Meade Natural Heritage Association (MNHA) partners with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to provide the public with high-quality outdoor recreational experiences at the Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR).  MNHA manages hunting activities on the PRR to assist with the management of wildlife in accordance with the PRR Hunting Plan. Our unique partnership increases and improves hunting access and opportunities for all hunters. 

Hunting is free at the refuge this season, but we strongly recommend hunters become MNHA members to receive all of the benefits, which include access to our walk-in cooler and to our bow and gun ranges.

Click here to see all of the membership benefits.

Click here for information on getting your Refuge hunting permit.

Membership Range Days.  Next Membership Range Day is October 10.  Our RSO is not available for the 9/12 and 9/26 dates.  If you plan on coming to the October 10 range day, please send an email to Range_Days@MNHA.net by 9:00AM on Friday August 21  so we can provide the list to range control.  Don't forget to bring government ID if you are 16 years or older.  This process is a requirement from the range control office.  

MD Weapons Qualifications.  The 9/12 and 9/26 dates are cancelled.  We plan to have MD Weapons Qualifications on 10/10 as scheduled.

Range Safety Officers. We are looking for a few RSOs to lighten the load.  You must be a certified firearm instructor. If you can help out please contact President@MNHA.net.  

Range Day Coordinator. We are looking for someone to coordinate range days.  The tasks include sending out the email, gathering the attendee list, emailing the list to Range Control, checking people in on Saturday AM at the HCS. If you can help out please contact President@MNHA.net.  

The next MNHA Monthly Meeting is Tuesday, October 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the HCS.

Donations! PRR Hunting Permits are "no charge" this season.  Previously, the fee was $100/adults, $65/seniors, and we humbly ask that you consider making a donation of all or part of that to help us cover the costs of managing the hunting program.   MNHA is a 501(c)(3) and donations are tax deductible.

REMINDER - Your  Hunting Permit is for Hunting Activities ONLY, Monday to Saturday.  You must follow PRR General Visiting rules for non-hunting activities (fishing, hiking, walking your dog). North Tract is only open on Sundays from 8AM to 4PM for non-hunting activities.  No scouting is allowed on Sundays on NT, ST, nor Schaffer Farm.

Volunteer Maintenance Day.  The last Volunteer Maintenance Day was a great succcess as our volunteers cleared the rest of the path between ST A and B, increasing access and safety.  The team also repaired the archery range.   

Member Activities. We are trying to expand activities for members and we need your support.  We have two events we need help with:

• John Green Memorial Squirrel Hunt -- we need a team to plan, schedule, and coordinate a squirrel hunt in October 2027 time frame.   

• Annual Membership Meeting -  will be held in February.  We need a team to plan and coordinate invitations, pot-luck, and raffle items.

We want these events to be high-quality and well attended, so we need to start planning now to get the word out and build interest.  Please email President@mnha.net if you can help.

Board Openings/Volunteers: We need a Vice President to complete a one-year appointment.  This October we will be electing a Vice President and Treasurer.  And we have appointments available for VP of Public Relations and VP of Memberships.  Please consider nominating yourself or someone else to these important positions.  More information can be found on the Board Members page. 

MNHA Membership. The FWS and all hunters depend on MNHA to manage the hunt program.  Consider joining and actively participating in MNHA.  As advocates for all PRR hunters, we work with FWS to improve the hunting program and increase hunting opportunities. Click here to see all of the membership benefits.

We need your active participation in MNHA.  MNHA was created to support the FWS at PRR and over the years MNHA has contributed to safe, enjoyable, quality hunting experiences.  Like the national trend, the number of hunters at PRR continues to trend downward and even fewer actively participate in MNHA.  We need people to give some of there time to MNHA to support our mission.  We want to build a positive force to recruit, retain, and reactivate hunters.  We have many volunteer opportunities that do not take a lot of time like coordinating the annual member meeting and work that can be done from home like the website and newsletters.  We also have a number of  open leadership positions - VP, VP of Public Relations, and VP of Membership.  Many benefits depend on member volunteers so please don’t wait for an invitation on a silver platter.  Contact Info@MNHA.net and let us know in what capacity you would like to help.

Volunteers.  Hunters are the best conservationist, please consider volunteering to help MNHA improve the hunting program at PRR.  If each hunter committed to just 1 morning to help, it would make a difference to hunters, wildlife, and general PRR visitors. Click here for more info on Volunteer Opportunities.

You've got questions, we've got answers. Many common questions can be quickly answered by reading the hunting guidelines, this web site, and/or our FAQ page.  If you still can't find the information you are looking for, email info@mnha.net and we will respond in a reasonable time.

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