Though Bombay Hook attracts a wide variety of waterfowl species, late-season hunters can expect to find lots of snow geese here.

Hunts on the Bombay tract are managed as four distinct areas, one of which is upland (the remaining are waterfowl hunts). These include the South Waterfowl Area, Snow Goose Area and West Waterfowl Area.

A special youth waterfowl hunt is also conducted at Bombay Hook.

A daily permit must be obtained prior to waterfowl hunts. Only snow geese may be taken from the snow goose area. Permits for the snow goose area are issued via a drawing held at refuge headquarters one hour before hunting time. Any unused permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis each day until 3 p.m.

On the South Waterfowl Area, hunting is conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays during the duck season. A lottery is held the morning of each hunting day, two hours prior to hunting time, at the Little Creek Management Check Station. Hunting is from blinds, which require a boat to be reached.

Each blind is limited to a maximum of three hunters. A $5 fee per hunter is charged. Unused blinds are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis until 1 p.m.

The West Waterfowl Area is open to snow goose, Canada goose and duck hunting as allowed by current state law. Blinds are issued via a drawing at the refuge headquarters held one hour prior to hunting time.

Blinds on the West Waterfowl Area are issued only once per day. A $5 fee is charged for each hunter. Hunting hours end at noon, and hunters must return their permits by 1 p.m.

Maps of hunting areas and additional information can be found at www.fws.gov/northeast/bombayhook/huntinginfo.html.

Waterfowl hunting hours in Maryland run from one half hour before sunrise until sunset. Hunts held in September for resident Canada geese allow hunting until a half-hour after sunset, but this time does not apply during the regular goose season.

To hunt ducks and geese, a regular hunting license is required, in addition to a Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp. Hunters over the age of 15 must also purchase a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation stamp (or duck stamp).

Purchase of the state duck stamps registers the hunter in the mandatory Hunter Information Program (HIP).

Only non-toxic shot is permitted for hunting waterfowl. Hunters may not use or possess shot larger than size number T. Also, hunters may not use or possess shot shells loaded with any material other than steel, bismuth, tungsten iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix or other shot determined to be non-toxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

While hunting waterfowl, the use or possession of shotgun slugs is also illegal.

Keep in mind that the field possession limit is no more than one daily bag limit. This applies both while you're in the field, and while you're returning from the field to your vehicle, hunting camp or home.