This refuge offers seasonal white-tailed deer hunting, but is otherwise closed the public.

Chincoteague & Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuges Hunt Plan

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a final hunting plan for Chincoteague and Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) in Virginia.

A draft plan was issued earlier this spring. During the 97-day public comment period, 11 comment letters were received from the public. We are grateful to the people who provided meaningful comments on the draft, which helped in developing the final plan. A summary of all substantive comments, and our responses, can be found in Appendix E (Finding of No Significant Impact). No significant changes have been made between the draft and final versions of the Hunting Plan. As part of next year’s proposed rule, Chincoteague and Wallops Island NWRs will propose a non-lead requirement, which will take effect on September 1, 2026. The EA analyzes the impacts of lead ammunition; based on the breadth of comments received on the plan to require non-lead ammunition by 2026, the Service intends to complete additional analysis and provide another opportunity to comment during next year’s annual rulemaking.

We implemented the 2022-2023 Hunting Plan for Chincoteague and Wallops Island NWRs. A hard copy of the hunt brochures/permits can be found at the hunt kiosk, located near Route 175. 

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The 2022-2023 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Final Rule makes changes at the following national wildlife refuges.
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Visit Us

Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting opportunities to those with a valid refuge permit. It is otherwise closed to the public.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      In 1975, three-hundred and forty-three acres of saltmarsh and woodlands sandwiched between Highway 175 and Chincoteague Bay were set aside as Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge. Described as an "inviolate sanctuary" for migratory birds, this small plot also encompasses “Lucky Boy” fen, which is one of only four known sea-level fens in the state of Virginia.

      What We Do

      Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
      A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

      Learn more about national wildlife refuge       is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.  

      Our Species

      Comprised mainly of salt marsh salt marsh
      Salt marshes are found in tidal areas near the coast, where freshwater mixes with saltwater.

      Learn more about salt marsh       and woodlands, this refuge is home to a variety of trust species, including upland and wetland-dependent migratory birds. Northern harriers are a common sight flying low over the marsh, looking for a meal, while great horned owls use the refuge to nest and raise their young.