Hagerman refuge closes its Goode Unit and Haller's Haven trail Oct. 29-Nov. 1 for a youth archery deer hunt

Visitors planning a late-October walk at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge will find part of it off limits that weekend.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the refuge's Goode Unit and the Haller's Haven Nature Trail that goes with it will be closed to the public from the evening of Thursday, Oct. 29, through the evening of Sunday, Nov. 1. The closure makes room for the Texas Youth Archery Deer Hunt, which the agency's event listing shows running from 5 a.m.

Friday, Oct. 30, to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.

The rest of the refuge

The closure covers only the Goode Unit area. Hagerman covers about 11,000 acres along Lake Texoma, and its lands are normally open every day from sunrise to sunset, according to the Friends of Hagerman, the volunteer group that runs many of the refuge's public programs. Admission, parking and events are free unless a listing says otherwise.

The visitor center, at 6465 Refuge Road, is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Speed on refuge roads is limited to 20 mph.

November programs

The Friends group has three programs on its calendar for the first half of November:

Saturday, Nov. 7, 7 to 9 a.m.: The Little Sit Sunrise Bird Count, a come-and-go count at a spot called the H Pad, inside the refuge but with a Sadler address. Leaders bring spotting scopes, and visitors are told to bring a chair, binoculars and water.
Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.: Deputy Refuge Manager Mary Istre will walk through 80 years of conservation at Hagerman using historic photographs, at the visitor center.
Saturday, Nov. 14, 8 to 9:30 a.m.: A guided bird walk on the Harris Creek Trail, which the group describes as flat and easy. Binoculars can be borrowed, and registration is recommended for weather updates.

All three are listed as free.

Sources

fws.gov

friendsofhagerman.com

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