40 Miss. Code. R. 2-1.29 - [Effective until 6/30/2025] HELL CREEK WMA REGULATIONS

A. Regulations for Hell Creek Wildlife Management Area in Union and Tippah Counties.

SPECIES	OPENING DATE	CLOSING DATE	COMMENTS
DEER			For deer hunting regulations see BAG LIMIT, DEER HUNTING PERMITS, LEGAL BUCKS, DEER DATA COLLECTION, LEGAL WEAPONS and DOG RESTRICTIONS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
Gun - Permit Only	Oct. 3 Oct. 10 Oct. 17	Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20	Antlerless deer and legal bucks. Antlerless deer and legal bucks Antlerless deer and legal bucks
Gun - Permit Only	Dec. 12	Dec. 18	Legal bucks only.
Senior Adult Gun - Permit Only	Dec. 26	Dec. 29	Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Archery Only	Oct. 1 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21	Oct. 2 Oct. 9 Oct. 16 Oct. 23	Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Archery/Youth Gun	Nov. 16 Nov. 25 Dec. 30 Jan. 13 Jan. 20	Nov. 20 Dec. 3 Jan. 2 Jan. 15 Jan. 30	Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
YOUTH TURKEY - Permit Only	Apr. 4 Apr. 11 Apr. 18 Apr. 25	Apr. 6 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Apr. 27	See TURKEY HUNTING PERMITS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
SQUIRREL & RABBIT	Oct. 21 Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Dec. 30 Jan. 13 Jan. 20 Feb. 8 Feb. 18	Oct. 23 Nov. 20 Dec. 3 Jan. 2 Jan. 15 Jan. 30 Feb. 12 Feb. 28
YOUTH SQUIRREL	Sept. 24	Sept. 30
SQUIRREL	May 15	June 1
RACCOON	Jul. 1	Sep. 30	Friday and Saturday nights only.
RACCOON, OPOSSUM, & BOBCAT	Oct. 1	Feb. 28
TRAPPING	No Trapping Allowed
QUAIL - Training Only	Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Dec. 30 Jan. 27 Feb. 18	Nov. 20 Nov. 27 Dec. 31 Jan. 30 Feb. 21
Quail	Nov. 28 Jan. 23 Feb. 22	Dec. 3 Jan. 26 Mar. 1	See BAG LIMITS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
YOUTH DOVE	Statewide opening day		See DOVE HUNTING in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
DOVE	See DOVE HUNTING in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.

B. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. WMA USER PERMIT: All persons using this wildlife management area, except those exempt from purchasing an annual hunting or fishing license, must carry on their person an annual statewide Wildlife Management Area User Permit. This permit is required in addition to completing the daily visitor use permit or by using the WMA Check-In App and any required license and may be purchased wherever licenses are sold.

2. BAG LIMIT: Same as statewide bag limits EXCEPT:

a. Rabbit - party limit of 6 rabbits per day.

b. Quail - party limit of 15 quail per day.

c. Deer - One (1) legal buck per day, not to exceed two (2) per year and on antlerless deer is one (1) per day, not to exceed three (3) per year. All harvested deer count towards statewide bag limits, unless otherwise stated.

3. DEER HUNTING PERMITS: Deer hunting will be allowed by special permit only. You may apply online at www.mdwfp.com. See application for hunt dates, application deadlines, and other information about permitted hunts. Hunters on the October permitted gun hunt must check in a doe that is 11/2 years or older to be issued a permit to harvest (1) legal buck. This buck permit will be valid for the duration of the permitted hunt and during the legal bucks only deer hunt (Dec. 12 - Dec. 18). Senior Gun hunt permits will be valid for (1) legal buck and (1) doe, with no doe harvest prerequisite.

4. DEER DATA COLLECTION: All deer harvested must be checked at a check station and recorded on WMA Daily Use Permit Card or WMA Check-In App by the hunter who harvested them before leaving the WMA. If WMA personnel are not available to check the deer, the hunter is responsible for collecting and legibly recording ALL biological data (weight, antler measurements, and jawbone). Instructions and equipment will be provided.

5. LEGAL BUCKS: Legal bucks are those with an inside spread of at least 12 inches OR one main beam length of at least 15 inches. For hunters 15 years of age or younger any antlered buck is a legal buck.

6. YOUTH TURKEY HUNTING PERMITS: Turkey hunting from Apr. 1 - Apr. 30 is allowed by special permit only. You may apply online at www.mdwfp.com. See application for hunt dates, application deadlines, and other information about permitted hunts.

7. DOG RESTRICTIONS: Deer hunting with dogs is prohibited. Small game hunting with dogs is allowed during any small game season. Hunting, running, or pursuing hogs with the use of dogs is prohibited.

8. LEGAL WEAPONS: Only centerfire rifles, shotguns with slugs, primitive weapons, and centerfire handguns may be used for deer hunting.

9. SPECIAL EVENTS:

a. Hunting dog field trials and other special events will be allowed by special use permit only. These permits may be obtained from the MDWFP, see Area Manager for additional information.

b. Special events will be restricted to the following dates: Oct. 24 - Nov. 15, Nov. 21 - 24, Dec. 4 - 8, Dec. 19 - 22, Jan. 3 - 12, Jan. 16 - 19, Jan. 31 - Feb. 7, Feb. 13 - 17, Mar. 6 - 9.

c. The WMA is closed to hunting during special event dates. Anyone participating in permitted special events must obey conduct rules as designated and posted by club or group permitted to hold event.

10. BIRD DOG TRAINING: During bird dog training dates, a person may not use area facilities more than 4 consecutive days.

11. DOVE HUNTING: A youth dove hunt will be held on a designated field on the statewide opening day from 2 p.m. - sunset. After the youth dove hunt, dove hunting will be allowed from 2 p.m. - sunset during the first season, except during scheduled deer gun hunts. After the first season, dove hunting is allowed during the statewide season dates, except during special event days. See SPECIAL EVENTS.

12. OFF-ROAD MOTORIZED VEHICLES/ATVs: ORVs/ATVs/Electric Bicycles are allowed for retrieval of harvested deer or hogs only. Additionally, electric bicycles may be ridden on marked foot-traffic trails only by users 65 years of age and older. They may not be ridden on any leveed roads or trails.

13. HORSES: During WMA deer and turkey seasons, horseback riding is restricted to roads open to motorized vehicles. Raccoon hunting from horses allowed on entire area during nighttime hours.

14. CAMPING: No camping allowed.

15. FISHING: Fishing is allowed on area ponds. Fishing is subject to special regulations posted at each pond.

Notes

40 Miss. Code. R. 2-1.29

Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-1-29, 49-4-4, and 49-5-13.

Updated April 2013.
Updated April 2014 Amended 7/5/2015 Updated April 2016 Amended 6/26/2016 Updated April 2017 Amended 6/24/2017 Updated April 2018 Amended 7/7/2018 Updated May 2019 Amended 6/28/2019 Updated August 2019 Amended 10/28/2019 Amended 6/17/2020 Amended 6/17/2021 Amended 6/27/2022 Amended 6/26/2023 Amended 7/25/2024