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54 areas, 5 units
Mississippi Wildlife Management Areas
From Delta bottomland to Piney Woods pine, 54 state areas and 5 units are listed with acres, counties and draw status.
Photo: Justin Meissen (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Wildlife management areas by the numbers
697,615 acres are recorded for 54 areas, and 5 extra records describe units within Phil Bryant or Pascagoula River. Regional counts run North 15, Central 22, South 17.
Draw application windows
27 places use a draw. Entry is free and online only, and applicants must carry a WMA user permit, a lifetime license or an exempt license.
| Draw | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | January 15 | January 31 |
| Deer | July 15 | August 15 |
| Early teal | July 15 | August 15 |
| Rabbit | July 15 | August 15 |
| Dove | July 15 | August 15 |
| Waterfowl | October 1 | October 15 |
MDWFP says results come about a week after each deadline, and a permit cannot change hands.
Browse the WMA list
| Area | Region | Counties | Acres | Draw hunts | Forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alligator WMA | North | Bolivar, Coahoma | 2,882 | 6 | – |
| Bienville WMA | Central | Scott | 23,500 | – | Bienville |
| Black Prairie WMA | Central | Lowndes | 5,996 | 8 | – |
| Bob M. Dearing Natchez State Park WMA | South | Adams | 3,396 | 31 | – |
| Calling Panther WMA | South | Copiah | 1,094 | 17 | – |
| Canal Section WMA | North | Itawamba, Monroe + | 29,762 | – | – |
| Canemount WMA | South | Claiborne | 3,500 | 16 | – |
| Caney Creek WMA | Central | Scott, Smith | 28,437 | – | Bienville |
| Caston Creek WMA | South | Amite, Franklin | 28,214 | – | Homochitto |
| Charles Ray Nix WMA | North | Panola | 4,000 | 7 | – |
| Charlie Capps WMA | North | Bolivar | 526 | 25 | – |
| Chickasaw WMA | North | Chickasaw, Pontotoc | 28,000 | – | Tombigbee |
| Chickasawhay WMA | South | Jones | 30,000 | – | De Soto |
| Choctaw WMA | Central | Choctaw, Winston | 21,396 | – | Tombigbee |
| Copiah County WMA | South | Copiah | 7,644 | – | – |
| Divide Section WMA | North | Tishomingo, Prentiss | 15,300 | – | – |
| George P. Cossar State Park WMA | North | Yalobusha | 460 | 9 | – |
| Hell Creek WMA | North | Tippah, Union | 2,344 | 4 | – |
| Howard Miller WMA | Central | Issaquena | 2,545 | 35 | – |
| John Bell Williams WMA | North | Prentiss, Itawamba + | 3,000 | – | – |
| John W. Starr WMA | Central | Oktibbeha, Winston | 8,264 | – | – |
| Lake George WMA | Central | Yazoo | 8,000 | – | – |
| Leaf River WMA | South | Perry | 41,411 | – | De Soto |
| Leroy Percy WMA | Central | Washington | 1,642 | – | – |
| Little Biloxi WMA | South | Stone, Harrison | 13,699 | – | De Soto |
| Mahannah WMA | Central | Issaquena, Warren | 12,695 | 50 | – |
| Malmaison WMA | North | Grenada, Leflore + | 9,953 | – | – |
| Marion County WMA | South | Marion | 7,300 | – | – |
| Mason Creek WMA | South | Greene | 28,000 | – | De Soto |
| Muscadine Farms WMA | Central | Washington | 1,200 | 38 | – |
| Nanih Waiya WMA | Central | Neshoba | 8,269 | – | – |
| O'Keefe WMA | North | Quitman, Tallahatchie | 5,648 | – | – |
| Okatibbee WMA | Central | Lauderdale, Kemper | 6,883 | – | – |
| Old River WMA | South | Pearl River | 13,000 | – | – |
| Pascagoula River WMA | South | Jackson, George | 37,415 | 15 | – |
| Pascagoula River WMA LBTC Unit | South | George, Jackson | 2,396 | 15 | – |
