Swan Lake NWR is ready for its second season of waterfowl hunting with waterfowl hunting units to be filled through an online drawing conducted at www.swanlakepermits.com .
There will be 4 separate draws throughout the season as follows:
Draw 1
Hunt Dates (There will be no waterfowl hunts on November 4, 5 & 6 due to the Managed Deer Hunt)
Sat October 29, Sun October 30, Wed November 2, Wed November 9, Fri November 11
Application Period: September 26 – October 14
Draw Notification Date: October 24
Draw 2
Hunt Dates: Sat Nov 12, Sun Nov 13, Wed Nov 16, Fri Nov 18, Sat Nov 19, Sun Nov 20, Wed Nov 23, Thu Nov 24, Fri Nov 25, Sat Nov 26, Sun Nov 27
Application Period: October 3 – October 28
Draw Notification Date: November 4
Draw 3
Hunt Dates (There will be no hunts on December 2, 3 & 4 due to the Managed Deer Hunt):
Wed Nov 30, Wed Dec 7, Fri Dec 9, Sat Dec 10, Sun Dec 11, Wed Dec 14
Application Period: October 3 –November 11
Draw Notification Date: November 25
Draw 4
Hunt Dates: Fri Dec 16, Sat Dec 17, Sun Dec 18, Wed Dec 21, Fri Dec 23, Sat Dec 24, Sun Dec 25
Application Period: October 3 – November 25
Draw Notification Date: December 5
The draw is conducted through an Agreement with ACCELA, INC, who conducts draws for the US Fish and Wildlife Service at various National Wildlife Refuges throughout the United States.
Hunters will be drawn by the hunting party and may apply in parties of up to four hunters. Hunters may only apply with one party in each draw but may apply with a different party in any of the other three draws. Only hunters that are listed in the hunting party on the application, if drawn, will be issued a permit to hunt in the assigned hunting units awarded through the draw.
There is one accessible blind (A7) available that will be drawn for any party with a disabled hunter as a member. A preference will be given in the draws to any party that has a youth under 16 as a member of their party by awarding the first two units drawn to two of those parties. Applicants will be able to choose a preference of up to 4 hunting units and 4 hunting dates for each draw when applying. There will be a $2 per hunt party processing fee upon application. All parties that are successfully drawn will pay an $8 per hunter processing fee for their permit. Successfully drawn hunters will be assigned a hunting unit on a specific date. Hunters that are drawn that do not show up will be ineligible for draws for the remainder of the season. Hunters that are successfully drawn will be required to check in at the Hunting Headquarters at Swan Lake NWR on the day of their hunt between 4 AM and 7 AM.
The following units will be available for hunting as follows:
Walk in wade and shoot units, no blinds are provided : S1, S2, S3, S4, T1, T3, W1. W2. N2, N4, E1, G2, and J2. These units are flooded moist soil units.
Units R1, R2, A3, B4, and H2 will be available once Goose Season begins on November 11. These units will not be filled through the online draw and will be available on a first come first filled basis at the check station each morning on Wednesday, Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays. These units are primarily Field Units but both geese and ducks may be harvested from them during their respective seasons after November 11.
More information about regulations, information about the hunting units, draw procedures, or to apply can be found on the website at www.swanlakepermits.com. If you have any questions you can call the Refuge Manager at (660) 856-3323 ext 13.
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located one mile south of Sumner, Missouri and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
The Service manages the 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 548 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
