The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced Friday that it has opened new or expanded hunting and sport fishing opportunities across 2.1 million acres, the largest expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities in recent history.

The increased recreational access, which covers 88 National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) and one National Fish Hatchery, is consistent with the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, a locally led and voluntary, nationwide effort to conserve, connect, and restore 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. 

Hunting on national wildlife refuges is a tradition that dates back to the early 1900s.

Today, more than 370 refuges are open to the public for hunting across the country, and the Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex (Refuge Complex) participates in this American tradition. 

Bayou Sauvage, Bayou Teche, Big Branch Marsh, Bogue Chitto, Delta and Mandalay NWRs, of the Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex, now have new and expanded hunting opportunities, listed below.

In addition to this, the Refuge Complex combined each of the above listed refuge’s individual Hunting/Fishing brochure/permit into a single, general Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex Annual User Brochure and Regulations 2021-2022.

These brochures are available at Refuge kiosks and by digital download at the links found at the bottom of this webstory.     

Key expanded opportunities at the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges are detailed below:

Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge: Open white-tailed deer, feral hog, opossum, armadillo, rabbit/hare, nutria, coyote, raccoon, dove, gallinule, rail, and snipe hunting on acres already open to other hunting, which opens upland and big game hunting for the first time, and extend hours for existing migratory bird hunting and sport fishing. 

Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge: Open coyote, nutria, opossum, raccoon, armadillo, rail, snipe, teal, coot, dove, gallinule, dark geese, and light geese hunting on new acres and acres already open to other hunting; expand acres for existing white-tailed deer, feral hog, rabbit/hare, squirrel, duck, and woodcock hunting; and extend hours for existing feral hog, duck, and squirrel hunting. 

Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge: Open coyote, nutria, armadillo, opossum, and dove hunting on new acres and acres already open to other hunting, and expand opportunities for existing feral hog, raccoon, squirrel, duck, geese, coot, and teal hunting and sportfishing. 

Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge: Open quail, coyote, nutria, opossum, armadillo, dove, gallinule, snipe, light geese, dark geese, woodcock on acres already open to other hunting, and expand opportunities for existing white-tailed deer, feral hog, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, duck, teal, coot, light geese, and dark geese hunting. 

Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge: Open nutria, armadillo, opossum, dove, gallinule, rail, and snipe hunting on acres already open to other hunting, and expand opportunities for existing white-tailed deer, feral hog, rabbit, raccoon, coot, light goose, duck, and teal hunting. (Note: Cat Island NWR hunting regulations are grouped with Lower Mississippi River Complex.) 

Delta National Wildlife Refuge: Opening coyote, armadillo, nutria, opossum, gallinule, rail, and snipe hunting on acres already open to other hunting, and expand opportunitied for existing white-tailed deer, feral hog, rabbit, raccoon, duck, teal, coot, light goose, and dark goose hunting. 

Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge: Open coyote, armadillo, nutria, opossum, raccoon, rabbit/hare, rail, snipe, and teal hunting on acres already open to other hunting, which opens upland game hunting for the first time, and expand opportunities for existing white-tailed deer, feral hog, coot, duck, dark goose, light goose, and gallinule hunting. 

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Links

-To download the final 2021-22 Hunt Package for Bayou Sauvage, Bayou Teche, Big Branch Marsh, Bogue Chitto, Cat Island, Delta, and Mandalay NWRs, please visit ServCat and download the PDF:  https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/Reference/Profile/135325. 

-To view the final 2021-22 Hunting and Sport Fishing rule, please visit:  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/08/31/2020-16003/2020-2021-station-specific-hunting-and-sport-fishing-regulations. 

-To view all the stations included in the 2021-22 rulemaking process, please visit:  https://www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting/rules-regulations-and-improved-access/.   

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For more information or to request a copy of the Annual User Brochure contact the Refuge Complex at 985/882-2000 or via email to southeastlouisianarefuges@fws.gov.

A digital copy of the combined Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex Annual User Brochure and Regulations 2021-2022 can be accessed here.