National Wildlife Refuge · New York · FWS Region 5

Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge Hunting & Fishing Guide 2026–27

Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge lies in Dutchess County, New York, with about 794 acres of land owned in fee by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its lands extend into Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut. For the 2026–2027 season the refuge has 4 mapped hunt units: 1 open under general rules, 1 open with special regulations, and 2 closed, covering about 192 huntable acres.

1 open unit1 with special regs2 closed
View hunt map Directions Official website ↗
4hunt units
192huntable acres
794FWS-owned acres
6game categories

Great Thicket NWR hunt unit map

Hunt units are colored by 2026–2027 status. Toggle layers for FWS-owned land, the approved refuge boundary and private easements. Use satellite imagery to scout marshes, timber edges and access points.

Loading interactive map…
OpenSpecial regulationsClosedFWS-owned landWPA (public)Refuge boundaryEasement (private) Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Take it into the field: KML (Google Earth / onX) GPX waypoints GeoJSON

Hunting at Great Thicket NWR

Hunters can pursue big game, waterfowl, wild turkey, upland birds, migratory birds, and small game here, subject to state seasons and refuge-specific rules.

Big GameWhite-tailed and mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bear and other large mammalsWaterfowlDucks, geese, brant, swans (where legal) and cootsWild TurkeySpring and fall wild turkeyUpland BirdsPheasant, quail, grouse, prairie chicken and partridgeMigratory BirdsMourning dove, woodcock, snipe, rails, gallinules and sandhill craneSmall GameSquirrel, rabbit, hare, raccoon, opossum and other small mammals

Categories are those listed by USFWS for this station; exact species, seasons and bag limits follow New York regulations plus refuge-specific rules.

Hunt units (4)

Acreage by status
Open: 48 (8%)Special regulations: 144 (23%)Closed: 438 (69%)192huntable acres
  • Open48 ac 8%
  • Special regulations144 ac 23%
  • Closed438 ac 69%
Units by size (acres)
Closed - CT
230 ac
Closed - ME
208 ac
Housatonic
144 ac
Berkwick-York
48 ac
UnitStatusAcresPermitDetails
Berkwick-York
Show on map · Directions		 Open 48 —
Housatonic
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 144 —
Closed - CT
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 230 —
Closed - ME
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 208 —

Great Thicket NWR by the numbers

With about 192 huntable acres, Great Thicket NWR ranks #4 of 6 refuges and stations with mapped hunting land in New York and #398 of 420 nationwide. Roughly 31% of the acreage inside its mapped hunt units is open to hunting in some form.

The largest huntable unit is Housatonic (144 acres, special regulations), while the smallest, Berkwick-York, covers 48 acres.

2 units totaling 438 acres are closed to hunting (Closed - CT and Closed - ME). Closed areas often serve as sanctuaries — learn their boundaries before you set up nearby.

Besides 794 acres of federally owned land, the station administers conservation easements on about 10 acres of private land. Easement land protects habitat but is not open to public hunting.

When to hunt Great Thicket NWR

Typical U.S. season windows for the game categories offered here. New York sets the exact dates, and refuges often open fewer days than the statewide season — use this to plan scouting, then confirm the 2026–2027 dates in the state regulations and the refuge hunt brochure.

Typical season windows — Big Game, Waterfowl, Wild Turkey, Upland Birds, Migratory Birds, Small Game
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
🦌 Big Game
Archery deerFirearm deer
🦆 Waterfowl
Early teal & gooseRegular duck & goose
🦃 Wild Turkey
Spring gobblerFall (some states)
🐦 Upland Birds
Pheasant, quail, grouse
🕊️ Migratory Birds
Dove (Sept. 1 opener)Woodcock & snipeLate dove split
🐇 Small Game
Squirrel & rabbit

Permits & licenses

Refuge permit

Not listed

USFWS does not list a separate refuge permit for this station. Specific units or hunts (e.g. quota deer hunts) may still require one — check the hunt brochure.

You'll also need

  • A valid New York hunting license and any required tags or stamps — New York State DEC
  • Federal Duck Stamp (waterfowl hunters 16+) and HIP certification for migratory birds
  • Non-toxic shot for waterfowl (federal requirement)
  • Hunter education certification where your state requires it
  • The current refuge hunt brochure / regulations (often must be signed and carried)

Fishing at Great Thicket NWR

USFWS does not list fishing opportunities for Great Thicket NWR.

