2. You must wear in a conspicuous manner on the outermost layer of the head, chest, and back, a minimum of 400 square inches (2,600 cm2) of hunter orange clothing or material, except when hunting waterfowl.
3. We allow the use of retrieving dogs but dogs must be under voice command at all times (see § 26.21 of this chapter).
4. We allow hunting during the hours stipulated under the State’s hunting regulations but no longer than from ½ hour before legal sunrise to 1⁄2 hour after legal sunset. We prohibit night hunting. You must unload all firearms (see § 27.42 of this chapter) outside of legal hunting hours.
5. We prohibit all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s or OHV’s).
B. Upland Game Hunting. We allow hunting of coyote, fox, raccoon, woodchuck, red squirrel, eastern gray squirrel, porcupine, skunk, American crow, snowshoe hare, ring-necked pheasant, and ruffed grouse on the Pondicherry Division of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. You must wear in a conspicuous manner on the outermost layer of the head, chest, and back, a minimum of 400 square inches (2,600 cm2) of hunter orange clothing or material.
2. Conditions A3, A4, and A5 apply.
3. We allow hunting of snowshoe hare and coyote with dogs from October 1 to March 15. You may hunt with trailing dogs on the refuge subject to the following conditions:
i. We will only allow dog training outside the established hunting seasons under a Special Use Permit issued by the refuge manager.
ii. We allow a maximum of four dogs per hunter.
iii. You must pick up all dogs the same day you release them (see § 26.21(b) of this chapter).
C. Big Game Hunting. We allow hunting of white-tailed deer, moose, black bear, and wild turkey on the Pondicherry Division of the refuge in accordance with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
1. We allow bear hunting with dogs during the established State hound season. Hunting with trailing dogs on the refuge will be subject to the following conditions:
i. We allow a maximum of four dogs per hunter.
ii. You must pick up all dogs the same day you release them (see § 26.21(b) of this chapter).
2. We prohibit the use of bait (see § 32.2(h)).
3. We allow temporary tree stands and blinds, but you must remove them (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter) by the end of the season. Your name and address must be clearly visible on the tree stand. We prohibit nails, screws, or screw-in climbing pegs to build or access a stand or blind (See § 32.2(i)).
4. You must wear in a conspicuous manner on the outermost layer of the head, chest, and back a minimum of 400 square inches (2,600 cm2) of hunter orange clothing or material, except when hunting turkey or while engaged in archery hunting.
5. Conditions A4 and A5 apply.
6. We allow prehunt scouting of the refuge; however, we prohibit firearms during prehunt scouting.
7. We will only allow dog training outside the established hunting seasons under a Special Use Permit issued by the Refuge Manager.
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