Anahuac

Anahuac NWR https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Anahuac https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anahuac_National_Wildlife_Refuge The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located along the coast of Texas, west of the town of High Island and protects of coastal marsh and prairies. The refuge offers opportunities for fishing, waterfowl hunting, paddling, and wildlife viewing. In the winter, the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge hosts large concentrations of waterfowl making it a popular site for public hunting. Other signature species are American alligator, bobcat, yellow rail, and purple gallinule. Birdwatchers find the refuge an excellent place to observe neotropical migrants in the spring and fall.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Skillern Rookery Trail Trail B AY YO East Unit Road not accessible past bayou OU M " This por�on is private property " Boat Roller Access Middleton North Reservoir " ad o sR s o Cr Hackberry Trail " _ ^ p Oyster Bayou Boat Ramp Woodlot Trail JACKS Frozen Point Road T Pace Tract U _ BAY O p_ ON DIT CH A Y OY S ER " Walk-In Access to Middleton 124 GU West Line Road Main Anahuac East Bay Boat Ramp Middleton Tract Y B A Y O U BA Boardwalk Trail Shoveler Pond _ EA S T WillowsTrail U BA R Entrance Road TE BAY O U _ Honeysuckle EL " Live Oak Trail " ION OYS " 1985 Main Entrance Check Sta�on ON 1985 124 " " East Unit Entrance Skillern (Seasonal) Entrance T N I LF R E T A W L A AC O A S T RW HIGH ISLAND Anahuac NWR Trails Refuge Road Frozen Point South Unit State Road _ ^ You Are Here _ Restrooms p Boat Ramp Canoe Launch e M f o lf u G East Bay 87 o c i x 3 Kilometers ¯ 3.5 Miles 

61 -> -T- 10 N § ¨ ¦ A U M O 1410 E <-----HO US TO N 1406 B ANAHUAC NWR VISITOR CENTER _ ^ LAKE ANAHUAC WINNIE 563 ANAHUAC 65 REFUGE AREAS 562 CLOSED AREA OPEN YEAR ROUND (HUNTING PROHIBITED) 2936 OPEN SEASONALLY WATERFOWL HUNTING PERMIT REQUIRED) TRINITY BAY MAIN REFUGE ENTRANCE SKILLERN TRACT ENTRANCE 1985 124 HIGH ISLAND 562 EAST BAY GULF OF MEXICO 87 < ---- GA L S VE TO N 5 Miles Kilometers 10 Ü ANAHUAC NWR 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Birds of Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge This list contains 323 species considered part of the refuge avifauna as of March 2020. Species are listed in accordance with the seventh edition of the A.O.U. Checklist and its 2019 Supplement. Symbols used are defined as follows: Sp Su F W Spring Summer Fall Winter C Common: Has been observed for all or part of the season; commonly encountered. Uncommon: Has been observed for all or part of the season; less likely to be encountered. Occasional: Observed only a few times during the season; sometimes encountered. Rare: Not observed every year during the season; seldom encountered. Very Rare: Has been observed only once or twice since 2009. Has only been observed at the Chenier Plain Headquarters (situated on FM 563, two miles south of I-10). U O R V ¶ March - May June - July August - November December - February Common Name Ducks, Geese, and Swans Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Fulvous Whistling-Duck Snow Goose Ross’s Goose Greater White-fronted Goose Cackling Goose Canada Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal Cinnamon Teal Northern Shoveler Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Mottled Duck Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Grouse, Quail, and Allies Northern Bobwhite Sp Su F W C C C C C C C C U C C R U U U C C V R V V O O O O C U C C O O O C U C C C U C C C C C C C C C C C C U C C C C C U U U U U U C O O C O O O C U C O C U O V R O O O O O O C O C C U U U U Common Name Sp Su F Grebes Least Grebe V V Pied-billed Grebe C C C Horned Grebe R R Eared Grebe U U Pigeons and Doves Rock Pigeon U U U Eurasian Collared-Dove O O O Inca Dove O O R Common Ground-Dove R R White-winged Dove U U U Mourning Dove C C C Cuckoos Groove-billed Ani R R Yellow-billed Cuckoo U U U Black-billed Cuckoo O Nightjars Lesser Nighthawk O Common Nighthawk