Can you hunt in a national forest?

Yes. Most national forest and national grassland land is open to hunting, and the U.S. Forest Service says the basic rule is to follow the hunting laws of the state you are in, including its seasons, dates, and licensing, so you need the hunting license that state requires. Individual forests and grasslands may place some areas off limits to hunting, so it is worth checking with the local ranger district before you go.

Federal rules also apply on Forest Service land: firearms and bows must be cased and unloaded in recreation areas, shooting is prohibited within 150 yards of a developed recreation site, a residence, or anywhere people are likely to be, and you may not shoot across a body of water or a Forest Service road. Only portable stands or blinds are allowed, and private land mixed in with the forest requires the owner’s written permission.

Source: U.S. Forest Service, “Hunting” (Know Before You Go)

Image: Hunting, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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