The Sacramento Valley is historically known for its premier waterfowl hunting. Since 1950, portions of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex have been open to the public for hunting.
The Sacramento NWR Complex Hunt Program is administered by the US Fish & Wildlife Service in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (see the Hunt Plan section below for more details).
Portions of the following refuges are open to waterfowl and upland game bird hunting (geese, ducks, coots, moorhens, snipe, pheasant, and turkey) in accordance with all applicable state and federal regulations and subject to special regulations: • Sacramento NWR • Delevan NWR • Colusa NWR • Sutter NWR
During the hunting season, these refuges are generally open to hunting on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Hunting on these refuges is regulated through the Hunter Check Stations, and there are specific permits, fees, and regulations.
Updates will be posted here, as information becomes available to staff. Everything for the 2019-20 season will be posted by Oct. 1.
• Sutter NWR: As of September 9, 2019, Sutter NWR is not open for reservations through CDFW's reservation system due to the inconsistent water flow. Management will know around September 26 if there is enough water on the refuge to open for opening day. Please check back on Sept. 26 for the latest information.• Junior and Youth Hunters ....see table for age-specific regulations and requirements
• Sac Complex - # of Reservations and Quotas (2018, pdf)
In September 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is pleased to announce the expansion of hunting opportunities to include wild turkey hunting on Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa, and Sutter NWR's. Beginning the fall of 2019, turkey hunting would be permitted in the free roam and pheasant only areas of Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa, and Sutter NWRs and open on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays concurrent with established CDFW fall turkey hunting season.
Beginning in the spring 2020, turkey hunting will be available on Sacramento and Delevan NWRs on Saturdays and Sundays only. It would be a mentored hunt on alternate weekends. More information to come in spring 2020.
See the documents below for more details.
FONSI (pdf)Compatibility Determination (CD) (pdf) Environmental Assessment (EA) (pdf)Hunt Plan (pdf)
• How to get a hunting spot? • Reservation • Lottery • First-come-First-served• What's the process for letting hunters on?• What time, how many people, etc?• Check Station information
• What licenses/passes/permits do you need?• Rules of hunting on the Complex• Shoot Times• Bag Limits
Questions? Find the answers, along with important safety tips!
The Complex offer extra hunting opportunities for young hunters.
Special accommodations exist on all five refuges that permit hunting.
The hunting areas are divided into two portions - a spaced hunting area (assigned ponds and/or assigned blinds) and a free-roaming area. Find out the habitat type, water depth, percent of open water, and length of walk from parking areas.
Find the latest Hunt Area Maps, and Driving Directions to the check stations with GPS coordinates.
Hunt results will be posted online Tuesday and Friday mornings (there is an overnight delay as the server is updated), with the exception of Federal holidays.
Find the results of our latest Waterfowl Surveys
View the live weather feed data collected on the Sacramento NWR.
Management of the hunt program is outlined in the Sacramento NWR Complex's Hunt Plan. This document outlines how the refuges will provide safe, quality hunting opportunities while minimizing conflicts with other priority wildlife-dependent recreational uses. When found to be compatible at a refuge, the USFWS considers hunting to be one of the six priority wildlife-dependent recreational uses (the other 5 priority uses include fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation). The Hunt Plan and a Compatibility Determination can be found in the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (Appendices B and C), and determined hunting to be a compatible use at Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa and Sutter NWRs. The Complex's hunting objective is to implement a safe and high quality hunting program including opportunities for approximately 22,000 annual hunting visits on over 8,525 acres.
The Sacramento NWR Complex manages our lands, habitats and facilities, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife selects and processes the hunters and operates the hunter check stations. The hunt areas are physically separated from non-hunted lands and are open to migratory bird and upland game bird hunting during the appropriate seasons. These hunt program parameters help minimize conflicts with visitors engaged in other recreational activities. The Complex adopts harvest regulations set by the state, which uses concepts of density-dependent compensatory mortality and adaptive harvest management to ensure sustained game species populations.
A Refuge Hunting Program Working Group was established in 1991 to exchange ideas and information with the public regarding the Complex's hunting program. A Disabled Hunter Working Group also supports the hunt program by providing feedback, ideas, and information about the mobility impaired blinds.
An annual Brush Up Day occurs every year in September to allow the public assist in cleaning up the Sacramento and Delevan NWRs. Volunteers are an essential part of the refuge and this day gets a lot of work completed! Contact the refuge for more information or see above under "news" if the event is coming up.
Comments about the hunt program can be submitted via the comment boxes posted on the hunter check stations, via phone, or via email sacramentovalleyrefuges@fws.gov
Hunt program volunteers are needed! Contact Garrett Spaan if you are interested to see how you can assist. 530-934-2801 or sacramentovalleyrefuges@fws.gov.