Two of the department’s Wildlife Management Areas – Dead Creek and Mud Creek – are managed for controlled, public waterfowling, as is the federally owned Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge.
Controlled Hunts on WMAs
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Dead Creek WMA Controlled Hunt Application -
Controlled waterfowl hunting will occur from legal shooting time until 11:00 A.M. every Tuesday and Thursday from October 15 through November 7, 2024.ALL 2024 days are assigned by lottery.
Permits issued for the hunting days will be assigned a hunting zone location and all successful applicants will self-sign in the day of the controlled hunt.
On the morning of the hunt, permit holders will meet at the sign in station near the Dead Creek Visitor Center one and one-half hours before shooting time (i.e. 2 hours before sunrise) to sign in.
Friday, November 1, is a junior hunter day. Only hunters 17 years of age or younger on October 20, 2023 may apply for this day. Date of birth must be recorded on the application. The youth must be accompanied by an adult who may also hunt and may also bring one additional guest of any age.
Blinds and decoys are not provided within each hunting zone. Five hunting zones are available and will be assigned at the time of the drawing.
Each hunter may bring up to two guests with them.
There is no fee for the controlled hunting permits.
Download Instructions and Application for Dead Creek WMA Goose Management Area. Deadline to apply is Friday, August 30, 2024
A drawing to award hunting permits will be held at 12:00 Noon, Friday, September 6, 2024, at the Essex Junction Regional Office. Attendance is not required.
Successful applicants will be notified no later than September 27, 2024.
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Mud Creek WMA Controlled Hunt Application - The only 2024 lottery-drawn days for Mud Creek are TUESDAY, October 15 and THURSDAY, October 17, 2024.
Permits issued for these two hunting days will be assigned a blind location and all successful applicants will self-sign-in the day of the controlled hunt.
Download Instructions and Application for Mud Creek WMA Waterfowl Management Area. Deadline to apply is Friday, August 30, 2024.
Successful applicants will be notified no later than September 27, 2024.
All other Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays AFTER the lottery days during the open seasons will be self-registration days. Blind locations will be filled on a first come basis on these dates by self-registering at the Mud Creek operations building one and one-half hours before legal shooting time on each hunting day. See Mud Creek Controlled Hunting Zones Map.
Hunting hours on the Mud Creek Controlled Waterfowl Hunting Area are from legal morning shooting time until 11:00 AM. Hunters must be checked out of the area by noon.
Each hunter may bring up to two guests with them.
There is no fee for the controlled hunting permits.
In addition, a number of the department’s other WMAs were purchased with waterfowl and waterfowl hunting in mind. For more information, see Find a Place to Hunt.
Federal Land
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Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, 29 Tabor Road, Swanton, VT 05488-8159, (802) 868-4781