C C C Chuck-will’s-widow R O Eastern Whip-poor-will V Swifts Chimney Swift U U U Hummingbirds Ruby-throated Hummingbird C U C Black-chinned Hummingbird V V Rufous Hummingbird R Rails, Gallinules, and Coots King Rail C C C Clapper Rail C C C Virginia Rail U U Sora C R C Common Gallinule C C C American Coot C C C Purple Gallinule C C C Yellow Rail O R Black Rail O R Cranes Sandhill Crane O O Shorebirds Black-necked Stilt C C C American Avocet C U U American Oystercatcher O O O Black-bellied Plover C U C American Golden-Plover U V Snowy Plover R O Wilson’s Plover O O O Semipalmated Plover U U Piping Plover R R Killdeer C C C Upland Sandpiper U O O Whimbrel C R O Long-billed Curlew U R U Hudsonian Godwit U Marbled Godwit U O O Ruddy Turnstone U O U Red Knot O O Ruff R Stilt Sandpiper C R O Sanderling U O O Dunlin C U W C R U U O O U C R V C C U C C C R V O C C O C O R U R C R U O U O O U Common Name Sp Su F Shorebirds, Continued Baird’s Sandpiper U U Least Sandpiper C U C White-rumped Sandpiper C O Buff-breasted Sandpiper O U Pectoral Sandpiper U O U Semipalmated Sandpiper O O Western Sandpiper U R U Short-billed Dowitcher U U Long-billed Dowitcher C R U American Woodcock R Wilson’s Snipe C C Wilson’s Phalarope U V U Spotted Sandpiper U U O Solitary Sandpiper U U U Greater Yellowlegs C C C Willet C C C Lesser Yellowlegs C O C Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers Bonaparte’s Gull O R Laughing Gull C C C Franklin’s Gull R O Ring-billed Gull C O C Herring Gull U O U Lesser Black-backed Gull O R Least Tern U U U Gull-billed Tern U U U Caspian Tern U O U Black Tern U U C Common Tern O O O Forster’s Tern C C C Royal Tern U U U Sandwich Tern O U U Black Skimmer O O O Loons Pacific Loon Common Loon U O Storks Jabiru V Wood Stork U U Frigatebirds,Boobies and Gannets Magnificent Frigatebird O O O Brown Booby V Northern Gannet V Cormorants and Anhingas Anhinga U U U Neotropic Cormorant C C C Double-crested Cormorant C U C Pelicans American White Pelican U O C Brown Pelican C U C Herons, Ibis, and Allies American Bittern U U Least Bittern C C C Great Blue Heron C C C Great Egret C C C Snowy Egret C C C Little Blue Heron C C C Tricolored Heron C C C Reddish Egret U U U Cattle Egret C C C Green Heron C C C W C U U C R C R U R C C U O C C U R U U O C U R O V U R R U C C C C U O C C C C C U U U Common Name Sp Su F W Herons, Ibis, and Allies, Contin. Black-crowned Night-Heron U C U U Yellow-crowned Night-Heron U C C U White Ibis C C C C Glossy Ibis O O O O White-faced Ibis C C C C Roseate Spoonbill C C C C Vultures, Hawks, and Allies Black Vulture C C C C Turkey Vulture C C C C Osprey U R U U White-tailed Kite U U C C Swallow-tailed Kite O O O Golden Eagle V R R Mississippi Kite O O O Northern Harrier C O C C Sharp-shinned Hawk O U U Cooper’s Hawk O O U U Bald Eagle O U U Harris’s Hawk V V White-tailed Hawk O O O O Red-shouldered Hawk O O U U Broad-winged Hawk O O O Swainson’s Hawk U U U R Red-tailed Hawk C U C C Ferruginous Hawk R Owls Barn Owl U U U U Eastern Screech-Owl R R R Great Horne

Species on Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Facts about Butterflies SWALLOWTAILS ‰ Pipevine Swallowtail ‰ Black Swallowtail ‰ Giant Swallowtail ‰ Eastern Tiger Swallowtail ‰ Spicebush Swallotail Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge showcases at least 55 butterfly species, including the largest North American butterfly (Eastern Giant Swallowtail) and the smallest (Western Pygmy-blue). WHITES ‰ Checkered White ‰ Great Southern White SPREAD-WING SKIPPERS ‰ White-striped Longtail ‰ Long-tailed Skipper ‰ Horace’s Duskywing ‰ Funereal Duskywing ‰ White-checkered Skipper* ‰ Tropical Checkered Skipper GRASS SKIPPERS ‰ Swarthy Skipper ‰ Clouded Skipper SULPHURS ‰ Least Skipper ‰ Orange Sulphur ‰ Southern Skipperling ‰ Cloudless Sulphur ‰ Fiery Skipper ‰ Southern Dogface ‰ Broad-winged Skipper ‰ Little Yellow ‰ Bay Skipper ‰ Sleepy Orange ‰ Dun Skipper ‰ Dainty Sulphur ‰ Eufala Skipper HAIRSTREAKS ‰ Brazilian Skipper ‰ Gray Hairstreak ‰ Salt Marsh Skipper ‰ Red-banded Hairstreak ‰ Obscure Skipper ‰ Dusky-blue Groundstreak ‰ Ocola Skipper BLUES *The White-checkered ‰ Western Pygmy Blue skipper and Common ‰ Ceraunus Blue Checkered-white are often ‰ Reakirt’s Blue referred to as Common/ SNOUTS White Checkered-skippers ‰ American Snout because observation under FRITILLARIES micrsocopes is needed to tell ‰ Gulf Fritillary the two species apart. ‰ Variegated Fritillary TRUE BRUSHFOOTS ‰ Phaon Crescent ‰ Pearl Crescent ‰ Question Mark ‰ American Lady ‰ Painted Lady ‰ Red Admiral ‰ Common Buckeye ADMIRALS ‰ Red-Spotted Purple ‰ Viceroy LEAFWINGS ‰ Goatweed Leafwing EMPERORS ‰ Tawny Emperor The Monarch butterfly is the official state insect of Texas. Monarchs pass through the refuge twice a year on their migrations north and south. We are worried about monarch survival because their populations are declining rapidly. The monarch is just one of many butterflies that is in decline. Each butterfly species can only eat specific plants. Host plants provide the correct food for caterpillars, and nectar plants provide the correct food for adult butterflies. Habitat protection and restoration are key to saving butterfly populations. What can you do to help? Landscape with native plants, or if you have a porch, plant native plants in flower pots. Learn about the host plants of your favorite butterflies and support habitat restoration. Use this checklist as a start to exploring the butterflies of this area. If you get a good photo, consider uploading it to a citizen science site. Every observation helps! For More Information Contact Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 278, 4017 FM 563 Anahuac, TX 77514 409/267-3337 409/267-4314 Fax www.fws.gov/refuge/Anahuac SATYRS ‰ Carolina Satyr MONARCHS ‰ Monarch ‰ Queen Images © Tripp Davenport; Alan Schmierer June 2020 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Butterflies Monarch Viceroy Question Mark Common Buckeye Gray Hairstreak Dusky-blue Groundstreak Queen Gulf Fritillary Pipevine Swallowtail Black Swallowtail Red-banded Hairstreak Western Pygmy-Blue Tawny Emperor Variegated Fritillary Giant Swallowtail Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Common/White-Checker Tropical Checkered Skipper Painted Lady Phaon Crescent Little Yellow Cloudless Sulphur Funereal Duskywing American Snout Pearl Crescent Red Admiral Fiery Skipper Least Skipper Ocola Skipper Long-tailed Skipper 

Suspected Species in Chambers County, Texas Facts about Dragonflies and Damselflies Damselflies Dragonflies, Continued SPREADWINGS ‰ Southern Spreadwing* ‰ Elegant Spreadwing ‰ Swamp Spreadwing CRUISERS ‰ Royal River Cruiser* The symbol of a healthy wetland, dragonflies and damselflies have been on this planet for about 300 million years. Their ancestors flew during an age where the earth was covered in giant plants and swamps - the Carboniferous Period. Back then, they were as big as today’s birds and had wingspans of almost three feet. POND DAMSELS ‰ Blue-ringed Dancer ‰ Blue-fronted Dancer* ‰ Powdered Dancer ‰ Blue-tipped Dancer* ‰ Seepage Dancer ‰ Aztec Dancer ‰ Variable Dancer ‰ Kiowa Dancer* ‰ Burgundy Bluet ‰ Orange Bluet* ‰ Vesper Bluet ‰ Double-striped Bluet ‰ Familiar Bluet ‰ Big Bluet* ‰ Stream Bluet ‰ Skimming Bluet ‰ Slender Bluet ‰ Rambur’s Forktail* ‰ Citrine Forktail* ‰ Lilypad Forktail ‰ Fragile Forktail* EMERALDS ‰ Smoky Shadowdragon ‰ Common Baskettail ‰ Slender Baskettail ‰ Prince Baskettail* SKIMMERS ‰ Common Whitetail ‰ Blue Corporal ‰ Painted Skimmer ‰ Twelve-spotted Skimmer* ‰ Widow Skimmer ‰ Bar-winged Skimmer ‰ Great Blue Skimmer* ‰ Slaty Skimmer* ‰ Golden-winged Skimmer ‰ Needham’s Skimmer* ‰ Roseate Skimmer* ‰ Eastern Amberwing* ‰ Four-spotted Pennant* ‰ Ornate Pennant ‰ Calico Pennant ‰ Banded Pennant ‰ Halloween Pennant* ‰ Red-tailed Pennant* ‰ Great Pondhawk* Dragonflies ‰ Eastern Pondhawk* PETALTAILS ‰ Little Blue Dragonlet ‰ Gray Petaltail* ‰ Seaside Dragonlet* ‰ Band-winged Dragonlet* DARNERS ‰ Common Green Darner* ‰ Variegated Meadowhawk* ‰ Blue-faced Meadowhawk ‰ Comet Darner ‰ Blue Dasher* ‰ Swamp Darner* ‰ Thornbush Dasher ‰ Regal