Sharkey County, Mississippi · 58,480 acres
Sunflower Wildlife Management Area Hunting 2026: Species & Access
Sunflower Wildlife Management Area covers 58,480 acres near Rolling Fork in Sharkey County. Bottomland hardwood inside the Delta National Forest, established in 1955 about 10 miles east of Rolling Fork — the largest WMA in Mississippi, and unlike most of the state's other prime duck ground, not a draw-only area.
01 — What you can hunt here
| Species | Notes |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | The main reason Sunflower carries its reputation — genuinely freelance, walk-in duck hunting on Mississippi's biggest WMA, no draw required. |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, primitive weapon and modern gun all open under statewide MDWFP rules. |
| Wild turkey | Requires its own permit, separate from the general hunting license. |
| Squirrel | Oct. 1–Feb. 28 season. |
| Rabbit, raccoon and quail | All present and huntable under general Delta National Forest rules. |
02 — Access rules specific to this WMA
- Sunflower sits on U.S. Forest Service land, so a standard Mississippi hunting license covers hunting here without the separate WMA User Permit most non-USFS Mississippi WMAs require.
- An Annual Public Use Permit applies to ORV/ATV operation on the property — a National Forest requirement, not specific to hunting itself.
- Turkey hunting needs its own permit on top of the license, unlike deer, squirrel or waterfowl.
04 — Facilities
Camping: Available within the Delta National Forest. No shooting range on-site.
Managed jointly by MDWFP and the U.S. Forest Service as part of Delta National Forest — expect National Forest-style infrastructure (forest roads, dispersed camping) rather than a purpose-built WMA visitor setup.
05 — Where to go next
Sunflower's real distinction among Mississippi's best duck WMAs is what it doesn't require: no draw, no quota permit for waterfowl, just walk in and hunt — a rarity among the state's premier public duck ground. Being U.S. Forest Service land rather than MDWFP-owned also changes the permit math: skip the WMA User Permit that most Mississippi WMAs require, but budget for the Annual Public Use Permit if you're running an ATV, and a separate turkey permit if that's the target.
Mississippi hunting license costs and permits →
Verified · Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks · Last verified 2026-08-09
Publisher's note. Read from MDWFP, retrieved 2026-08-09. Review due 2027-08-01. WMA-specific rules and closures can change between seasons — confirm before you hunt.