Archery deer season opens Thursday, October 15, on the two public tracts closest to Vancleave: Ward Bayou Wildlife Management Area and Pascagoula River WMA. Most of the state has been hunting since October 1. From the 15th through February 15, these woods follow a calendar that is close to the statewide Southeast chart passed around every fall, but it is not the same one.
Three details separate them from that chart. Ward Bayou's December dog season starts a day early, Big Slough marks where dogs can run on Pascagoula River, and the earliest river reading of the day at Graham Ferry can close both tracts. Together those details decide who is in the woods on a given Saturday, what they are allowed to carry, and whether the gate is open at all.
Two weeks behind the rest of Mississippi
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks splits the state into deer units. The Southeast Unit covers everything south of U.S. Highway 84 and east of Mississippi Highway 35. That puts the whole Coast, Jackson County included, in the Southeast Unit.
The Sun Herald's rundown of 2026 deer season dates lays the units side by side. In the Southeast Unit, regular archery runs October 15 to November 20. In the Delta, North Central and Hills units it runs October 1 to November 20. The closing date is the same everywhere, so the Coast simply gets a shorter archery window. The same article names Ward Bayou, Pascagoula and Chickasawhay as the local WMAs.
A three-day velvet archery season already ran September 11 to 13. It required a special permit, mandatory reporting and chronic wasting disease sampling. For most people in the woods around Vancleave, October 15 is the date that counts.
Where Ward Bayou breaks from the chart
Once archery opens, Ward Bayou and Pascagoula River move through the same sequence of seasons. For a few days in December, though, they are not in the same season. Each WMA publishes its own 2026–2027 brochure, and those brochures are the documents that govern the ground.
| Season | Statewide Southeast | Ward Bayou WMA | Pascagoula River WMA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Oct. 15 – Nov. 20 | Oct. 15 – Nov. 20 | Oct. 15 – Nov. 20 |
| Youth gun | Nov. 7 – 20 | Nov. 7 – 20 | Nov. 7 – 20 |
| Gun with dogs | Nov. 21 – Dec. 1 | Nov. 21 – Dec. 1 | Nov. 21 – Dec. 1 |
| Primitive weapon | Dec. 2 – 15 | Dec. 2 – 15 | Dec. 2 – 15 |
| Gun without dogs | Dec. 16 – 23 | Dec. 16 – 22 | Dec. 16 – 23 |
| Gun with dogs | Dec. 24 – Jan. 20 | Dec. 23 – Jan. 20 | Dec. 24 – Jan. 20 |
| Late primitive weapon | Jan. 21 – Feb. 15 | Jan. 21 – Feb. 15 | Jan. 21 – Feb. 15 |
At Ward Bayou, still-gun week ends Tuesday, December 22, and the second dog season starts Wednesday, December 23. On Pascagoula River and under the statewide chart, December 23 is still a no-dog day and the dogs go out on Christmas Eve. On December 23, dog hunting is open at Ward Bayou and closed on Pascagoula River, even though both are reached from Wade-Vancleave Road.
Starting with the November 21 dog season, both WMAs restrict harvest to legal bucks only, and that rule holds through February 15. On these WMAs a legal buck has an inside spread of at least 10 inches or one main beam of at least 13 inches. During archery and youth gun, antlerless deer are allowed, with a WMA-specific limit of one per day. Those deer count toward statewide limits. Hunters 15 and younger may take any antlered buck at Ward Bayou, except during the gun seasons with dogs, when the standard applies to them too.
The line at Big Slough
The dog seasons in that table don't cover the whole of either WMA. At Ward Bayou, deer and small game hunting with dogs is allowed everywhere except the posted Hunting Without Dogs Area. The area map covers 13,234 acres and marks the headquarters, permit station, hunting areas, roads, trails and the private land along the edges.
On the main Pascagoula River unit, the split follows a landmark. Deer hunting with dogs is limited to the George County portion and the Jackson County portion west of the Pascagoula River and south of Big Slough. The Jackson County ground east of the river and north of Big Slough is the no-dog deer area. From November 21 through January 20, that slough separates dog drives from still hunting.
