Hunting can instill a unique understanding and appreciation of wildlife, their behavior, and their habitat needs. As practiced on refuges, hunting does not pose a threat to wildlife populations, and in some instances is necessary for sound wildlife management. Hunting programs can promote understanding and appreciation of natural resources and their management on lands and waters in the Refuge System.
The dates fluctuate slightly each year, but the season generally begins in mid-October and ends in late January or early February.
Please visit the CDFW website to view complete state hunting regulations, including seasons, bag limits, and methods of take. All of our refuge hunt units are open for ducks, geese, coots, and common gallinules moorhen. Certain areas of our refuges are also open for ring-necked pheasant and snipe hunting. Hunt maps for each of the individual hunt units.
Please read the area specific rules and regulations on the backside of each map -- hunters are responsible for knowing these rules. The flood-up schedule on these maps is generated near the beginning of the water year March and might not reflect current flood-up on the ground.
Reservations are not required, but having a reservation will generally guarantee getting a hunting spot during the busiest periods of the season. Freitas, S. Freitas, Merced. The reservation does not guarantee a specific blind number or pond; rather, the reservation determines the order that hunters check in first thing in the morning to select their hunt assignments.
