The Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge will host two events on Sept. 17, a meeting on the upcoming refuge hunting season and the annual Hunting and Fishing Day.

Hunting and Fishing Day is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and will be held at the visitor center on Quebec road off U.S. 80 in Tallulah.

One of the yearly attractions to the Hunting and Fishing Day event is the registration and drawing for the special lottery youth deer hunts. The lottery hunts are separate from the refuge-wide youth hunts, which are open to the general public on Nov. 12-13.

The dates of this season’s special youth deer hunts are Dec. 21 and Dec. 28 and will be held on designated parcels of Tensas River NWR.

To register for the drawing, children between the ages of 8 and 15 must sign up between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. during Hunting and Fishing Day. All youth applicants must be present for the drawing to be selected for the special youth deer hunts that will immediately follow registration.

The 2010-11 Tensas NWR hunting and fishing regulations and limited hunt applications are now available. The general refuge permit grants users access for refuge hunts and other permissible activities. The dates for the limited gun deer hunts are Nov. 25-27 and Dec. 10-11.

Special limited access hunts require permits which are drawn by lottery. Applications are available at the refuge visitor center. All lottery hunt applications are due Sept. 6 before 4 p.m.

An informational meeting will be held on Sept. 17 from 2 to 3 p.m. It is open to the public to provide a forum for questions, comments, and concerns.

The meeting will convey dates and relevant information regarding the upcoming hunting season that are specific to Tensas River NWR. Refuge manager Kelly Purkey will make a short presentation and open the floor to the public.

Topics of discussion will include dates for all hunts on the Refuge; areas open to the public for hunting; Refuge management; specific hunting regulations; and any other hunting-related issues will be discussed. For information, call the refuge at 318-574-2664.