Facility Rules and Policies

To ensure your safety and protect wildlife and habitat, please be aware of these regulations.

General Refuge Regulations

  • Open during daylight hours only (sunrise to sunset)
  • Dogs and other pets must be kept on a leash at all times
  • Hiking allowed on designated trails - please see the map
  • Obey posted speed limits
  • Please pack out your trash
  • No overnight parking, camping or fires are allowed
  • Off-road vehicles (including snowmobiles), trail bikes, horses and dogsleds are not permitted
  • All watercraft (motorized and non-motorized) are prohibited
  • Launching, landing, or operating an aircraft to include unmanned aircraft (drone) is not permitted on refuge property
  • Collecting, removing and disturbing plants, animals and/or their parts is prohibited (for example, shed antlers, berries and mushrooms)
     
General Restrictions

Access to the refuge is open from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset unless otherwise posted or stated in hunting regulations.

We prohibit: 

  • Target shooting
  • Training pets and allowing pets off leash
  • All types of motorized vehicles on all refuge land (including on frozen bodies of water) except on designated parking areas, access roads and public roads
  • Watercraft use both non-motorized and motorized
  • Camping, open fires and overnight parking
  • Abandoning, discarding or otherwise leaving any personal property. All property brought onto a refuge must be removed at the end of each day. This includes all common items like vehicles, boats, decoys, trail cameras, blinds, 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 on refuge lands or waters
  • Disposing of animal carcasses, trash, refuse, rocks, wood or other debris
  • Cutting, mowing, sawing, digging, collecting, injuring or removing vegetation
  • 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
  • Use or possession of any illegal drug or drug paraphernalia is prohibited
Hunting

Hunting is an approved use on the refuge, some seasons are in accordance with state regulations; others have delayed openers and additional requirements. Please see the hunting brochure for specific details and regulations.

For small game hunting on the refuge, 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.

Hunters must wear 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 beverages while hunting.

We prohibit distribution of feed or bait or hunting over bait. This includes salts and minerals.

Trapping

Trapping is an approved use on the refuge by special use permit only.

Fishing

Fishing is not an approved use on Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, therefore it's prohibited on all refuge lands and waters within the refuge. 

Artificial Lights

You may not use a spotlight, headlight or other artificial light to spot, locate or take any wild animal in a refuge.

Refuge Specific Information

The auto tour drive and hiking trails are open from May through mid-October during daylight hours. Hiking is only allowed on the drive and designated hiking trails. 

Off-road vehicles (including snowmobiles), open fires, camping, overnight parking and horseback riding are not allowed on the refuge.

Dogs and other pets must be leashed at all times.

Additional information

The above information is a partial list of rules and regulations. Consult the refuge public use brochure for more details.

Special-use permits may be issued for compatible secondary uses upon approval of the refuge manager. Contact the refuge office for application information at 218-461-8970.