Hunting
on the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge

This webpage is specific for Sacramento River NWR.

Sacramento NWR Home <-- click here for the Sacramento NWR Home page
Sacramento River NWR Home  <-- click here for the Sac River NWR page
Waterfowl Hunting <-- click here for information about Waterfowl Hunting at Sacramento NWR Complex

General Overview Maps

Sacramento River NWR Hunting Access Map  <-- click here for an overview map of areas open to hunting
Unit Brochures/Maps <-- click here for detailed brochures/maps each river unit (with regulations).
Sacramento River NWR Brochure <-- click here for overview brochure/map of areas open to all public use.
- Visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website for information on some of the neighboring units on the Sacramento River. *Please note that some of the regulations can be different on their properties.

UPDATES 2023-24

  • ALERTS:  NEW!!  Sacramento River NWR - La Barranca/Mooney Units = the south end of the La Barranca Unit and north end of the Mooney Unit will be closed from March 20 - April 10 while a hand-crew is on-site to do weed management as part of the 2021 Dairy Fire recovery effort.
     

  • Butte City Bridge - starting March 14, 2022, CalTrans began construction on the new Butte City Bridge at the Sul Norte and Codora Units.  A new bridge and causeway is being constructed adjacent to the existing structures, after which the old structures will be demolished.  The Sul Norte and Codora Units will continue to be open to the public through the current parking lot, although road and trail access may be temporarily re-routed to accommodate construction activity.  The SAFETY ZONE adjacent the bridge has been expanded by 150 feet during the construction project - please follow all signs in the field.
  • Dairy Fire - the Sacramento River NWR Safety Closure due to the 2021 Dairy Fire burn area is re-opened to public access.  The area that was closed in June 2021 due to the Dairy Fire has been re-opened after hazard tree removal has been completed.  The Dairy Fire affected the southern portion of the La Barranca Unit, the western portion of the Todd Island Unit, and the northern portion of the Mooney Unit.  Please continue to use caution when visiting this area as tree health may continue to change over the upcoming months.
  • Dogs: no dogs are permitted for use in hunting any big game.
  • ATTENTION: as of July 1, 2015, lead slugs are no longer permitted on Sacramento River NWR units and State Wildlife Areas for use in hunting big game. For more information about Non-lead Ammunition in California, visit the CDFW's website (look under Frequently-Asked Questions).  

General Information and Safety

river hunting Regulations and Info   Click here to see our Sacramento River Hunting Regulations and Info page and find out more about....

- The Sacramento River NWR is a Type-C hunt area
- There are no recreation fees, no hunter check stations, and no hunter quotas

Bag Limits

Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits  Click here to see our Sacramento NWR Complex Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits page and find out more about....

- Big game, waterfowl and upland game season dates
- Big game, waterfowl and upland game bag limits
- Special junior/youth hunting season dates

Frequently-Asked Questions

FAQ AND SAFETY TIPS <-- Click here to find information about....

• scroll down to the Sacramento River NWR section for river-specific FAQs

Junior & Youth Hunting

Junior and Youth Hunting  Click here to see our Sacramento NWR Complex Junior and Youth Hunting page and find our more about.....

- Junior and Youth hunting opportunities at Sacramento NWR Complex
- Junior and Youth hunting permits and regulations
- The Codora Unit offers hunting only for Junior Hunters

Mobility-Impaired Hunting

Mobility-impaired Hunting  Click here to see our Sacramento NWR Complex Mobility-impaired Hunting Opportunities page and learn more about....

- Hunting blinds and reservations available for mobility-impaired hunters, including Rio Vista and Sul Norte units
- Reservation Application for Rio Vista and Sul Norte mobility-impaired hunting blinds
- Admission procedures for mobility-impaired hunters at Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa and Sutter NWR

A "mobility impaired hunter” is defined as a person who has been issued one of the following:

  1. A Department of Motor Vehicles Mobility Impaired License Plate
  2. A Permanent Parking Placard Identification Card
  3. A “Mobility Impaired Veteran” License Plate
  4. A valid “Mobility Impaired Persons Motor Vehicle Hunting License” (FG Form 1460)

 **The blue plastic “Mobility Impaired Parking Placard” may not be substituted for the required identification which bears the name of the mobility impaired person. Mobility impaired hunters must provide the registration certificate for DMV issued mobility impaired license plates.   

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Maps

Unit Maps and Recreation Info  <-- Click here to see our Sacramento River NWR Unit Maps and Recreation Info page and find out more about.....

- Information about how to access the Sacramento River NWR units
- Information about hunting, hiking and biking opportunities
- Maps for the individual Sacramento River NWR units, with regulations

What species can I take?

Hunting/Species  Click here to see our Sacramento River NWR Hunting/Species page to learn more about the following species that are open to hunting....

 - Migratory game birds: goose, duck, coot, moorhen, dove, snipe
 - Upland game: pheasant, turkey, quail
 - Big game: black-tailed deer, feral pig

Please see individual unit maps for unit-specific restrictions.