Your premier Finger Lakes waterfowl hunting outfitter!
What We Do
Our waterfowl hunting in the Finger Lakes provides some of the best gunning you’ll ever experience! Canada’s, dabblers, divers, we have em’ all!
Here at The Refuge, our goal is to provide the best waterfowl hunting experience we have to offer here in the Finger Lakes region of NY.
With a Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Management, 15 years of waterfowl hunting experience and 2 years of professional guiding experience, I decided to put my passion into action and start The Refuge! Not many people understand the dedication and effort it takes to ensure a quality waterfowl hunt, and I promise you, here at The Refuge, we leave no stone unturned.
As the fall and winter months set upon us, the diversity and quantity of waterfowl that migrate into the Finger Lakes is astounding. Canvasback, redheads, lesser and greater scaup, goldeneyes, mallards and black ducks are just a few of many different species we target. If you’re looking for a guide service that will treat you right and put you on the birds, look no further!
Owner/Guide
Capt. Sean McGinn
Sean has been hunting waterfowl since the age of 12. His father Donald took him to a local farm swamp one youth weekend, and the whistling wings and mallard calls became a way of life ever since. Not only does Sean waterfowl hunt, but he also enjoys deer and turkey hunting.
Sean pursues waterfowl with a passion like no other and will always go the distance to ensure a quality hunt for his clients. Sean has 23 years of hunting experience, including 11 years as a NYS Certified Hunting Guide under his belt.
The Hunt
All hunts (typically, depending on the situation) will be conducted from the comfort of a 2019 24’ SeaArk equipped with a Beavertail blind, comfortable seating and portable heaters for those frigid winter mornings. We will meet at a predetermined time and place early in the morning in order to get to our destination and set decoys before the first flight of birds.
Dates & Pricing
New York Season Dates 2024-2025 (TBA)
Late-Season Duck Hunts (Minimum of 3 hunters/hunt and a Maximum of 5)
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Spring Snow Geese (Minimum of 3 hunters/hunt and a Maximum of 8)
(Late February - Early March)
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Spring Snow Geese
Price: 3-Day Hunt - $1,200/gun/day (lodging included)
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Late Season Combo Duck/Goose
Price: 3-Day Hunt - $1,500/gun/day (lodging included)
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Late season hunts will be run till 1p.m.
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*** All birds harvested are the responsibility of the hunters
What You’ll Need to Bring
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NY hunting license (Can be purchased online or at any Walmart location)
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duck stamp (purchased at any US Post Office)
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HIP number (Register by phone or online ((DEC website))
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lightweight/heavyweight waterproof camouflage gear, depending on time of year.
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waders (Optional)
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shotgun (12 or 20 Gauge preferably)
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ammunition (STEEL SHOT ONLY) (3" or 3 1/2" BB for geese-2’s and 4’s for ducks recommended)
Lodging
The Refuge offers a beautiful log cabin lodge just off Cayuga Lake to rest your feet after a long day's hunt. The Adirondack style lodge provides all the comforts of home and comfortably houses 8 hunters at a time.
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Other lodging suggestions:
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Holiday Inn (Waterloo)
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Quality Inn (Seneca Falls)
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Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham (Seneca Falls)
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Hampton Inn (Seneca Falls)
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AirBnB's along Cayuga and Seneca Lakes
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