Hunting
Hunting is an important wildlife management tool that we recognize as a healthy, traditional outdoor pastime, deeply rooted in America’s heritage. 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.
San Luis NWR Hunt Program
Large flocks of teal, northern shoveler, mallard, gadwall, wigeon and northern pintail — along with snow, Ross’ and greater white-fronted geese — swarm over the mosaic of seasonal and permanent wetlands that make up a quarter of the refuge. Waterfowl generally remain until late March before beginning their journey to northern breeding areas; however, some mallard, gadwall and cinnamon teal stay to nest and raise their young on the refuge. The hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese that flock to the refuge each fall provide high-quality hunting opportunities for sportsmen and women on set days each week throughout the waterfowl hunting season. The refuge offers a diverse assortment of hunting formats: free-roam areas, assigned blinds, assigned exclusive zones, assigned ponds, and boat access areas. Reservations to hunt the refuge are made through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Please consult our hunting page for complete procedural information and refuge-specific hunting regulations and requirements.
Waterfowl Hunt Maps
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.
Flood Up Maps
Flood-up Maps - San Luis NWR and Merced NWR. 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.
