West Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Complex

10/22/2026

The Reelfoot NWR Fall Fest was a hit! Nearly 300 5th graders enjoyed guest speakers from US Fish and Wildlife Service, Reelfoot Lake State Park, University of TN at Martin, Discovery Park of America and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Students learned about fish, birds, snakes, turtles, archery, animal pelts/skulls and more! An interpretive hayride was given to all students to showcase waterfowl habitat at the Long Point unit of Reelfoot NWR. It was a beautiful day for the event. Thanks to all who helped!

10/19/2026

The Viewing Tower at Grassy Island has been repaired and is now open to the public thanks to a group based out of the Wheeler NWR formed by GAOA (Great American Outdoors Act). Several USFWS employees from Wheeler, North Louisiana Complex, and the Savannah Complex arrived at the Reelfoot NWR and worked on the viewing tower for two weeks. Thanks to everyone who came to get the job done! The public will enjoy this for years to come!
Fun fact! Last Friday, Ranger Dowdy went to see the viewing tower and met a man who played a Sheriff in the US Marshalls movie that was released in 1998. Most local people know that part of that movie was filmed at Grassy Island. He sent a photo so you can compare the pier from then to now! How neat!

10/06/2026

Ranger Dowdy here! I was excited to participate in the Federal Duck Stamp judging a few weekends ago at the Ducks Unlimited Headquarters in Memphis, TN. If you’ve ever wondered how such a beautiful picture is chosen to be the Federal Duck Stamp each year, just know that there is a TON of work behind it. Wow! This was quite the experience and so glad to have been a part of it. There were 331 pieces of art judged and it was a 2 day process. I only shared a few photos of some artwork, but you can find all entries at the link below. And let me go ahead and just say that these pictures do not do the actual artwork justice! They are even more stunning in person. Check it out!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/albums/72177720335626248/with/55528088961

10/06/2026

We had a great Hunter Education course led by TWRA not long ago. Nearly forgot to share photos! TWRA offers their Hunter Education course twice a year here at the Reelfoot NWR. Once around the end of September, and again around April.

10/06/2026

Lower Hatchie NWR Waterfowl Quota Hunt applicants - your notifications are in the mailbox! If you were drawn, you will receive a bright green or pink notification in a few days. If you were not drawn, you will receive your application card back with a sticker on the back stating you were not drawn. If you don’t receive anything, give us a shout at 731-538-2481. It may be lost in the mail or your application card was mailed directly to us and your postage was already used up. Thanks! Have a great day!

10/06/2026

Join the Friends of West TN Refuges and you can participate in fun events like the one they had last Saturday!

09/26/2026

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that Robert Hautman of Delano, Minnesota, won the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with his stunning acrylic painting of a pair of long-tailed ducks. This marks Hautman’s fourth Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest victory.

Chosen from 331 entries, the winning artwork was selected during the two-day competition hosted by Ducks Unlimited at its National Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee.

The winning artwork will appear on the 2027-2028 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the Federal Duck Stamp.

Learn more: https://www.ducks.org/newsroom/2026-federal-duck-stamp-winner-announced-during-annual-national-contest-at-ducks-unlimited-headquarters

Photo: The winner of the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest is Robert Hautman of Delano, Minnesota, with an acrylic painting of a long-tailed duck pair. © Robert Hautman, used with permission.

09/10/2026

This group does A LOT! We are always participating or planning something - but we need more people! Check out the post below to learn about all the things we do. If you love Reelfoot Lake, if you like to organize, lead, stand in the shadows and work behind the scenes, or anything inbetween WE COULD USE YOU!

09/02/2026

Sign up for TWRA’s Hunter Education course, held at Reelfoot NWR! Check out the link below for more info.

Would you like to join the waitlist for this event? As participants cancel their registrations for this event, customers on the waitlist will be automatically registered on a "first-come, first-serve" basis.

08/31/2026

ATTENTION WATERFOWL HUNTERS: You may apply for the Lower Hatchie NWR Waterfowl Quota Hunt during the month of September. Please check out the link below to learn how to apply!

https://www.fws.gov/media/lower-hatchie-nwr-waterfowl-quota-hunt