Editorial Policy & Corrections
How WildlifeChase researches, writes, fact-checks and updates its refuge pages and hunting guides, and how to request a correction.
Hunters use WildlifeChase to decide where to go and what rules apply. Getting that wrong has real consequences, so we follow a few simple rules about how content is made, checked and kept current.
Where our facts come from
- Refuge data — hunt units, unit status, acreage, permits, game categories, fishing and youth opportunities — comes directly from official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service datasets for the 2026–2027 season. We don't invent or estimate these values; the data sources page lists every dataset and how it's processed.
- Regulations cited in guides (for example the Federal Duck Stamp requirement, nontoxic-shot rules or migratory-bird shooting hours) are checked against federal regulations (50 CFR Parts 20 and 32), USFWS program pages and state agency publications.
- Calculated values — sunrise and sunset, distances, rankings and shares — are computed from the data with documented methods and labeled as such.
How guides are written and reviewed
- Each guide starts with a practical question hunters actually ask (“Do I need a refuge permit?”, “How do WPAs differ from easements?”).
- We draft the guide, then check every rule-based statement against a primary source. Where rules vary by state or refuge, we say so instead of generalizing.
- Guides are reviewed again before each season and whenever a source changes. The “Updated” date on every article shows the last review.
What we won't do
- Publish paid placements disguised as editorial content. If we ever add sponsored content or affiliate links, they will be clearly labeled.
- Present our summaries as legal advice. Refuge hunting rules are layered (state + general refuge + refuge-specific), and the official brochure always wins.
- Publish private-land information or encourage trespass. We only map land the federal government owns or manages, and we flag easements as private.
Advertising
WildlifeChase may display ads (for example through Google AdSense) to cover hosting and data work. Advertisers have no influence on which refuges we cover, how we describe them or what our guides recommend. Ads are kept visually separate from content.
Corrections
If you find an error, please contact us with the page URL and a link to the official source. We aim to review reports within a few business days. Corrected pages show an updated date, and significant fixes are logged on the news & updates page.
Last updated October 28, 2026.