Ridgefield NWR’s waterfowl hunt program offers a quality duck and goose hunting experience with a maximum of 21 spaced blinds on 760 acres. Hunters can enter a pre-season lottery system to obtain reservations for priority check-in or attend as a stand-by hunter to occupy remaining blinds. Various blind options are offered, including pit and box blinds and two accessible blinds for hunters with disabilities. Northern shovelers account for a large percentage of bagged birds, but hunters also take good numbers of green-winged teal, mallard, American wigeon, gadwall, and northern pintail.
Ridgefield NWR Waterfowl Hunt Season Oct-Jan
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is run in accordance with all Washington State Regulations. To understand how to hunt at Ridgefield you will need to know and understand the Washington state rules and regulations for waterfowl hunting.
Washington State Waterfowl Hunting Regulation
See Resource below for Ridgefield NWR specific regulations and processes.
2026-2026 Season Dates to Remember
- August 17th Lottery Opens
- Sept 17th Lottery Closes
- October 17th Opening Day
- October 31st Youth Hunt (By reservation ONLY)
- November 11th Veteran's Hunt (By reservation ONLY)
Please refer to state regulations for season regulations and dates specific to species.
Optional Reservation Lottery
Reservations give hunters first blind pick during the morning check-in but are NOT required to hunt. See season documents below for details about the check in process and other site-specific information.
Lottery applications will be open August 17th through September 17th.
Link to RecAccess lottery application page: https://ridgefield.recaccess.com/#/product-list
