The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the 2026-2027 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Proposed Rule, which proposes to open or expand more than 1,450 hunting and sport fishing opportunities across 111 field stations nationwide. This includes several proposed changes at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The Service seeks public comments on the proposed rule and an opportunity to provide suggestions for the Refuge’s hunting program for 30 days, beginning with publication in the Federal Register on May 27, 2026.
The Service proposes to expand hunting opportunities at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge starting in the fall of 2026 as follows:
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Increase acres open to rabbit and hare hunting to include the Buena Vista Unit and North Malheur Lake Unit (58,826 acres), which are currently open to migratory bird, upland game bird, and deer hunting. We propose a refuge-specific regulation permitting hunting of rabbit and hare only during the State upland game bird seasons.
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Increase acres open to dove hunting from the current 25,170 acres (North Malheur Lake and Boundary units) to 61,414 acres by opening the Buena Vista Unit to dove hunting.
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Increase the size of the South Malheur Lake Unit, which is currently open to hunting coot, duck, goose, and snipe, from 4,651 to 6,397 acres to improve and clarify hunter access.
You can see proposed changes to refuge-specific regulations and submit comments at Federal Register: National Wildlife Refuge System; 2026-2027 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations.
You can view the Categorical Exclusion for a minor amendment to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge CCP and Hunt Plan, and Compatibility Determinations for migratory bird hunting and upland and big game hunting at https://www.regulations.gov/document/FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1223-0002 (scroll down to the document titled “OR_Malheur_NWR_Draft_Documents_for_Review_2026”) or CLICK HERE.
