Merced National Wildlife Refuge is an important wintering destination for ducks, geese, sandhill cranes and other waterbirds traveling the Pacific Flyway. Here, thousands of acres of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands are intensively managed to provide high-quality habitat and forage for ducks, especially northern pintail, green-winged teal and mallard. Other portions of the refuge are managed to provide green, protein-rich forage for geese, including up to 60,000 snow, Ross’ and greater white-fronted geese -- the largest wintering population of white geese on the Pacific Flyway. The 10,200-acre refuge has a long-standing waterfowl hunting program that incorporates permanent spaced-blind and assigned zone hunting formats. The refuge is open to hunting during the waterfowl hunting season on Wednesdays and Saturdays from one-half hour before sunrise until noon. Snipe may be hunted from blinds and zones during the California state snipe season. Reservations to hunt the refuge must be made through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Please consult our hunting page for complete information about refuge-specific hunting regulations and check-in procedures.