How to get to Great Thicket NWR

Navigate

Destination: Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge (FWS reference point)

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
41.72760, -73.57572
DMS
41°43′39.4″N 73°34′32.6″W

Download for GPS / onX / Google Earth:KMLGPX

Nearest towns

  • New Haven, CT45 mi NW of town
  • Hartford, CT46 mi W of town
  • Pittsfield, MA53 mi S of town
  • Springfield, MA57 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • BDL Hartford Bradley48 mi
  • ALB Albany Intl72 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

The navigation point is the station reference location published by USFWS — often the headquarters or main entrance. For a specific hunt unit, open its page or click it on the map for coordinates and parking planning.

Sunrise, sunset & shooting hours

Today at Great Thicket NWR

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in New York local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20265:49 AM6:19 AM7:30 PM13h 11m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:03 AM6:33 AM7:06 PM12h 33m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:19 AM6:49 AM6:38 PM11h 48m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:34 AM7:04 AM6:14 PM11h 10m
Sun, Nov 1, 20265:55 AM6:25 AM4:50 PM10h 25m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:12 AM6:42 AM4:35 PM9h 53m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:31 AM7:01 AM4:25 PM9h 24m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM4:24 PM9h 11m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:51 AM7:21 AM4:33 PM9h 12m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:49 AM7:19 AM4:46 PM9h 28m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:37 AM7:07 AM5:07 PM10h 00m

Computed for 41.728, -73.576 (EDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day hunting weather

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Guides for hunting Great Thicket NWR

Deer Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Quota Hunts, Archery Units and Stand Rules

How refuge deer hunts work — lotteries and quota permits, archery-only and muzzleloader units, tree-stand rules…

Public-Land Duck Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Tactics That Work

How to find ducks, beat the crowds and set up on refuge marshes and WPAs — scouting, timing, small decoy spreads for…

Federal Duck Stamp Explained: Who Needs One, Where to Buy It and Where the Money Goes

Everything waterfowl hunters need to know about the Federal Duck Stamp — who must carry it, signing rules, the…

Nontoxic Shot Guide for Refuge and WPA Hunters

Why lead shot is banned for waterfowl, which nontoxic loads are approved, how steel, bismuth and tungsten compare, and…

Turkey Hunting on Wildlife Refuges: Lotteries, Pressured Birds and Safety

How spring and fall turkey hunts work on National Wildlife Refuges, how to scout and call public-land gobblers, and…

Pheasant and Upland Bird Hunting on Waterfowl Production Areas

Why WPAs are some of the best walk-in pheasant ground in the Midwest, how to hunt them early and late in the season…

Great Thicket NWR FAQ

Is hunting allowed at Great Thicket NWR?

Yes. Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting in 2 units (192 acres) during 2026–2027 for big game, waterfowl, wild turkey, upland birds, migratory birds, and small game. Seasons follow state regulations plus refuge-specific rules in 50 CFR Part 32.

Do I need a permit to hunt Great Thicket NWR?

FWS data does not list a separate refuge hunting permit for Great Thicket NWR. You still need a valid state license, any required state tags or stamps, and (for waterfowl hunters 16+) a Federal Duck Stamp.

Where is Great Thicket NWR located?

Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge is in Dutchess County, New York, about 45 miles NW of New Haven, CT (straight-line). GPS: 41.72760, -73.57572.

What are legal shooting hours at Great Thicket NWR?

Migratory game bird shooting hours are generally one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; big game and other seasons follow state rules. See the sunrise/sunset table on this page and confirm in the refuge hunt brochure.

Nearby refuges & public land

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR

Ulster County, NY · 33 mi W

2 special1 closed
🦌🦃

165 huntable acres

Berkshire NFH

Berkshire County, MA · 35 mi NE

1 closed
🎣

Stewart B. Mckinney NWR

Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT · 45 mi SE

5 special8 closed
🦌🦆🦃

496 huntable acres

Target Rock NWR

Suffolk County, NY · 56 mi S

1 closed
🎣

Oyster Bay NWR

Nassau County, NY · 57 mi S

1 closed
🎣

Wallkill River NWR

Sussex County, NJ · 63 mi SW

3 special2 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

4.9K huntable acres

All refuges in New York →

Data: USFWS National Hunt Units 2026–2027, Hunting & Fishing Opportunities, Realty Boundaries & Tracts. Page updated October 28, 2026.