40 Miss. Code. R. 2-1.41 - [Effective until 6/30/2025] WILLIAM C. (BILLY) DEVINEY WMA REGULATIONS

A. Regulations for William C. (Billy) Deviney Wildlife Management Area in Sunflower County.

SPECIES	SEASON	COMMENTS
WATERFOWL - Permit Only	See WATERFOWL HUNTING PERMITS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
YOUTH/VETERAN/ACTIVE MILITARY WATERFOWL	Open concurrent with statewide season.
SEPTEMBER TEAL	Open concurrent with statewide season	May hunt teal on any available open water, including the waterfowl sanctuary.
GEESE: Canada, white-fronted, Snow, Blue, Ross', and Brant	Open daily during statewide goose seasons through the Friday after Thanksgiving.
DOVE	See DOVE HUNTING in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
OTHER MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS	See OTHER MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
POST SEASON LIGHT GOOSE CONSERVATION ORDER	Open after waterfowl season.	See Federal Regulations
TRAPPING	Feb. 1 -28
NO OTHER SEASON shall be open and no other animals shall be hunted or disturbed.
LYONS TRACT
Deer		For deer hunting regulations see BAG LIMITS, DEER DATA COLLECTION, LEGAL BUCKS, and DOG RESTRICTIONS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
Archery	Oct. 1 - Jan. 15	Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Small Game, Woodcock, and Snipe	Jan. 16 - End of statewide season.

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 LIMITS: Same as statewide bag limits, except the bag limit on antlerless deer is one (1) per day. All harvested deer count towards statewide bag limits, unless otherwise stated.

3. DEER DATA COLLECTION: All deer harvested must be checked at the self-service data collection 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.

4. 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

5. LEGAL SHOT: Only non-toxic shot may be used for hunting waterfowl on this area.

6. WATERFOWL HUNTING PERMITS: All waterfowl hunts, except for the youth/veteran/active military hunts, are draw hunts 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:

a. Retrievers are allowed during migratory game bird hunts.

b. Hunting, running, or pursuing hogs and/or deer with the use of dogs is prohibited.

c. Small game hunting with dogs is allowed on the Lyon Tracts Only.

6. OFF-ROAD MOTORIZED VEHICLES/ATVs: ORVs/ATVs/Electric Bicycles are allowed on designated roads or trails for hunting access only. No vehicles allowed on impoundment levees. Off-road use of ORV/ATV/Electric Bicycles is allowed for retrieval of harvested deer or hogs. 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.

7. HORSES: No horses allowed.

8. CAMPING: No camping allowed.

9. SHOOTING HOURS: Shooting hours for waterfowl end at 12 p.m. Waterfowl hunters must check-out by 1 p.m., except during the waterfowl youth hunt which shall run concurrent with the statewide waterfowl youth hunt.

10. BEARS: Black bears may occur on this WMA. Hunting or disturbing bears is prohibited. Please report any bear sightings on your daily visitor use permit.

11. NON-HUNTING USE OF THE AREA: During Waterfowl seasons, non-hunting use of the area is allowed by foot traffic only on Sundays and Tuesdays from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m.

12. DOVE HUNTING: The opening day dove hunt will be a permit only hunt on the designated field beginning at 2:00pm. Hunters must show up to the dove field parking area by 12:00pm to check in. Non-permitted hunters may come to the dove field parking area by 12:00pm and enter a random drawing for any openings created by permitted hunters not showing up. No entry prior to 1:00 p.m. on opening day. Following the opening day hunt, dove hunting will be allowed daily from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset, first season only.

Notes

40 Miss. Code. R. 2-1.41

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

Updated April 2014 Amended 7/5/2015 Updated April 2015 Amended 6/26/2016 Updated April 2017 Amended 6/24/2017 Updated April 2018 Amended 7/7/2018 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