O'Keefe WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and deer harvest
O'Keefe WMA is 5,648 acres of public hunting land in Quitman and Tallahatchie counties, run by MDWFP. Hunters checked 37 deer on it in the 2025-26 season (17 bucks, 20 does), by MDWFP's DMAP report; over 10 seasons the area averaged 44 a season. Its 2026-27 brochure sets 4 kinds of deer hunt: archery, youth deer, primitive weapon and gun, with archery Oct. 1 to Nov. 20.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons and rules: MDWFP's 2026-27 WMA brochure. Harvest: MDWFP's DMAP report for the area, to 2025-26.
O'Keefe WMAOther MDWFP WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 5,648 acres (MDWFP's DMAP report) |
|---|---|
| County | Quitman County, Tallahatchie County |
| Deer hunts | Archery, Youth Deer, Primitive Weapon and Gun |
| Archery deer | Oct. 1 to Nov. 20 |
| Draw permit for deer | No draw listed; WMA user permit and check-in required |
| Turkey | Season closed or by permit only |
| Deer checked, 2025-26 | 37 (17 bucks, 20 does) |
| Headquarters GPS | 34.116293, -90.27313 |
| Nearest towns | Lambert (3 mi), Marks (7 mi) and Crowder (7 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on O'Keefe WMA?
| Deer hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Legal deer and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | Oct. 1 to Nov. 20 | Antlerless deer and legal bucks. |
| Youth Deer | Nov. 7 to Nov. 20 | Antlerless deer and legal bucks. |
| Primitive Weapon | Nov. 21 to Dec. 15 | Antlerless deer and legal bucks. |
| Gun | Dec. 16 to Dec. 31 | Legal bucks. |
| Primitive Weapon | Jan. 1 to Jan. 31 | Antlerless deer and legal bucks. |
Turkey: season closed on the area in 2026-27.
Small game and other seasons: Youth squirrel Sept. 24 to Sept. 30; Squirrel Oct. 1 to Feb. 28, May 15 to June 1; Rabbit Oct. 17 to Feb. 28; Raccoon July 1 to Sept. 30 (Friday and Saturday nights); Raccoon, opossum Oct. 1 to Feb. 28; Trapping Nov. 1 to Feb. 28.
Source: MDWFP, O’Keefe Wildlife Management Area 2026-27 regulations.
How many deer are taken on O'Keefe WMA?
Hunters checked 37 deer on O'Keefe WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 10 seasons in MDWFP's report the area averaged 44 deer a season.
| Season | Deer checked | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 37 | 17 | 20 |
| 2024-25 | 43 | 20 | 23 |
| 2023-24 | 71 | 27 | 44 |
| 2022-23 | 44 | 17 | 27 |
| 2021-22 | 32 | 13 | 19 |
| 2020-21 | 31 | 25 | 6 |
| 2019-20 | 40 | 25 | 15 |
| 2018-19 | 59 | 25 | 34 |
| 2017-18 | 61 | 25 | 36 |
| 2016-17 | 26 | 17 | 9 |
Source: MDWFP DMAP report, O'Keefe WMA, harvest history table.
What rules apply on O'Keefe WMA?
- Legal bucks: Legal bucks are those with an inside spread of at least 16 inches OR one main beam length of at least 20 inches. For hunters 15 years of age or younger any antlered buck is a legal buck.
- Bag limits: Same as statewide bag limits, except the bag limit on antlerless deer is one (1) per day. All harvest deer count towards statewide bag limits, unless otherwise stated.
- Checking deer: All deer harvested must be checked at the WMA headquarters and recorded on WMA Daily Use Permit Card or WMA Check-In App by the hunter who harvested them before leaving the WMA. If WMA personnel are not available to check the deer, the hunter is responsible for collecting and legibly recording ALL biological data (how much the deer weighs, antler measurements and jawbone). Instructions and equipment will be provided. All heads from antlerless deer harvested on O’Keefe WMA must be deposited in the O’Keefe WMA CWD collection freezer.
- Dogs: Deer hunting with dogs is prohibited. Small game hunting with dogs is allowed during any small game season. Hunting, running, or pursuing hogs with the use of dogs is prohibited.
- Legal weapons for deer: Only centerfire rifles, shotguns with slugs, primitive weapons, and centerfire handguns may be used for deer hunting.
