Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 seasons and map
Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA is 11,308 acres of public hunting land in Lawrence County, AGFC's WMA zone 580. Hunters checked 39 deer on it in the 2024-25 season, 20 antlered bucks among them (AGFC's deer check records). AGFC's 2026-27 dates for the area: Deer Archery, Aug. 29-31 (one antlered buck only); Sept. 26-Feb. 28.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons and area rules: AGFC's page for the area. Harvest: AGFC's deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25.
Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMAOther AGFC WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 11,308 acres (AGFC) |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| AGFC WMA zone | 580 |
| Deer zone around it | Zone 3, Zone 4 |
| Area rules | Mobility-Impaired Access, Flood Prone Region, Waterfowl Season Access Restrictions, 12-Inch Inside Spread or 15-Inch Main Beam Rule and Valid Hunting or Fishing License or a WMA/Lake Conservation Permit is Required for All Users |
| Deer checked, 2024-25 | 39 (20 antlered bucks, 1 button buck, 18 does) |
| Phone | 833-200-5199 |
| Nearest towns | Lynn (next to it), Powhatan (next to it) and Black Rock (3 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA?
AGFC sets each WMA's own dates and limits. These are its big game seasons for the area.
2026-27 Closed Seasons
- Bear
- Quail
- Alligator
2026-27 Deer
- Deer Archery: Aug. 29-31 (one antlered buck only); Sept. 26-Feb. 28.
- Deer Alternative Firearms (permit required): Oct. 17-21.
- Deer Modern Gun (permit required): Nov. 14-18.
- Deer Modern Gun Youth Hunts: Nov. 7-8 and Jan. 2-3.
- WMA Deer Bag Limit: Three deer, no more than two antlered bucks (12/15 Rule applies), which may include:
- Two antlered bucks with archery,
- Three antlerless deer with archery,
- One antlered buck and one antlerless deer combined with alternative firearms permit or modern gun permit hunts,
- During youth hunt, youths may take one antlered buck (no antler restrictions) and one antlerless deer.
- Deer Notes:
- A legal buck must have an inside spread of 12 inches or more in width or at least one main beam 15 inches or more in length.
- Button bucks must be checked as a button buck, but they count toward a hunter’s antlerless bag limit.
- Please indicate Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA when tagging and checking a deer.
- No dogs allowed Nov. 14-18.
2027 Turkey
- Youth Hunt (permit required): April 10-11. One legal turkey.
- Firearms Hunt (permit required): April 19-21, April 24-26, May 1-3 and May 7-9. One legal turkey.
Other seasons AGFC lists for the area: crow, dove, rabbit, squirrel and waterfowl. Their dates are on AGFC's page.
Source: AGFC, Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA, read October 2026. AGFC's page and its regulations are the final word.
How many deer are taken on Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA?
Hunters checked 39 deer on Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA in the 2024-25 season. Over the 3 seasons in AGFC's records, the area averaged 43 deer a season.
| Season | Deer checked | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 39 | 20 | 1 | 18 |
| 2023-24 | 39 | 19 | 1 | 19 |
| 2022-23 | 50 | 21 | 6 | 23 |
Source: AGFC deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25, counted by FilledTag from the records AGFC files under this WMA.
What should you know before hunting Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA?
Location
This 10,711 acres WMA is located southwest of Walnut Ridge on Highway 25 west, approximately 20 miles from Walnut Ridge.
Area Notes
Free georeferenced maps are available for this WMA and others at https://apps.agfc.com/maps/. These maps are frequently updated and include features such as parking, types of road and land boundaries.
Moist-soil units and waterfowl rest areas closed to access Nov. 1-Feb. 15, except for Deer Modern Gun Permit and Youth Hunts.
Camping
Camping is permitted in designated areas only. Many primitive campsites are on both sides of the area. Mosquitoes and biting flies are a major nuisance to campers during warm weather. Large numbers of campers occupy the campsites every fall at the beginning of squirrel season. Campers enjoy the combination of squirrel hunting and fishing in the area lakes or in Black River
Description
The area consists of 11,308 acres and is divided by the Black River. Approximately 3,000 is on the east side of the Black River adjacent to an oxbow named Shirey Bay, near the community of Portia, in Lawrence County. The remaining 7,000-plus acres are directly across Black River to the west near the community of Lynn in Lawrence County. The western edge of the WMA is in the Ozark Foothills region, but most of the acreage is bottomland hardwood forest. More than 1,000 acres of old field systems add an open land component. These are maintained by a combination of prescribed fire, mechanical vegetation control and specialized farming and moist soil management. Over half the area is subject to overflow by the Black River with at least one flood event per year on the average.
Ownership
AGFC
Age
The area was purchased beginning in the early 1950s and continuing through the 1970s.
From AGFC's page for the area.
Which county is Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | County deer, 2024-25 | Rank of 75 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 11,346 | 1,412 | 61st |
Acres measured by FilledTag on AGFC WMA boundaries and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County harvest: AGFC deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25.
How do you get to Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: AR 25, AR 361, AR 117 and US 412. Nearest towns: Lynn (next to it), Powhatan (next to it), Black Rock (3 miles) and Portia (3 miles).
The closest other WMAs with a page here: Harold E. Alexander Spring River WMA (15.9 miles), Dave Donaldson Black River WMA (17.6 miles), Earl Buss Bayou DeView WMA (18.5 miles) and Frierson WMA (22.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA in 2026-27?
AGFC's dates for Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA: Deer Archery, Aug. 29-31 (one antlered buck only); Sept. 26-Feb. 28. Deer Alternative Firearms (permit required), Oct. 17-21. Deer Modern Gun (permit required), Nov. 14-18. Deer Modern Gun Youth Hunts, Nov. 7-8 and Jan. 2-3.
How many deer can you take on Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA?
Three deer, no more than two antlered bucks (12/15 Rule applies), which may include: two antlered bucks with archery, three antlerless deer with archery, one antlered buck and one antlerless deer combined with alternative firearms permit or modern gun permit hunts, during youth hunt, youths may take one antlered buck (no antler restrictions) and one antlerless deer, deer Notes:, a legal buck must have an inside spread of 12 inches or more in width or at least one main beam 15 inches or more in length, button bucks must be checked as a button buck, but they count toward a hunter’s antlerless bag limit, please indicate Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA when tagging and checking a deer and no dogs allowed Nov. 14-18. (AGFC's 2026-27 rules for the area).
How many deer were killed on Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA last season?
Hunters checked 39 deer on Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA in the 2024-25 season: 20 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 18 does, by AGFC's deer check records. The 3-season average is 43.
What county is Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA in?
All of it is in Lawrence County, by AGFC's boundary.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons, limits, size and area notes: AGFC's page for each WMA (AGFC Wildlife Management Areas).
- Deer harvest on the area and by county: AGFC deer check records, 2022-23 to 2024-25.
- Boundary: AGFC WMA boundaries. Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. Refuges: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Numbers are copied from AGFC or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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