VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District will host its annual archery hunt at Arkabutla Lake for the 2020-2021 deer hunting season.
Four separate hunts will take place throughout the event with each lasting a total of two days including, Oct. 16-17, Oct. 18-19, Oct. 23-24 and Oct. 25-26.
Registration is now open, and applications can be found at www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Arkabutla-Lake. Hunters must submit their applications by 3 p.m. on Sept. 29 by emailing Sawyer Hunt at sawyer.l.hunt@usace.army.mil or mailing them to Arkabutla Lake Field Office, Attn: Sawyer Hunt, 3905 Arkabutla Dam Road, Coldwater, MS 38618. No in-person applications will be accepted. Hunters will be selected through a random drawing on Sept. 30 and notified by email, mail or phone. Successful applicants will be able to scout the hunting area prior to the event.
Hunters will have the option to use crossbows, compound bows, as well as traditional archery equipment. The hunt will take place in the natural area below Arkabutla Dam. All participants will receive a packet of all rules and regulations, as well as a detailed map of the hunting area.
The goal of the hunt is to reduce the doe population in order to minimize habitat degradation and gather data pertaining to the deer herd.
For questions about the event, contact Hunt at 662-301-4520.
Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada lakes, the four Mississippi flood control reservoirs in the Vicksburg District’s area of responsibility, were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936, which provided a plan designed to address flooding that originated in the Yazoo Basin. The four reservoirs are used to hold runoff, or excess rainwater, as a flood-prevention measure. With approximately 3.2 million visitors each year, the north Mississippi lakes also contribute approximately $82 million into the local economy.
The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds seven major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The district is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.