| Pearl River WMA | Central | Madison | 6,592 | 10 | – |
| Phil Bryant WMA | Central | Issaquena, Warren | 17,689 | 66 | – |
| Phil Bryant WMA Backwoods Unit | Central | Issaquena, Warren | 4,212 | 11 | – |
| Phil Bryant WMA Buck Bayou Unit | Central | Issaquena, Warren | 3,163 | 24 | – |
| Phil Bryant WMA Goose Lake Unit | Central | Issaquena, Warren | 3,678 | 15 | – |
| Phil Bryant WMA Ten Point Unit | Central | Issaquena, Warren | 6,477 | 15 | – |
| Red Creek WMA | South | Stone, Jackson + | 23,000 | – | De Soto |
| Riverfront WMA | North | Bolivar | 1,214 | 8 | – |
| Sandy Creek WMA | South | Adams, Franklin | 16,407 | – | Homochitto |
| Shipland WMA | Central | Issaquena | 3,642 | – | – |
| Sky Lake WMA | Central | Humphreys, Leflore | 4,306 | 16 | – |
| Stoneville WMA | Central | Washington | 2,664 | – | – |
| Sunflower WMA | Central | Sharkey | 60,000 | – | Delta |
| Tallahala WMA | Central | Jasper, Smith + | 27,585 | – | Bienville |
| Theodore A. Mars Jr. Memorial WMA | South | Pearl River | 887 | – | – |
| Trim Cane WMA | Central | Oktibbeha | 850 | 41 | – |
| Tuscumbia WMA | North | Alcorn | 2,600 | 4 | – |
| Twin Oaks WMA | Central | Sharkey | 5,383 | 25 | – |
| Upper Sardis WMA | North | Lafayette, Marshall + | 50,485 | – | Holly Springs |
| Ward Bayou WMA | South | Jackson | 13,234 | – | – |
| William (Billy) C. Deviney WMA | North | Sunflower | 2,860 | 25 | – |
| Wolf River WMA | South | Pearl River, Lamar | 10,000 | – | – |
| Yockanookany WMA | Central | Attala | 2,842 | 5 | – |
Rule 1.1 and the user permit
The general rule has 35 items, lettered A onward, and touches safety, orange clothing, cased firearms and trash.
- Safety Precautions
- Hunter Orange
- Littering
- Firearms
- Legal Weapons
- WILD HOGS
- BEARS
- Youth Hunt Eligibility
- WMA Check-In
- Dogs
- Roads/Vehicles
- Horses
- Food Plots/Agricultural Leases
- Tree Stands and Blinds
- Fall-Arrest Systems
- Baiting and Feeding
- Posting of Regulations
- Boundary Signs
Residents pay $15.00 and nonresidents $30.00 for the WMA user permit, set by Rule 16.
WMA rules and regulations · WMA user permit rule · License prices
Cotton picker working a white cotton fieldPhoto: NatalieMaynor (CC BY 2.0)
Plowed cotton rows glowing in low sunPhoto: Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel (CC BY 2.0)
Wooded valley and river seen from a high overlook on the Yazoo RiverPhoto: Kevin (CC BY 2.0)
What hunters ask about MDWFP areas
How many wildlife management areas does Mississippi have?
MDWFP lists 54 wildlife management areas on its menu, and this guide adds 5 unit records that belong to parent areas.
Do I need a permit to hunt a WMA?
Yes. A WMA user permit costs $15.00 for residents and $30.00 for nonresidents, or you need a lifetime license or an exempt license.
How do I apply for a draw hunt?
Apply online through the MDWFP license system or the HuntFish app. Applications are free, and each type of hunt has its own window.
When is the deer draw?
The deer draw opened July 15 and closed August 15 for the 2026-27 hunts, so the next one comes in summer 2027.
When is the turkey draw?
The turkey application period runs January 15 to January 31 ahead of the spring season.
What is Rule 1.1?
Rule 1.1 is the general safety and conduct rule printed at the front of each WMA brochure.
Where do I read the rules for one area?
Each area page below links its own 2026-27 brochure, and the draw hunts page has the hunt tables.