Refuge Hunting Rule Is Live, and It Scraps the Nine-Refuge Lead Ban
Refuge hunting access just hit a record 92 million acres under the 2026 final rule. See what changed and how to check your station before opening day.
Hunting
Hunting from draw to harvest. Tag deadlines and leftover draws, season dates, species tactics, safety, and the federal and state rules that govern the hunt.
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2027 Western Big Game Draw Deadlines: 10 States, Every Date
Application deadlines for every Western big game draw, with each date labelled as confirmed for 2027, set by rule, or carried from the 2026 pattern.
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Wyoming Leftover Tags: The Second-Chance Draw, and the 2027 Window
Wyoming’s 2026 leftover tag draw ran June 22-26 and has closed – no fee, no point cost. Here’s what was on the list, and how to be ready the moment the 2027 window opens.
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Colorado Leftover Tags 2026: What’s Still Available and How to Buy
Colorado’s 2026 leftover big-game licenses are on sale now, first-come first-served. The live CPW list, the weekly reissue cycle, what is still available today, 2026 fees and refund rules.
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OTC Elk Tags 2026: Which States Still Sell Them
OTC elk tags 2026: Idaho ended nonresident over-the-counter tags and Colorado tightened archery. See which states still sell true OTC elk – and the backdoors.
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Early-Season Archery Elk: Your Opening-Week Game Plan for 2026
Early-season archery elk rewards hunters who glass smart and hunt wallows. Get your 2026 opening-week game plan, from velvet bulls to the first cold front.
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Deer Rut Dates by State: What the Agency Data Says
State-by-state whitetail rut timing built from wildlife agency conception-date studies — with sample sizes, publication dates, the eleven states that publish nothing, and why southern rut dates run backward to latitude.
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Deer Season Dates 2026-27: Official Dates for the Top 10 Deer States
2026-27 deer season dates for the 10 biggest whitetail states: archery, firearms, muzzleloader and youth, every date verified from the official state agency.
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Deer Movement Forecast by ZIP: Best Hunting Times
Hourly whitetail movement forecast for any US ZIP code, built on real sunrise, sunset and moon times plus your state wildlife agency published breeding chronology. Solunar periods computed and shown with the GPS-collar evidence on what they are actually worth.
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Corner Crossing Is Legal in Six States: What It Means
Corner crossing — stepping from one piece of public land to another at the point where two corners touch, without setting foot on the private ground either side — is legal across the six states of the Tenth Circuit. The Supreme Court declined to hear the landowner’s appeal on 20 October 2025, which left the…
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Dove Season 2026: The Hunt That Actually Starts Hunting Season
Opening day is a party. The rest of dove season is the hunt. What the September 1 opener means for 2026 and how to hunt doves after day one.
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Chronic Wasting Disease Testing in 2026: What Hunters Need to Know
Chronic wasting disease testing is mandatory in more units for 2026. Here is what hunters need to know before the season, from sample drop-off to positive results.
