COURT HOUSE – Hunting and fishing are traditional uses of the National Wildlife Refuge System. At Cape May National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), people of all backgrounds and abilities can participate in recreational hunting and fishing.
Cape May NWR is seeking public review and comment on its proposed hunting and fishing opening plan. The public is invited to review the draft documents for proposed hunts and fishing access, including the draft hunting and fishing plan, compatibility determinations and environmental assessment. These documents will be available for comment anticipated until mid-June 2021.
The full proposed hunting and fishing documents can be found at https://www.fws.gov/refuge/cape_may/.
Cape May NWR is proposing to expand existing opportunities for deer, turkey, migratory game bird, rabbit, and squirrel hunting and open new opportunities for coyote, fox, groundhog, grouse, pheasant and crow hunting. The refuge believes it would better align with New Jersey state regulations for a method of taking and would allow hunting with dogs. Fishing would be permitted in the two-mile beach unit.
The refuge would also move towards the reduction and future elimination of the threat from lead on the refuge by proposing to prohibit the use of lead ammunition for upland game hunting on the refuge, and it will implement a lead tackle ban with fishing over five years, with a complete ban beginning in September 2026.
No refuge-specific permit or fees will be required to hunt on Cape May NWR. All required state permits must be in possession of the hunter while hunting on the refuge. Check stations will not be established on the refuge, although hunters will be required to take their harvest to designated “check-in stations,” as specified by NJDFW regulations.
The comment period will stay open through the end of the “2021–2022 station-specific hunting and sport fishing regulations” comment period to be announced in the Federal Register. the refuge anticipates accepting public comments through mid-June and will update its website with a final date.
