The refuge holds an annual waterfowl hunt from mid-October through early December.  Season dates and harvest limits are released each year in late September.

The Refuge holds an annual white-tailed deer hunt from November through mid-December.

Although fishing and boating are prohibited in Refuge pools, the Refuge maintains a fishing pier (meets ADA standards) at May's Point, off NYS Route 89N, as well as a boat landing/seasonal dock along the NYS Barge Canal, just north of the US Route 20 bridge located east of the Refuge entrance road. A NYS DEC boat launch is located on US Route 20, opposite the Refuge entrance road. All NY state regulations apply when fishing and boating.

National Wildlife Refuges serve many purposes, and one of our most important roles is as outdoor classrooms to teach about wildlife and natural resources.  Many refuges offer environmental education programs for a variety of audiences.  Refuges provide unique and exciting outdoor environments – excellent locations for hands-on learning activities.  Thousands of youth and adult groups visit every year to learn about a specific topic on wildlife, habitat, or ecological processes.

Is your school, youth, environmental or other group interested in learning more about the wildlife, plants, habitats and ecology of a particular national wildlife refuge?  Contact or visit Montezuma refuge to check on program availability and reservation policies.  Refuges are wild places, and we want to teach you more about them!

Perhaps the fastest growing activity on national wildlife refuges in the past ten years has been wildlife photography.  That's not surprising – the digital camera population explosion and cell phones with ever-improving picture-taking abilities are increasing the number of nature photographers at a rapid rate.  You don't need to purchase expensive equipment or have any experience to get started.  A small camera or basic cell phone will do just fine for most visitors.

Nearly 12 million people visit outdoor areas each year to photograph wildlife, and national wildlife refuges naturally are at the top of the list.  Refuges provide enhanced opportunities to photograph wildlife in natural habitats by providing platforms, brochures, interpreters, viewing areas, and tour routes.  Wildlife photography is a high-priority activity in the Refuge System.  We welcome beginning and expert photographers alike to record their outdoor adventures on film, memory card or internal hard drive!