Becharof NWR
Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK · 260 mi SW
✓1 open
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇🎣
1.2M huntable acres
Kenai 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
Hunting at Kenai NWR
- Big Game
- Waterfowl
- Wild Turkey
- Upland Birds
- Migratory Birds
- Small Game
-
Feral & Exotic - Fishing
Hunting opportunities include big game, waterfowl, wild turkey, upland birds, migratory birds, and small game, subject to state seasons and refuge-specific rules. Fishing is available — freshwater fishing, tidal / saltwater fishing, and shellfishing & crabbing. A refuge permit is required for at least some activities, in addition to your state license.
Kenai Peninsula is internationally famous for its brown bears, which come to the rivers each summer to feed on migrating salmon. In addition to brown bear, hunters come here for a variety of other large game, including moose.
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 Alaska regulations plus refuge-specific rules.
Hunt units (5)
- Open134,199 ac 7%
- Special regulations1,804,189 ac 93%
- Closed4,735 ac 0%
| Unit | Status | Acres | Permit | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilak Show on map · Directions |
✓Open | 38,468 | Required Special Use Permit |
Hunting Black Bears over bait stations, Hunting Black Bears with aid or use of a dog |
| Swanson River Show on map · Directions |
✓Open | 95,730 | Required Special Use Permit |
Hunting Black Bears over bait stations, Hunting Black Bears with aid or use of a dog |
| Refuge Show on map · Directions |
!Special regs | 1,781,872 | Required Special Use Permit |
Hunting Black Bears over bait stations, Hunting Black Bears with aid or use of a dog |
| Safety Area Show on map · Directions |
!Special regs | 22,316 | Required Special Use Permit |
Hunting Black Bears over bait stations, Hunting Black Bears with aid or use of a dog |
| Administrative Show on map · Directions |
✕Closed | 4,735 | Required Special Use Permit |
Hunting Black Bears over bait stations, Hunting Black Bears with aid or use of a dog |
Kenai NWR by the numbers
With about 1,938,387 huntable acres, Kenai NWR ranks #10 of 16 refuges and stations with mapped hunting land in Alaska and #10 of 420 nationwide. Roughly 100% of the acreage inside its mapped hunt units is open to hunting in some form.
The largest huntable unit is Refuge (1,781,872 acres, special regulations), while the smallest, Safety Area, covers 22,316 acres. Every huntable unit requires a refuge permit.
1 unit totaling 4,735 acres is closed to hunting (Administrative). Closed areas often serve as sanctuaries — learn their boundaries before you set up nearby.
When to hunt Kenai NWR
Typical U.S. season windows for the game categories offered here. Alaska 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.
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
🦌 Big Game
🦆 Waterfowl
🦃 Wild Turkey
🐦 Upland Birds
🕊️ Migratory Birds
🐇 Small Game
Permits & licenses
Refuge permit
Required
Hunting Black Bears over bait stations, Hunting Black Bears with aid or use of a dog
Type: Special Use Permit
How to get it:
- 📋 Other (see refuge)
You'll also need
- A valid Alaska hunting license and any required tags or stamps — Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- 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 Kenai NWR
- 🐟 Freshwater fishing
- 🌊 Tidal / saltwater fishing
- 🦀 Shellfishing & crabbing
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge contains ponds, thousands of lakes, several major rivers and numerous streams. Estuarine areas limited to the remote Chickaloon River flats on Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet. Rivers include the Russian and the upper Kenai.
State fishing licenses and regulations apply. Some waters close seasonally to protect wildlife.
How to get to Kenai NWR
Navigate
Destination: Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (FWS reference point)
- Decimal
60.37397, -150.48218- DMS
60°22′26.3″N 150°28′55.8″W
Nearest towns
- Soldotna, AK21 mi E of town
- Kenai, AK29 mi SE of town
- Anchorage, AK62 mi S of town
- Homer, AK63 mi NE of town
Closest airports
- ENA Kenai Municipal29 mi
- ANC Anchorage Ted Stevens57 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 Kenai NWR
Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–
*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Anchorage local time.
Full season calculator →2026–2027 season sun table
| Date | Shooting light | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 9:10 PM | 14h 17m |
| Tue, Sep 15, 2026 | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:27 PM | 13h 01m |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:38 PM | 11h 33m |
| Thu, Oct 15, 2026 | 8:09 AM | 8:39 AM | 6:55 PM | 10h 16m |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | 7:53 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:07 PM | 8h 44m |
| Sun, Nov 15, 2026 | 8:30 AM | 9:00 AM | 4:33 PM | 7h 33m |
| Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | 9:08 AM | 9:38 AM | 4:03 PM | 6h 25m |
| Tue, Dec 15, 2026 | 9:32 AM | 10:02 AM | 3:51 PM | 5h 50m |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | 9:37 AM | 10:07 AM | 4:01 PM | 5h 54m |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 9:23 AM | 9:53 AM | 4:27 PM | 6h 34m |
| Mon, Feb 1, 2027 | 8:49 AM | 9:19 AM | 5:10 PM | 7h 50m |
Computed for 60.374, -150.482 (AKDT / 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 Kenai 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…
Kenai NWR FAQ
Is hunting allowed at Kenai NWR?
Yes. Kenai National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting in 4 units (1,938,387 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 Kenai NWR?
Yes — Kenai National Wildlife Refuge requires a refuge permit for some or all hunting. Permit type: Special Use Permit. Permits can be obtained other. You also need the appropriate state hunting license and, for waterfowl, a Federal Duck Stamp.
Can you fish at Kenai NWR?
Yes. Fishing is permitted (freshwater fishing, tidal / saltwater fishing, and shellfishing & crabbing). State fishing licenses and regulations apply along with refuge rules.
Where is Kenai NWR located?
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, about 21 miles E of Soldotna, AK (straight-line). GPS: 60.37397, -150.48218.
What are legal shooting hours at Kenai 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
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Data: USFWS National Hunt Units 2026–2027, Hunting & Fishing Opportunities, Realty Boundaries & Tracts. Page updated October 28, 2026.