The following refuge units are open for hunting and/or fishing as governed by applicable Federal and State regulations, and are listed in alphabetical order with additional refuge-specific regulations.
(a) Huron Wetland Management District -
(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow migratory game bird hunting on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, decoys, portable blinds, other personal property, and any materials brought onto the area for blind construction by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow upland game hunting on designated areas of the district.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow big game hunting on designated areas of the district.
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, motor vehicles, fishing equipment, and other personal property (excluding ice houses) by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(b) LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge -
(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow the hunting of goose, duck, coot, common snipe, sandhill crane, crow, and mourning dove on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Hunters may enter the refuge 2 hours before legal sunrise and remain no longer than 2 hours after legal sunset. We allow access from refuge parking areas, adjacent public lands, and adjacent private lands enrolled in public access programs.
(ii) We allow the use of motorized boats for hunting and game retrieval on the Little White River Recreation Area. We allow the use of manual powered boats for hunting and game retrieval on all waters within open hunt areas and the use of boats with electric motors on Pool #10.
(iii) We allow the use of dogs.
(iv) We prohibit shooting from or over refuge roads and parking areas.
(v) We prohibit hunting light geese during the spring conservation order.
(vi) For crow hunting, we prohibit hunting with rifles and hunting during the spring season.
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow the hunting of bobcat, coyote, fox, cottontail rabbit, mountain lion, prairie chicken, ring-necked pheasant, and sharp-tailed grouse on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) The conditions set forth at paragraphs (b)(1)(i), (ii), and (iv) of this section apply.
(ii) We allow access for bobcat, coyote, fox, and mountain lion hunting January 1 through February 15, and hunting hours are from 1⁄2 hour before legal sunrise to 1⁄2 hour after legal sunset.
(iii) We prohibit the use of dogs when hunting bobcat, coyote, fox, and mountain lion. We allow the use of dogs while hunting other upland game.
(iv) Coyotes and all furbearers or their parts, if left in the field, must be left at least 50 yards away from any road, trail, or building. Otherwise, hunters must remove them from the refuge.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow hunting of white-tailed and mule deer on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) The conditions set forth at paragraphs (b)(1)(i) through (iv) of this section apply.
(ii) Hunters may leave portable tree stands and free-standing elevated platforms on the refuge from August 25 through February 15. Hunters must remove all other personal property by the end of each day's hunt (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(iii) We close the refuge to archery hunting during refuge firearm seasons.
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We prohibit the use or possession of live minnows or bait fish.
(ii) We open designated fishing areas from 1⁄2 hour before legal sunrise to 1⁄2 hour after legal sunset, except the Little White River Recreation Area.
(iii) We prohibit the use of lead fishing sinkers on all waters of the refuge except the Little River Recreation Area.
(c) Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge -
(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow migratory game bird hunting on designated areas of the refuge.
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow upland game hunting on designated areas of the refuge.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow big game hunting on designated areas of the refuge.
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following condition: You must remove all boats, motor vehicles, fishing equipment, and other personal property, excluding ice houses, by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(d) Lake Andes Wetland Management District -
(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow migratory game bird hunting on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, decoys, portable blinds, other personal property, and any materials brought onto the area for blind construction by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow upland game hunting on designated areas of the district.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow big game hunting on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove portable ground blinds and other personal property at the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, motor vehicles, fishing equipment, and other personal property (excluding ice houses) by the end of each day's fishing activity (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(e) Madison Wetland Management District -
(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow migratory game bird hunting on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, decoys, portable blinds, other personal property, and any materials brought onto the area for blind construction by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow upland game hunting on designated areas of the district.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow big game hunting on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove portable ground blinds and other personal property by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, motor vehicles, fishing equipment, and other personal property (excluding ice houses) by the end of each day's fishing activity (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(f) Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge -
(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of waterfowl on designated portions of the refuge subject to the following condition: Unarmed waterfowl hunters on the perimeter of the refuge may retrieve downed waterfowl up to 100 yards (90 meters) inside the refuge boundary.
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, and partridge on designated portions of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow hunting of upland game birds from the Monday following closure of the refuge firearms deer season through the first Sunday in January.
(ii) Hunters may enter the refuge no earlier than 10 a.m. each day.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow hunting of deer on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Only firearms deer hunters possessing and carrying a State-issued Sand Lake refuge permit may hunt deer on the refuge.
(ii) We allow portable tree stands; portable, elevated hunting platforms not attached to trees; and portable ground blinds only.
(iii) You may place your tree stand(s), elevated platform(s), and/or ground blind(s) on the refuge only during your designated licensed season. You must remove these stands/blinds by the end of your designated licensed season (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(iv) Deer hunters may enter the refuge 1 hour before legal shooting time and remain no longer than 1 hour after shooting time ends.
(v) We allow vehicles on designated refuge roads only for retrieving harvested deer and only during the following times: 9:30 to 10 a.m., 1:30 to 2 p.m., and from the end of legal shooting time to 1 hour after the end of shooting time (see § 27.31 of this chapter).
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Fishing hours are 1⁄2 hour before legal sunrise to 1⁄2 hour after legal sunset.
(ii) We allow ice fishing shanties, but anglers must remove them at the end of each day's fishing activity (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(g) Sand Lake Wetland Management District -
(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow migratory game bird hunting on designated areas of the district and subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, decoys, portable blinds, other personal property, and any materials brought onto the area for blind construction by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow upland game hunting on designated areas of the district.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow big game hunting on designated areas of the district subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow hunters to leave portable tree stands and free-standing elevated platforms on waterfowl production areas from the first Saturday after August 25 through February 15.
(ii) You must remove portable ground blinds, trail cameras, and other personal property by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, motor vehicles, fishing equipment, and other personal property (excluding ice houses) by the end of each day's fishing activity (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(h) Waubay National Wildlife Refuge.
(1)-(2) [Reserved]
(3) Big game hunting. We allow deer hunting on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Hunters must remove stands by the end of the hunt (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(ii) Hunters may launch nonmotorized watercraft from designated access points to travel to islands.
(iii) We close archery seasons during refuge firearm seasons.
(iv) We prohibit organized deer drives during archery season. We define a “deer drive” as an organized or planned effort to pursue, drive, chase, or otherwise frighten or cause deer to move in the direction of any person(s) who is part of the organized or planned hunt and known to be waiting for the deer.
(4) Sport fishing. We allow fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Ice fishing anglers must not be on the ice until 1 hour prior to legal sunrise and must be off the ice by 1 hour after legal sunset.
(ii) Ice fishing anglers must remove ice shacks by 1 hour after legal sunset (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(iii) We restrict angler foot travel to posted access points, public roads, and lake ice.
(iv) We allow fishing with the use of nonmotorized boats, canoes, and kayaks.
(i) Waubay Wetland Management District -
(1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow migratory game bird hunting on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, decoys, portable blinds, other personal property, and any materials brought onto the area for blind construction by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow upland game hunting on designated areas of the district.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow big game hunting on designated areas of the district subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow hunters to leave portable tree stands and free-standing elevated platforms on waterfowl production areas from the first Saturday after August 25 through February 15.
(ii) You must remove portable ground blinds and other personal property by the end of each day's hunt (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the district subject to the following condition: You must remove boats, motor vehicles, fishing equipment, and other personal property (excluding ice houses) by the end of each day's fishing activity (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
[84 FR 47675, Sept. 10, 2019, as amended at 85 FR 54139, Aug. 31, 2020; 86 FR 48876, Aug. 31, 2021]