It's a hard concept to grasp: Hunting on national wildlife refuges, those very places set aside to provide a haven for birds and animals. But in many cases, our refuge system has done such an outstanding job over the past 100 years that hunting is not just a compatible activity, it's sometimes a critical part of the refuge's management plan.

Whether it's a tightly controlled deer hunt on a suburban Virginia refuge to reduce over-browsing, a first-come, first-served waterfowl hunt on a Texas salt marsh, or a wilderness moose and caribou hunt on Alaska's nine-million acre Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, hunting and wildlife refuges do indeed belong in the same sentence.

"We maintain a biological perspective that allows us to provide hunting opportunities when it is compatible with the stated purpose of each refuge. Sometimes we have to control certain species to protect the habitat and sometimes populations are high enough that hunting won't be detrimental to the mission of the refuge," says National Wildlife Refuge system outreach specialist Steve Farrell. "We are shifting our focus toward a more people-oriented equation and we are striving to provide a higher standard of recreational opportunities. That includes hunting."

Here's a look at a handful of great hunting opportunities throughout our country's 544, 100 million acre national wildlife refuge system:

VALENTINE GROUSE AND CHICKENS
One of the few places in the country that has good numbers of prairie chickens and sharptail grouse in the same area is located in the Sandhills region of northwest Nebraska. Valentine NWR encompasses 72,000 acres of prime grouse and prairie chicken habitat, and nearly all of it is open to hunting.

"The success rates vary from year to year, and that's based mostly on weather. When the weather is conducive to a good hatch, we'll have lots of birds, and hunters generally have good hunts," says refuge manager Mark Lindvall. "We used to get fairly crowded on opening day, but even that's not a problem anymore. Hunters willing to walk a little bit can have some real good action." The limit is three birds--in any combination--per day. Info: 402/376-3789, http://valentine.fws.gov

CHINCOTEAGUE SIKA
A small group of these tiny Asian elk were released on Assateague Island back in the 1930s by a troop of Boy Scouts that used them as a fundraiser at carnival side shows. When the carnival season ended, the Boy Scouts turned them loose. The sikas flourished, and more than 1,000 of them roam 14,000-acre Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The population would likely be much higher, but refuge managers have conducted controlled hunts for years.

Sika deer aren't very big; a mature bull will weigh about 70 pounds. Yearling cows can weigh half that, but spend a few days hunting these tough little animals and you'll consider even the smallest sika a true trophy. The refuge consists of jungle-thick cover--much of it is ankle-deep marsh--that sikas utilize to escape hunting pressure.

Hunts are conducted through a lottery system. Archery hunts offer the best chances of drawing a permit, but gun hunters have the highest success rates. Info: 757/336-6122, http://chinco.fws.gov

ST. VINCENT SAMBAR
The opportunity to hunt an exotic species doesn't come cheap, unless you head to St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, a 12,000-acre island off the coast of Florida's panhandle. That's where a private landowner released a small population of sambar, a member of the elk family native to southeastern Asia, in the early 1900s as part of his private hunting preserve.

"The federal government bought the island in the 1960s, and the sambar were just a part of it. We aren't trying to eradicate them, but we do need to keep their population in check, so we offer a limited hunt every year," says refuge manager Terry Peacock. "Hunters are restricted to primitive weapons, either bows or muzzleloading rifles."

Sambar bulls average over 500 pounds, but despite 200 hunters scouring the island for three days, fewer than 10 are taken each year. Tough odds, thanks to the thick cover. Still, Peacock says it's a popular hunt. About 1,400 people apply for the available 200 permits and hunters are required to find their own transportation to the island.

"You have to get here by boat. There are some private charters you can hire or you can use your own boat. Hunters are also allowed to camp for the duration of the three-day hunt," adds Peacock. Info: 850/653-8808, http://saintvincent.fws.gov

WHITE RIVER WHITETAILS
The flooded timber of Arkansas' White River and Cache national wildlife refuges draw ducks by the hundred of thousands, but they also attract nearly as many hunters. When the mallards show up, the word gets out and finding a place to toss out a decoy spread can be as difficult as finding a parking space on a New York City street.

The ducks may get all the attention at these two hardwood bottomland refuges, but refuge manager Larry Mallard says the whitetail deer hunting is unparalleled and virtually untapped during the state's lengthy bowhunting season.

"Duck hunting can be a real zoo. It's difficult to find a good place if you don't know the refuge very well. The locals tend to know the best spots, and they hunt them pretty hard when the ducks are here. We also have a good number of commercial guides who run trips virtually every day of the season on the refuge," explains Mallard.

"The deer hunting opportunities, on the other hand, are an untapped resource, particularly for bowhunting. We have some tremendous bucks taken every season. The state record bow kill deer was taken on the White River refuge and the state record non-typical firearms deer was taken on Cache River, our sister refuge. There is very little hunting pressure during the archery season."

Although refuge managers hold a three-day, drawing-only firearms hunt in early November and an unlimited five-day hunt later in the season, Mallard says the absolute best time to bring your bow is in late November. That's when the rut peaks and big bucks are most vulnerable. The refuge is closed to gun hunting during that period.

About 58,000 acres of the White River NWR's 155,000 acres are open to hunting, and nearly all of the Cache River NWR's 61,000 acres are open to archery deer hunting as well. Mallard says one of the best ways to find quality bucks is to use a boat to reach out-of-the-way areas along the White and Cache rivers.

"Lots of bowhunters plan their vacations around the refuge. They'll deer hunt in the mornings and evenings, and fish and hunt squirrels in the middle of the day. There is no shortage of things to do here," he says. Info: 870/282-8200, http://whiteriver.fws.gov