Rules and Policies

Welcome to your national wildlife refuge! The refuge is open 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset for permitted activities. Discover new places to hunt, take pictures, watch wildlife, walk, cross-county ski and snowshoe. Enjoy spending time outdoors alone or with friends and family. 

To help make your visit safe and enjoyable, read the Refuge Rules and Policies below for details about permitted and prohibited activities with additional site-specific regulations.

General Restrictions

Access to the refuge, including parking lots, is open from 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1/2 hour after sunset unless posted or stated in hunting regulations. The refuge is not open to the public for nighttime access, including stargazing and northern lights viewing.

We prohibit:

• Target Shooting or any non-hunting discharge of firearms
• Unauthorized use of firearms, fireworks, air guns, and all other weapons
• Training pets and allowing pets off leash
• All types of motorized vehicles on all refuge land (to include frozen bodies of water) except on designated parking areas, access roads and public roads
• Fires (including cooking fires)
• Camping and overnight parking
• Abandoning, discarding or otherwise leaving any personal property. All property brought onto the refuge must be removed at the end of each day. This includes common items like vehicles, boats, decoys, trail cameras, blinds, geo-caching items, photography equipment, portable stands, climbing sticks and trash
• Destructing, defacing, disturbing or unauthorized removal of any natural object, artifact, cultural resource or government property
• Introducing, liberating or placing plants or animals or their parts taken elsewhere on refuge lands or water
• Disposing of animal carcasses, trash, refuse, rocks, wood or other debris including shotgun shell casings
• Cutting, mowing, sawing, digging, collecting, injuring or removing vegetation
• Flagging or marking devices
• Launching, landing or disturbing of wildlife by aircraft (drones) on the refuge. This includes for recreational or commercial purposes
• Commercial enterprise without a special use permit. Commercial still photography does not require a special use permit, provided it lacks sets and props. Refuge regulations must be followed while conducting commercial still photography and public spaces cannot be blocked. See the refuge Specific Regulations section below for details.
• Use or possession of any illegal drug or drug paraphernalia is prohibited
• Use or possession of alcohol by minors
• Disturbing or interfering with any employee of the United States or of any local or State government engaged in official business, or with any private person engaged in the pursuit of an authorized activity on any national wildlife refuge
• Any act of indecency or disorderly conduct
• The destruction, injury, defacement, disturbance, or the unauthorized removal of any public property including natural objects or private property 

Hunting

• Hunting is an approved use on the refuge. See the Hunting Brochure for the species, method of take and additional requirements.
• All hunters must possess a refuge hunting permit for the current hunting season. The refuge hunting brochure, when signed, and in your possession, serves as a permit for all refuge hunts.
• Small game hunting is an approved use on the refuge. Hunters using shotguns, including turkey hunters, are required to use and possess only non-toxic shot.
• During the small game and migratory bird seasons, hunting dogs must be under the immediate control of the hunter.
• Furbearer hunting is allowed only from ½ before sunrise until sunset. Hunting dogs are not permitted when hunting furbearers.
• Hunters must wear an article of blaze orange/pink consistent with state regulations.
• We prohibit constructing or occupying permanent stands or blinds. We also prohibit the use of nails, wire, screws or bolts to attach a stand to a tree or hunting from a tree, into which a metal object has been driven to support a hunter. Portable hunting stands must be set up and removed each day.
• We prohibit the use or possession of alcoholic beverage while hunting.
• We prohibit distribution of feed or bait or hunting over bait. This includes salts and minerals.

Trapping

Trapping is not an approved use on the refuge

Fishing

Fishing is not an approved use on the refuge

Artificial Lights

You may not use a spotlight, headlight or other artificial light to spot, locate or take any wild animals on the refuge

Refuge-specific Regulations

• Horses, dog sleds, skijoring, snowmobiles and all other off-highway vehicles (OHV) are prohibited.
• Bicycling is only permitted on the refuge entrance road.
• All hunters must possess a refuge hunting permit for the current hunting season. The refuge Hunting Brochure, when signed, and in your possession, serves as a permit for all refuge hunts.
• Hunting firearms and bows are not permitted in closed areas and no hunting zones.
• Furbearer hunting is allowed only from ½ before sunrise until sunset. Hunting dogs are not permitted when hunting furbearers.
• Commercial still photography is allowed and does not require a special use permit. Refuge regulations must be followed and sets and props and blocking public spaces are not permitted.
  • Sets and props include, but are not limited to: backdrops, lighting banks, horses, camping equipment, campfires, couches and so forth, when used to stage a specific scene
  • The use of a camera on a tripod, without the use of any other equipment is not considered a prop
• Consult the Crane Meadows Public Use brochure for more details.
• Special Use Permits may be issued for compatible secondary uses upon approval of the Refuge Manager. Contact Complex Headquarters for application information at 763-389-3323.

Permits

Hunting Permit

All hunters must possess a refuge hunting permit for the current hunting season. The refuge Hunting Brochure, when signed, and in your possession, serves as your permit for all refuge hunts.

Special Use Permit

Special Use Permits may be issued for research, wood cutting and other activities on the refuge that are compatible with current wildlife management plans and which help meet certain objectives. Contact Refuge Complex Headquarters at 763-389-3323 for more information.