Facility Rules and Policies

To report a wildlife violation call the Seney National Wildlife Refuge at 906-586-9851 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hotline at 1-844-FWS-TIPS (397-8477). 

Welcome to your  wildlife management area wildlife management area
For practical purposes, a wildlife management area is synonymous with a national wildlife refuge or a game preserve. There are nine wildlife management areas and one game preserve in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Learn more about wildlife management area . Lands are open every day for you to discover new places to hunt, take pictures, watch wildlife, walk, cross-country ski and snowshoe. 

Hunting seasons generally follow state seasons and regulations except where area lands are closed due to the Kirtland’s warbler breeding season from May 1 to Aug. 15. Please consult the wildlife management area manager at 906-586-9851 if you have questions. We may post additional site-specific regulations.  

To ensure your safety and protect wildlife and habitat, please be aware of these regulations: 

General Restrictions 

On all wildlife management areas, we prohibit: 

  • Target shooting 
  • Training pets and allowing pets off leash 
  • Camping, open fires and overnight parking including designated parking areas 
  • Abandoning, discarding or otherwise leaving any personal property. All property brought onto a refuge must be removed at the end of each day. This includes all common items like vehicles, boats, decoys, trail cameras, blinds, geocaching items, photography equipment, portable stands and climbing equipment. 
  • Destructing, defacing, disturbing or unauthorized removal of any natural object, artifact, cultural resource or government property 
  • Introducing, liberating or placing plants or animals, or their parts, taken elsewhere onto wildlife management areas lands or waters 
  • Disposing of animal carcasses, trash, refuse, rocks, wood or other debris 
  • Cutting, mowing, sawing, digging, collecting, injuring or removing vegetation 
  • Commercial enterprise without a special use permit 
  • Use or possession of any illegal drug or drug paraphernalia is prohibited 
  • Drones (UAVs) taking off, landing and/or flying on or over refuge lands 
  • Launching, landing or disturbing of wildlife by aircraft (includes drones) on the area. This includes for recreational or commercial purposes. 
  • Fishing and trapping are not allowed 
Hunting
  • Wildlife management areas are open to hunting per state regulations except where area lands are closed due to the Kirtland’s warbler breeding season from May 1 to Aug. 15 
  • Small and upland game hunters using shotguns, are required to use and possess only non-toxic shot 
  • Where we allow turkey and deer hunting, you may use slugs and shot containing lead to hunt these species, however we are asking hunters to consider using non-toxic ammunition for all hunting. Birds and other animals that feed on gut piles can suffer from lead poisoning. 
  • During the small game and migratory bird seasons, hunting dogs must be under the immediate control of the hunter 
  • Hunters must wear an article of blaze orange consistent with state regulations 
  • We prohibit constructing or occupying permanent stands or blinds. We also prohibit the use of nails, wire, screws or bolts to attach a stand to a tree or hunting from a tree, into which a metal object has been driven to support a hunter. Portable hunting stands must be set up and removed each day.  
  • We prohibit the use or possession of alcoholic beverages while hunting 
  • We prohibit distribution of feed or bait or hunting over bait. This includes salts and minerals. 
  • You may not use a spotlight, headlight or other artificial light to spot, locate or take any wild animal in a wildlife management area