Delta WMA

The Delta National Forest is located in West-central Mississippi near Vicksburg, and it’s an area popular with many hunters.

Mark Morrison and Jeffrey Wood are no exceptions.

Both men bring decades of squirrel-hunting experience to the table, and both have camps in the forest. And not surprisingly, there are many reasons why they enjoy Delta so much.

For starters, the national forest measures a whopping 60,898 acres. It was established in 1961 and according to the Great Outdoor Recreation Pages Web site (GORP.com), Delta National Forest “enjoys the distinction of being the only bottomland hardwood forest in the national system.”

The Delta is set within a floodplain of the Mississippi River, which means that unless there is a drought parts of the forest are subject to annual floods. That, along with its position smack in the middle of the Mississippi River Flyway, makes the forest perfect for waterfowl.

But it’s the combination of flooded and dry forest, as well as wetlands, that make Delta an ideal spot for many different animals, among them deer, turkey, squirrel, and yes, snakes.

There are approximately two dozen ATV trails in the forest that can be used to access prime hunting grounds. GORP reports there are five reservoirs on the property that cover more than 6,400 acres, and all are “maintained by large pumps pulling from the Big and Little Sunflower Rivers,” which makes the area prime for duck hunting, but equally productive for game hunters awaiting “squirrel, deer, rabbit, turkey, feral hog and coyote, in season.”

In addition, the Green Ash, Overcup Oak and Sweetgum research natural areas offer especially pristine areas of bottomland hardwood forest. The areas were declared National Natural Landmarks in 1976 and protect large swaths of old-growth trees from timbering.

For complete information on Delta National Forest, call the Office of National Forests of Mississippi at 601-965-4391 or try the Delta National Forest office at 601-873-6256. You also can go online to http://www.fs.usda.gov/mississippi.