Darner ‰ Swift Setwing ‰ Cyrano Darner ‰ Hyacinth Glider* CLUBTAILS ‰ Red Saddlebags* ‰ Sulphur-tipped Clubtail ‰ Carolina Saddlebags ‰ Oklahoma Clubtail ‰ Black Saddlebags* ‰ Wandering Glider ‰ Ashy Clubtail ‰ Spot-winged Glider ‰ Bayou Clubtail ‰ Marl Pennant* ‰ Jade Clubtail ‰ Gulf Coast Clubtail * Documented on the refuge ‰ Russet-tipped Clubtail ‰ Two-striped Forceptail ‰ Broad-striped Forceptail* ‰ Common Sanddragon ‰ Black-shouldered Spinyleg ‰ Flag-tailed Spinyleg ‰ Dragonhunter ‰ Eastern Ringtail Today they are much smaller but just as incredible. Both the adult and the larvae hunt and eat insects, including an average of 100 mosquitoes per day. They need to be fast and agile. Adult dragonflies are the fastest-flying insect in the world - recorded flying at 35 miles per hour. What is the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly? One difference is that dragonflies generally hold their wings spread open - either flat or folded down, whereas damselflies generally hold their wings pinched closed. Both are largely undocumented at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Use this checklist as a start, but don’t be surprised if you find something new. If you get a good picture, try uploading it to a citizen science site. It helps us understand what species we have! For More Information Contact Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 278, 4017 FM 563 Anahuac, TX 77514 409/267-3337 409/267-4314 Fax www.fws.gov/refuge/Anahuac Images © Tripp Davenport, © Sara Ruth Harrison, © Kathy Berrier, © Joe Blackburn, Alan Schmierer, Sheila Brown, and USFWS. June 2020 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Common Dragonflies & Damselflies Black Saddlebags Four--spotted Pennant Four Female Blue Dasher Male Roseate Skimmer Female Halloween Pennant Male Female Green Darner Male Female Eastern Amberwing Male Female Female Male Female Female Male Citrine Forktail Female Fragile Forktail Female Male Variegated Meadowhawk Red Saddlebags Eastern Pondhawk Male Male Female Seaside Dragonlet Needham’ss Skimmer Needham’ Male Male Male Rambur’s Forktail Male Male Female 

Cypress Trail Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Welcome The Cypress Trail is a paved 0.25-mile (0.4 km) accessible trail located behind the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (a.k.a. Texas Chenier Plain Refuge Visitor Center). The visitor center and trail are located 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Interstate 10 (exit 810) and 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the City of Anahuac. The trail meanders through bottomland hardwood forest teeming with oaks, hackberry, sweetgum, and pine, ultimately inviting visitors to a long boardwalk towards the peaceful Lake Anahuac. Here, surrounded by majestic bald cypress trees, one feels small among the giants which characterize the Cypress-Tupelo swamp ecosystem. The Cypress Trail also offers a separate 0.1-mile (0.16 km) paved path to a wildlife photography blind. Take a peek at birds, mammals, and reptiles from the secrecy of panelled windows. At the blind, a quiet drip offers a steady source of water for migrating birds and local species. Map of Texas Chenier Plain Visitor Center North Trail Refuge Road State Road Water @ _ Visitor Center Restrooms Parking Observation Deck Photo Blind @_ 563 To Anahuac Lake Anahuac 0 0 125 m 500 ft Enjoy Your Visit Natural History Guide Poison ivy is common on the refuge and contagious during all seasons. To reduce disturbance to wildlife and for your safety, we ask all visitors to walk only on the paved trail and boardwalk. Lake Anahuac was once “Turtle Bay” until the mid-1900s when the mouth of Turtle Bay was gradually closed to provide a reservoir of freshwater to the residents of this region. Lake Anahuac now serves as a source of freshwater to support the nearby town of Anahuac and surrounding communities. Refer to the general brochure for a complete list of refuge regulations. Look out over the boardwalk at bald cypress trees and their mysterious “knees”. To Interstate 