Coronavirus (COVID-19) Notice
Although most refuge lands and outdoor spaces have remained open for the public to enjoy, we ask that you Recreate Responsibly.

  • Check local conditions on this website and call ahead for current information.
  • Operations vary based on local public health conditions.
  • Consistent with CDC recommendations, people who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces.
  • Most importantly, stay home if you feel sick and continue to watch for symptoms of COVID-19 and follow CDC guidance on how to protect yourself and others.


Features

  • New Hunt/Fish Opportunities

    The New Hunt Program Changes as of August 31, 2020.

    Learn the Details . . .

  • Child holding an Eastern lubber grasshopper

    Junior Ranger Activities

    Check out some fun nature activities you can do while social distancing!

    Junior Ranger Activities 2020

  • Man_on_elevated-Boardwalk_trail

    Jim Schmidt Boardwalk Re-opened

    Explore the bottomland hardwood forest on the elevated boardwalk trail at the Pearl River Turnaround! Open daylight hours only.

  • Junior Duck Stamp pic

    Junior Duck Stamp

    Could your work be on the next Junior Duck Stamp? Support conservation, education, and the arts with a Junior Duck Stamp!

    More about the Junior Duck Stamp Contest

News

Get Your Fish On Louisiana!

boy fishing from dock

At the Virtual Youth Fishing Rodeo during Louisiana Free Fishing Weekend, June 12-13, 2021! For youth 15 and under. Win Prizes! Free entry! No weighing or measuring. Just send photos.

Find Out How to Enter the Virtual Youth Fishing Rodeo

Proposed 2021-22 Hunt Opportunities

Woman and girl in tall vegetation watching sunrise in marsh

The Service proposes hunt program changes for 2021-22. For more information and instructions on submitting comments...

Find out more about the proposed hunt plan here

Hunting the Refuge

Turkey hunter with a tom turkey

Bogue Chitto National Wildife Refuge is subject to Louisiana or Mississippi hunting regulations and seasons. Regulations and seasons apply according to on which side of the river you hunt. Hunters must also carry a FREE signed Refuge hunting permit.

Dowload Refuge Hunting Permit here

Alert: Covid-19 Information

In keeping with guidance from the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and acting out of an abundance of caution, the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex is temporarily suspending operations of the Bayou Lacombe Visitor Center. Refuge staff is committed to doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, and visitors. Therefore, planned Refuge events and programs may not take place as scheduled. Refuge lands, including nature trails and outdoor recreational facilities, remain open and accessible to the public to provide opportunities for recreation and relaxation.

More Information at this link
Birding at the Refuge

Birding at the Refuge

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The Refuge provides nesting, wintering, and breeding habitat for nearly 200 species of birds. The bottomland hardwood forests are home to Prothonotary Warblers, Swainson's Warblers, Northern Parulas, Yellow-throated Warblers, White-eyed Vireos, Red-eyed Vireos, Carolina Wrens and many other species.

More about birding at the Refuge

About the Complex

Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges

Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges.

Read more about the complex
About the NWRS

National Wildlife Refuge System

NWRS Logo

The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants.

Learn more about the NWRS
Follow NWRS Online