Discover nature's best hunting and fishing: the National Wildlife Refuge System.

              U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Discover Nature’s Best

Hunting and Fishing:

The National Wildlife Refuge System

The National Wildlife

Refuge System is one

of America’s greatest

conservation success

stories. In its first

hundred years, it

helped save our

national symbol,

the American bald

eagle, from extinction

and has protected

hundreds of other wild

species—including—

fish, migratory birds,

and many other

plants and animals

and the habitats that

support them.

Hunting and fishing are American

traditions that date back long

before the Revolutionary War.

Today, hunting and fishing are enjoyed

by millions of Americans who cherish

this traditional connection with wildlife,

as did their ancestors. In addition,

hunting and fishing serve as an impor-tant

wildlife management tool in

many locations.

Today, with more than 535 wildlife

refuges nationwide, hunters and

anglers can enjoy the outdoors from

the salt marshes of the Chesapeake

Bay to the tundra of Alaska, and

everywhere in between. Whether

hunting waterfowl at Prime Hook

Refuge or fishing for bass on the lakes

of Tishomingo Refuge, these special

places offer hunters and anglers the

best of the American outdoors.

For a complete list of refuges that

welcome hunters and anglers,

visit http://refuges.fws.gov or call

1-800-344-WILD.

Hunting

Hunters get a warm welcome at more

than 300 wildlife refuges and 3,000

small wetlands known as waterfowl

production areas. Whether stalking an

elusive 6x6 bull elk, following their bird

dogs in pursuit of upland birds, or setting

a decoy spread for plentiful ducks and

geese, hunters find challenges and

rewards on wildlife refuges across the

country. Following are just a few of the

hunting opportunities that abound on

wildlife refuges around the nation.

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge,

located on the Texas-Oklahoma border,

is an excellent place for hunting deer,

dove, squirrel, and rabbit. In addition,

anglers catch striped bass, crappie,

and channel catfish in man-made Lake

Texoma. Just last year, one persistent

bowhunter arrowed a potential

world-record whitetailed deer on

this wildlife refuge.

Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge

encompasses 1.4 million acres in

north-central Alaska. Moose are the

most popular quarry here, but hunters

also come in search of black and brown

bear, and caribou. Visitors

braving the harsh winter are often

rewarded with a stunning display of

the Northern Lights, and during the

summer, the sun never sets.

Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, near

Alturas, California, has dozens of lakes

and ponds attracting 20,000 ducks and

15,000 geese each year. More than

7,000 acres of wetlands provide an

expansive setting for fall waterfowl

hunts, especially for Canada geese.

White River National Wildlife Refuge

in central Arkansas is the mallard

capital of the world, home to a million

ducks each winter. Steeped in duck

hunting history, the bottomland

hardwoods and the perennial mallard

chattering over this river remind

hunters of the days gone by. Whether

in pursuit of deer, ducks, or squirrels,

hunting the bottomland hardwood

forests on these 155,000 spectacular

acres is the consummate outdoor

experience.

Fishing

For Americans who like to fish, the

National Wildlife Refuge System’s

waters teem with opportunities. Anglers

are welcome on more than 260 wildlife

refuges around the country.

Freshwater fishing has been a popular

activity on wildlife refuges for many

years, and an increasing number of

visitors are discovering saltwater

fishing opportunities as well. In all,

over six million anglers visit wildlife

refuges annually. In addition to the

thrill of landing the “big one, ” anglers

enjoy spending time with family and

friends and escaping the everyday

hustle of modern life on wildlife refuges.

Here are a few examples of wildlife

refuges where the fishing is fantastic.

Many also offer hunting opportunities

and breathtaking scenery.

Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife

Refuge, near New Orleans, offers

urban anglers a pristine setting for

both fresh and saltwater fishing. The

marsh landscape supports a wide

variety of graceful birds, waterfowl,

and other creatures, making the

spectacular views one of the many

joys of fishing here.

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife

Refuge encompasses more than a

million acres in north-central Montana.

Fort Peck Reservoir provides an

abundance of walleye, northern pike,

smallmouth bass, and chinook salmon.

The prehistoric paddlefish found in this

refuge’s 40 miles of pristine Missouri

River grow to an angler-challenging

130 pounds.

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

at Tinicum, where one can fish year-round

amid the towers of downtown

Philadelphia, is among a growing

number of wildlife refuges with

facilities accessible to the disabled.

Anglers catch largemouth bass

and tiger muskie, as well as catfish

and panfish.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge,

located in North Carolina’s famous

Outer Banks, has more than 12 miles

of pristine Atlantic beach for surf

fishing, where anglers can reel in

red drum, bluefish, striped bass, and

speckled trout. This wildlife refuge

stretches from the ocean to Pamlico

Sound, where the flounder fishing

is excellent.

A Tradition of Support

Since the 19th century, hunters and

anglers concerned about the future of

wildlife have made countless contribu-tions

to conserving the nation’s wildlife

resources. Hunters have helped buy

land for the National Wildlife Refuge

System for nearly 70 years through

their purchases of Migratory Bird

Hunting and Conservation Stamps—

also known as Federal Duck Stamps.

More than one half of a billion dollars

have been collected from the sale of

Duck Stamps since 1934. Ninety-eight

percent of the money is deposited in

the Migratory Bird Conservation

Fund and used to purchase wetland

habitat—some 5 million acres so

far—for the National Wildlife Refuge

System. As the nation’s first conser-vationists,

hunters and anglers have

provided more than $3 billion for

state conservation programs through

a hunting and fishing equipment

excise tax known as the Federal Aid

in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration

Program. With their support, the

future of wildlife is secure.

Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge | John and Karen Hollingsworth | USFWS

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service

National Wildlife Refuge System

4401 N. Fairfax Drive

Room 670

Arlington, VA 22203

1 800/344 WILD

http://refuges.fws.gov

July 2002

When President

Theodore Roosevelt

made Florida’s tiny

Pelican Island a

refuge for birds

in 1903, he wrote

the first chapter of

a great American

conservation success story. And the

story of safeguarding America’s

migratory birds, endangered

species, and other wildlife keeps

getting better and better. Entering

its second century, the National

Wildlife Refuge System comprises

95 million acres, protected within

more than 535 refuges and thou-sands

of small prairie wetlands

that serve as waterfowl breeding

and nesting areas. There are

wildlife refuges in every state, and

at least one within an hour’s drive

of every major American city,

providing much-needed refuge

for people as well as wildlife.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

is a Federal agency whose mission,

working with others, is to conserve

fish and wildlife and their habitats

for the continuing benefit of the

American people. Under the

management of fish and wildlife

professionals, the National Wildlife

Refuge System has become

the world’s premier network of

wildlife habitats.

America’s Best Kept Secret