10 We hope you enjoy your walk through this shared treasure of Southeast Texas. Its diverse ecosystem remains one of the richest in the region, offering a variety of iconic trees, plants, birds, and animals for you to discover. Use this guide to help you explore the unique ecosystem of this trail. A Forest Full of Life Loblolly Pine The Loblolly Pine is an evergreen Texas native known by its towering trunk. Dark blue-green foliage forms a beautiful crown at the top 1/4 of the tree. The namesake “loblolly” comes from the southern use of the word to mean “a depression”; it is thought that large stands of this abundant pine were often found growing near river bottoms. Ground Skink Moving rapidly through the forest leaves is the quick and shy Ground Skink. As small lizards with long tails and notably short legs, the Ground Skink resembles nothing more than a flash of grey/brown whipping through the leaf litter. Pileated Woodpecker Red-eared Slider A long and loud series of sharp piping calls rings through the forest. Wuk wuk wuk wuk wuk wuk wuk! It belongs to the largest woodpecker in North America, the Pileated Woodpecker. If basking in the sun were a sport, our turtles would be Texas champions. Here you might easily count two dozen turtles shell-to-shell on logs. Look for the signature red stripe on their heads to tell Red-Eared Sliders from other turtles. Southern Swamps Bald Cypress Sawgrass With wide trunks and thick, strong wood, the Bald Cypress is adapted for swampy conditions. The pyramid-shaped base (a.k.a. “buttress”) forms a strong foundation and woody portrusions called “knees” grow upwards from their roots. The purpose of the knees is mystery. Most theories suggest that the knees help exchange oxygen during flooding, or anchor the trees to soft muddy soil. Growing tall from the water near the first bench on the boardwalk, sawgrass is named for the sharp saw-like teeth on its large leaves. Ouch! Do not touch! Yellow Garden Spider & Golden Silk Orb-Weaver (Both are non-venomous) Possibly the inspiration for Charlotte’s Web, the Yellow Garden Spider skillfully writes zig-zags in her silky net. With large blackand-yellow bodies, both it and the Golden OrbWeaver look scary but are actually harmless. From Spring through Fall these leggy giants transform the Cypress Trail into a promenade of bright yellow webs spanning more than 6-feet (2 m) across. Rangia Clams The chalky-white shells along the path belong to rangia clams. Rangia clams survive where freshwater and saltwater mix, were once an important food source for pre-colonial peoples, and today are often used in construction as road fill. Other Favorites Other favorites nclude the YellowCrowned Night Heron (which nest in the spring), Wood Ducks (which are here year-round but generally are too shy to come out), and resident Otters (which sometimes swim quickly through the lake). Every once in a while a bald eagle or osprey will take flight, sometimes carrying a nice fish for a meal. Helping Habitat Spanish Moss Spanish Moss is actually a plant, not a moss. It is also not from S

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Waterfowl Hunting Regulations 2020-2021 Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Hunting units include the East Unit, Middleton Tract, and the Pace Tract. Consult specific sections below for information on open hunting days as they vary across hunting units. Opening of hunting units can change based on weather, marsh conditions, or safety concerns. Hunting is limited to ducks, geese, and coots and is only permitted in accordance with all federal, Texas state, and local laws. The regulations listed are a supplement to the general regulations set forth in Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations. Any emergency changes to regulations during the season will be posted on the Anahuac NWR webpage (www.fws.gov/refuge/ anahuac/). Hunting on national wildlife refuges is a privilege. Please respect this opportunity by being considerate of the rights and experiences of other hunters afield. Failure to abide by or excessive violation of these regulations, federal regulations, or state laws may result in revocation of your hunting privileges by the refuge manager. Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Waterfowl Hunting Authorization 2020-2021 When signed and in your possession, this hunt authorization will serve as your general authorization for all refuge hunts this season. It acknowledges your understanding of all federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to hunting on the refuge, and your understanding that you are subject to inspection. Signature of Hunter Permits are required for all hunters. This authorization is valid only when signed above and must be carried with you at all times while on the refuge. Permits are not transferable. Refuge Specific Hunting Regulations We prohibit the following: East Unit (Fee Area) • All individuals entering the East Unit, Pace Tract, or Middleton MUST 1) be legally licensed to hunt waterfowl and 2) carry a signed copy of the Anahuac National Widllife Refuge Waterfowl Hunting Authorization (included on this document). • Driving and parking on levees and nondesignated roads. Parked vehicles must not block the roadway or access to levees. Persons 18 years of age and older on the East Unit are required to pay either the daily fee ($10) or annual fee ($40). If entering by boat, the annual fee is mandatory if age 18 or older. • Hunters may not enter the East Unit, Middleton, or Pace Tract prior to 4:00 am or later than 30 minutes before legal shooting time. Hunters must leave hunt units by 12:30 pm. • Any form of blocking the following: roadways, gates, trails, catwalks, boat ramps, or any facility. • Discharge of a firearm for purposes other than waterfowl hunting. • Use or possession of lead shot. • Hunters may not shoot before legal shooting time, and must stop hunting by 12:00 pm. • Individual possession of more than 50 approved shotgun shells (including within boats and vehicles). • Hunters age 17 or younger must be under the supervision of an adult age 18 or older. • Hunting from a roadway. • Hunters must maintain a minimum distance of 200 yards from other hunting groups. • Individual hunters within a group must remain within 50 feet from one another. • Mooring to water control structures. • Operation of motorized boats on or through emergent wetland vegetation and mudflats. • Boat motors greater than 25 HP in the hunting units. • Scouting on any unit is only permitted from sunrise to sunset October 23-29, 2020. You may not scout at any other time. • Motorized boats powered by air-cooled or radiator-cooled engines with a propeller larger than 9 inches in diameter. • In order to hunt during the state Youth Waterfowl Hunt October 31-November 1, 2020, hunters must be 16 years of age or younger and under the direct supervision of an adult age 18 or older. East Unit fees still apply. • Airboats, marsh buggies, ATV’s/UTV’s, and personal watercrafts. We permit the following: • Possession of firearms in accordance with federal and state laws. All hunters must unload and encase shotguns while traveling in vehicles and boats on the refuge. • Kayak use is permitted. • We allow portable blinds or temporary natural vegetation blinds. You must remove all blinds, decoys, boats, spent shells, chairs, and equipment from the refuge at the end of each day’s hunt. • Use of retriever dogs is allowed, but they must be under the control of their handlers at all times. • Possession or being under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs. Possession of drug paraphernalia. • Drone use. • Open flames and stoves. • Construction, use, or occupancy of permanent hunting blinds. • Introduction of non-native, invasive, or exotic plants. • Use of plastic flagging, reflectors, or reflective tape. • Leaving personal property, trash, or spent shells. Hunters traveling by vehicle to the East Unit are required to 1) hold a prior reservation, and 2) checkin and check-out of the check station off of FM 1985. The entrance gate to the East Unit on FM 1985 will open at 4:00