Assabet River NWR Final CCP - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Chapter 4: Management Direction
Refuge brochures and hunter orientation prior to the hunting seasons will
emphasize refuge specific regulations, safety considerations and the
protection of wildlife species found on the refuge.
In addition to state hunting regulations, the refuge may impose additional
regulations. Examples of refuge regulations that would apply to hunting on
the refuge include:
• hunters will be required to obtain permits from the refuge to hunt on
the refuge;
• hunters may enter the refuge two hours before legal sunrise and must
leave within 1.5 hours after legal sunset, and hunting can occur no
earlier than one-half hour before sunrise and one-half hour after sunset;
• no night hunting will be allowed on the refuge;
• pre-hunt scouting of the refuge is allowed by permit, during specific
time periods;
• carrying guns is not permissible during pre-hunt scouts;
• permanent blinds are not permitted on the refuge;
• all hunting materials, tree stands, and flagging must be removed at the
end of each hunting day;
• no one shall insert a nail, screw, spike, wire, or other ceramic, metal, or
other tree-damaging object into a tree, or may hunt from a tree into
which such an object has been inserted ;
• the unauthorized distribution of bait and the hunting over bait is
prohibited on wildlife refuge areas;
• all firearms must be unloaded outside of legal state hunting hours;
• the use of all terrain vehicles (ATV’s) and snowmobiles on refuge land is
prohibited;
• training of dogs on the refuge is not permitted;
• open fires are not permitted;
• the use or possession of alcoholic beverages while hunting is prohibited.
Check stations will not be established on the refuge at this time but
reporting requirements may be instituted. Refuge staff will provide
information about reporting forms when permits are issued.
The refuge will work with partners to provide increased hunter education
through training, brochures, and news releases.
As a part of the hunt plan we will determine exactly when hunting will be
allowed. The maximum amount of time that the refuge will be open for
hunting is the full state seasons for each type of hunting. It is possible that
we will open for a shorter duration, limited hours, or limited days of the
week. In Massachusetts there is no hunting on Sundays. To illustrate the
maximum potential hunting period, Table 4-1 displays the 2004
Massachusetts hunting seasons for each of the types of hunting proposed
for Assabet River NWR.
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