Large flocks of teal, northern shoveler, mallard, gadwall, wigeon and northern pintail — along with snow, Ross’ and greater white-fronted geese — swarm over the mosaic of seasonal and permanent wetlands that make up a quarter of the refuge. Waterfowl generally remain until late March before beginning their journey to northern breeding areas; however, some mallard, gadwall and cinnamon teal stay to nest and raise their young on the refuge. The hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese that flock to the refuge each fall provide high-quality hunting opportunities for sportsmen and women on set days each week throughout the waterfowl hunting season. The refuge offers a diverse assortment of hunting formats: free-roam areas, assigned blinds, assigned exclusive zones, assigned ponds, and boat access areas. Reservations to hunt the refuge are made through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Please consult our hunting page for complete procedural information and refuge-specific hunting regulations and requirements.