Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 40 - Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks › Part 2 - Wildlife › Chapter 1 - Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) › Rule 40-2-1.7 - CANAL SECTION WMA AND JOHN BELL WILLIAMS WMA REGULATIONS

Current through June 25, 2024
A.
				Regulations for Canal Section and John Bell Williams WMAs - Itawamba, Monroe,
				Prentiss, and Tishomingo Counties.
SPECIES
SEASON
COMMENTS
DEER
For deer hunting regulations see CLOSED AREAS,
								LEGAL BUCKS, DOG RESTRICTIONS, DEER DATA COLLECTION, YOUTH/HANDICAP DEER
								HUNTING, ARCHERY ONLY AREA, and LEGAL WEAPONS in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
Archery
October 1 through the Friday prior to
								Thanksgiving.
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Youth Deer
Saturday two weeks prior to opening day of Gun
								season through the Friday prior to Thanksgiving.
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Gun
Saturday prior to Thanksgiving through Dec.
								1
Legal Bucks only.
Primitive Weapon
Dec. 2 - 15
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Gun
Dec. 16 - 23
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
Gun
Dec. 24 - until 47 days of regular gun hunting for
								entire deer season.
Legal Bucks only.
Primitive Weapon
Day after the final day of Gun season - Jan.
								31
Antlerless deer and legal bucks.
YOUTH TURKEY
March 8 - 14
See ACKER LAKE TURKEY HUNTING
TURKEY-PERMIT ONLY
TURKEY
March 15 - March 31.
April 1 - May 1
See TURKEY HUNTING PERMITS in SPECIAL
								INSTRUCTIONS.
YOUTH SQUIRREL
Sept. 24 - 30
SQUIRREL
Oct. 1 - Feb. 28 May 15 - June 1
RABBIT
Saturday nearest Oct. 15 - Feb. 28
RACCOON
July 1 - Sep. 30
Friday and Saturday nights only.
RACCOON, OPPOSUM, BOBCAT
Oct. 1 - Feb. 28
TRAPPING
Nov. 1 - Feb. 28
WATERFOWL
Same as statewide seasons.
See WATERFOWL in SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.
YOUTH WATERFOWL
Open concurrent with the statewide Youth Waterfowl
								Season.
Whenever the opening date set above falls on a Sunday, the
				  season shall begin on the preceding Saturday.
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 using the WMA Check-In App and any required
				license.
2. CLOSED AREAS:
a. No deer or hog hunting from the Tenn-Tom
				Waterway Levee.
b. No loaded
				centerfire rifles or primitive weapons allowed on the Tenn-Tom Waterway
				levee.
c. Hunters must be past the
				toe of the levee before loaded weapons for deer hunting are allowed.
3. HIGH WATER: All hunting seasons
				(excluding waterfowl season) are closed for 24 hours from south of Walker's
				Levee boat ramp road to north of Ironwood Bluff Road on the WMA when the 5 a.m.
				Tombigbee River gauge at Fulton reads 16.0 ft or higher. Also, hunting seasons
				(excluding waterfowl season) are closed for 24 hours for all areas of the WMA
				lying north of HWY 278, south of HWY 6, west of the Tombigbee River and east of
				Town Creek when the 5 a.m. Tombigbee River gauge at Bigbee reads 17.0 ft. or
				higher. River gauge readings may be obtained from
www.mdwfp.com/wma
.
4. ARCHERY ONLY AREAS: Archery only deer
				hunting areas include the portions of the WMA between the Tenn-Tom Waterway and
				the waterway levee from AB3 Waterfowl Impoundment south to Hwy. 45/25 at
				Aberdeen and between the Tombigbee River and the Tenn-Tom Waterway from Hwy. 6
				south to the intersection of the old Tombigbee River and the Tenn-Tom
				Waterway.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7.
				DEER DATA COLLECTION: All deer harvested must be checked at a check station and
				recorded on WMA Daily Visitor 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.
8. DOG RESTRICTIONS:
a. Deer hunting with dogs is
				prohibited.
b. Small game hunting
				with dogs is allowed during any small game season.
9. YOUTH/HANDICAP DEER HUNTING:
a. Only youth and handicapped hunters are
				allowed to deer hunt on the Acker Lake Tract.
b. Only youth and handicap hunters will be
				allowed ATV access on the Acker Lake Handicap Hunting Area each day of the deer
				seasons. Only handicapped hunters will be allowed vehicular access is only
				allowed on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays during the gun and primitive weapon
				seasons.
c. All handicap hunters
				must pre-register by contacting the Jackson Office (601-432-2199).
10. ACKER LAKE TURKEY HUNTING:
a. Only youth and handicapped hunters will be
				allowed to turkey hunt this area on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.
b. Only handicapped hunters will be allowed
				ATV and vehicular access on those days and youth hunters will be allowed ATV
				access.
c. On Wednesday through
				Saturday of each week, all hunters are allowed to hunt.
d. All handicap hunters must pre-register by
				contacting the Jackson Office (601-432-2199).
11. TURKEY HUNTING PERMITS: Turkey hunting
				from March 15 - 31 is allowed by special permit only on Canal Section and John
				Bell Williams. You may apply online at
www.mdwfp.com
. See application for hunt dates,
				application deadlines, and other information about permitted hunts.
12. LEGAL WEAPONS: Only centerfire rifles,
				shotguns with slugs, primitive weapons, and centerfire handguns may be used for
				deer hunting. The AB3 Waterfowl Impoundment and Matubby Creek Island are closed
				to all firearms. EXCEPTION: Only archery equipment is allowed for deer hunting
				in the ARCHERY ONLY DEER HUNTING AREA.
13. WATERFOWL: The WMA may be hunted each day
				from one-half hour before sunrise until 12 p.m. All decoys, boats, and blinds
				must be removed from the hunting area by 1 p.m. each day.
14. OFF-ROAD MOTORIZED
				VEHICLES/ATVs/WATERCRAFT: ORVs/ATVs/Electric Bicycles are not allowed on Canal
				Section WMA. ORVs/ATVs are allowed on John Bell Williams WMA only for the
				retrieval of harvested deer or hogs. Watercraft left unattended must be
				registered or have the owner's name and phone number permanently and legibly
				written and attached to the hull. Watercraft not in compliance with these
				regulations or if left unattended more than 30 days may be confiscated and
				disposed of by MDWFP.
15. HORSES:
				Horseback riding is prohibited during WMA deer and turkey seasons. At all other
				times, horseback riding is restricted to hard surface roads. No hunting from
				horses allowed on Canal Section or John Bell Williams WMAs.
16. CAMPING: No camping allowed.