Ward Bayou has one more rule about who can be where. Its brochure says adjacent land may be private, that crossing onto it can bring trespass charges, and that stands should face so no shot crosses a boundary line. The 2026 area map marks the private land along Ward Bayou's edges.
A reading at Graham Ferry can close the day
The season dates only count if the river allows it. Both brochures tie closures to the Pascagoula River gauges, and "the earliest daily reading will determine WMA closure for the entire day."
- 12.0 feet at Graham Ferry. Ward Bayou Road closes from the double gates eastward. On Pascagoula River, Deep Slough and Graham Lake roads in Jackson County close.
- 15.0 feet at Graham Ferry. Hunting closes on both WMAs, except waterfowl.
- 18.0 feet at Merrill. Pascagoula River closes to hunting other than waterfowl, even if Graham Ferry is still below 15 feet.
The roads don't reopen automatically when the water drops. MDWFP reopens them "when conditions are suitable for vehicle use that will minimize road damage." River stages are posted at mdwfp.com/wma and by phone at 228-769-6508. Water can close Ward Bayou Road while hunting stays open, because the 12-foot road closure comes before the 15-foot hunting closure.
Everyone else in the woods
Ward Bayou and Pascagoula River are not hunting-only land, and the rules for everyone else carry the same dates.
- Everyone checks in. All visitors must check in before using a WMA and check out when they leave, using the MDWFP WMA Check-In Application or a daily visitor use card. An annual statewide WMA User Permit is required unless the visitor is exempt from buying an annual hunting or fishing license.
- The trails are shared. Ward Bayou's designated nature trails are open from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Both brochures warn that public-use trails may be on the area alongside hunters and tell users to make others aware of their presence.
- Orange is a hunter rule. During any firearm deer season, deer and hog hunters must wear 500 square inches of solid fluorescent orange or pink. During youth deer hunts, every deer hunter on the area must wear it, including while walking to and from a stand. Hunters in stands 12 feet or higher, or in fully enclosed blinds, are exempt. The brochures don't require it of hikers or paddlers. With youth gun running November 7 to 20, wearing it anyway is a reasonable choice.
- Bears may be present. Ward Bayou's brochure notes that black bears may be on the WMA, protected as a state Endangered species. Sightings can be reported on the daily visitor use card.
- Kirkwood Road is open again. Ward Bayou's Kirkwood Road gate closes to vehicles June 1 through October 1, so that seasonal closure has ended for the year.
- Small game is already open. Squirrel season on Ward Bayou runs October 1 through February 28, and rabbit opens October 17.
The tightest rules are on Pascagoula River's Land Between the Creeks unit, where deer hunting is by special permit only. During permitted deer hunts, only drawn hunters and authorized accompanying adults may be on the area, and watercraft access is prohibited. Two landings stay open to boats for non-hunting use: Carter Landing on Black Creek and Holly Landing on Red Creek. The 2026 draw schedule fills most of the fall:
- Archery: October 15–18 and October 22–25
- Youth: October 29–November 1, November 5–8, November 12–15, November 19–22, November 26–29, December 17–20 and December 24–27
- Gun: December 3–6, December 10–13, January 14–17 and January 21–24
The draw application window closed August 15, so those dates are already set. A paddler planning a Black Creek or Red Creek trip this fall can check that list for the weekends when the rest of the unit is closed to boats.
To get to Ward Bayou's headquarters from Moss Point, take Highway 63 north to Wade-Vancleave Road, turn left, continue to the four-way stop, turn left again and follow the signs. The headquarters number is (228) 826-1012. Pascagoula River's lower headquarters is also reached from Wade-Vancleave Road near Highway 63. Deer taken on Ward Bayou must be checked at the area headquarters before leaving.
If you own acreage near Ward Bayou or the Pascagoula River and wonder what it's worth today, The Worth It Group can put a clear number on it. Request a Free Home Valuation, and we'll walk you through what buyers looking for land near the WMAs are paying right now.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
