The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge offers opportunities for hunting at several of its locations throughout the watershed. The Nulhegan Basin Division, in the far northern part of Vermont, provides excellent “big woods” hunting for white-tailed deer, grouse, snowshoe hare, moose and black bear. Farther south in Vermont, the Putty Mountain Unit offers opportunity for white-tailed deer, black bear, wood duck and wild turkey. All four Refuge Divisions in New Hampshire offer opportunities to hunt various game species. The largest division in New Hampshire, the Pondicherry Division, supports hunting for white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, ruffed grouse, snowshoe hare and waterfowl. Nine of the eleven Massachusetts Divisions are open to hunting. Refuge lands in Massachusetts offer a diversity of habitats, from grassland habitat in the lowlands of the Connecticut River Valley to steep sloped hardwood forest in the Berkshire Mountains. The refuge is best known for its small game and migratory bird hunting in the valley, and its white-tailed deer hunting in the upland hardwood forest of the Berkshires. In the state of Connecticut, the refuge is open to hunting on four divisions. Refuge lands range from tidal brackish marsh to upland hardwood. The most popular species hunted are white-tailed deer and migratory birds, but the refuge is open to all species hunted in Connecticut.
Not all parts of Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge are open to hunting. Please consult each State Information Sheet for more specific information about hunting rules, regulations and opportunities.
Hunting at the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
Silvio O. Conte NFWR Recreational Hunting and Fishing Plan, MA and CT
Recreational Hunting and Fishing Plan June 2023, NH and VT
Fort River Division, Hunting Safety Zone Map