Mississippi · Public Land · 2026 Edition
Mississippi Public Hunting Land 2026: WMAs & Access Rules
2 wildlife management areas tracked here, from 10,000 to 58,480 acres. A hunting license covers you on Mississippi WMA land the same as anywhere else in the state — but read the access rules below before you assume that's all you need.
01 — Wildlife management areas
| Area | County | Acres | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower Wildlife Management Area | Sharkey | 58,480 | Waterfowl, Deer, Small game |
| Malmaison Wildlife Management Area | Leflore, Grenada, Carroll | 10,000 | Waterfowl, Deer |
Sunflower is the biggest WMA in Mississippi at nearly 58,500 acres of Delta wetland near Rolling Fork, and unlike many of the state's better duck spots it isn't a draw area — walk-in, freelance waterfowl hunting is genuinely available here. Malmaison, west of Grenada across three counties, is smaller at around 10,000 acres but built almost entirely around duck habitat, with a reputation for near-unlimited daily limits in a good year and some solid deer hunting on the side. This list is a starting point, not MDWFP's full inventory of more than 50 wildlife management areas statewide.
02 — Access rules beyond your hunting license
A WMA User Permit (annual, individual or family) is required on every Mississippi WMA that isn't on U.S. Forest Service land — a separate purchase from the hunting license, and both are needed together ("license stacking") to actually hunt. WMAs sitting on USFS land only need the regular hunting license, no separate WMA permit. Draw-hunt applications run on their own calendar: deer by July 31, early teal by Aug. 15, waterfowl by Oct. 15, turkey by Jan. 31.
03 — Where to go next
Verified · Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks · Last verified 2026-08-08
Publisher's note. WMA list and access rules read from MDWFP, retrieved 2026-08-08. Review due 2027-08-01. This is a starting list, not the agency's full WMA inventory — confirm current rules for a specific area before you hunt it.