- Closed area: 1) The portion of the WMA in Tallahatchie County.
- ATVs and off-road vehicles: ORVs/ATVs/Electric bicycles are allowed on designated roads or trails for hunting and fishing access only. Off-road use of ORVs/ATVs is allowed for retrieval of harvested deer or hogs. Additionally, electric bicycles may be ridden on marked foot-traffic trails only by users 65 years of age and older. They may not be ridden on any leveed roads or trails.
- Camping: No camping allowed.
- Horses: Horseback riding is prohibited during WMA deer and turkey seasons. At all other times, horseback riding is restricted to roads open to motorized vehicles and designated ATV trails. Squirrel hunting from horses is allowed in February on entire area. Raccoon hunting from horses is allowed during nighttime hours.
From MDWFP's 2026-27 brochure for the area. The brochure and 40 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2 are the final word.
How do you get to O'Keefe WMA?
From Batesville, take Hwy 6 West to Hwy 3 at Marks. Go south on Hwy 3 to Hwy 322 at Lambert. Travel East on HWY 322 to 6th Street. Turn south on 6th Street and go approximately 7 miles. Turn left at the Headquarters Building sign and go approximately 1/4 mile. The WMA headquarters is on the right. MDWFP gives the headquarters at 34.116293, -90.27313.
Highways within 5 miles: MS 3, MS 322 and MS 321. Nearest towns: Lambert (3 miles), Marks (7 miles), Crowder (7 miles) and Sumner (10 miles).
The closest other Mississippi WMAs with a page here: George P. Cossar State Park WMA (19.8 miles), Charles Ray Nix WMA (20.4 miles), Malmaison WMA (22.5 miles) and Alligator WMA (23.3 miles).
Directions and headquarters GPS: MDWFP's brochure. Highways and towns measured by FilledTag on U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads and U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer.
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on O'Keefe WMA in 2026-27?
MDWFP's 2026-27 brochure for O'Keefe WMA lists these deer hunts: Archery, Oct. 1 to Nov. 20; Youth Deer, Nov. 7 to Nov. 20; Primitive Weapon, Nov. 21 to Dec. 15; Gun, Dec. 16 to Dec. 31; Primitive Weapon, Jan. 1 to Jan. 31.
What is a legal buck on O'Keefe WMA?
Legal bucks are those with an inside spread of at least 16 inches OR one main beam length of at least 20 inches. For hunters 15 years of age or younger any antlered buck is a legal buck.
How many deer were killed on O'Keefe WMA last season?
Hunters checked 37 deer on O'Keefe WMA in the 2025-26 season: 17 bucks and 20 does, by MDWFP's DMAP report. The 10-season average is 44.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on O'Keefe WMA?
No. MDWFP's brochure says deer hunting with dogs is prohibited on O'Keefe WMA. Its dog rules: Small game hunting with dogs is allowed during any small game season. Hunting, running, or pursuing hogs with the use of dogs is prohibited.
What county is O'Keefe WMA in?
Quitman County (6,606 acres) and Tallahatchie County (165 acres), measured on MDWFP's boundary map. Those county figures come from the boundary map, which measures 6,771 acres in all; MDWFP's DMAP report gives the area as 5,648 acres.
Get a Mississippi hunt plan when they open
Mississippi plans are not open yet. They are coming soon. Join the waiting list; the first 50 hunters get one plan free.
Use the map while you wait for your plan.
What you need to hunt a Mississippi WMA
Unless exempt from buying a license, everyone hunting, fishing or trapping on a WMA must carry an annual statewide Wildlife Management Area User Permit, on top of the right license, and must check in and out with the Daily Visitor Use Permit card or the MDWFP WMA Check-In app. Hunters must wear 500 square inches of fluorescent orange or pink during any firearm season for deer. Full rules: MDWFP WMA rules (40 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2).
Where these numbers come from
- Seasons, rules, directions: MDWFP's 2026-27 brochure for each WMA (MDWFP Wildlife Management Areas).
- Deer harvest and DMAP acres: MDWFP Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) reports.
- Boundary: MDWFP WMA property 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. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service land ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Numbers are copied from MDWFP or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Mississippi hunting All Mississippi WMAs George P. Cossar State Park WMA Charles Ray Nix WMA