VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District will hold a youth squirrel hunt at Arkabutla Lake.
The hunt will take place January 15 to 16 and January 22 to 23 in the management area near Arkabutla Lake Dam.
A total of 12 hunters, six per hunt, will be selected from all applications received prior to the date of the drawing. Applications must be received by 3 p.m. December 13, 2021.
The hunt will only be open to youth 10 to 15 years old. All hunters must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older. All participants will be responsible for meeting all age-appropriate state and federal small game hunting regulations. Only shotguns will be permitted.
The accompanying adult is encouraged to possess a general knowledge of state and federal small game hunting regulations. The accompanying adult and youth are also encouraged to bring all necessary materials associated with squirrel hunting, such as calls, shotguns and adequate ammunition.
Selected applicants will be notified of their appropriate time and hunting date. Applications with missing or false information will be rejected.
Applications can be mailed to or completed at the Arkabutla Lake Field Office at 3905 Arkabutla Dam Road Coldwater, MS 38618. Applications can also be emailed Ranger Cody Scruggs at shaun.c.scruggs@usace.army.mil.
For additional information, contact Scruggs at the Arkabutla Lake Field Office at 662-562-6261.
The purpose of the hunt is to provide an opportunity for experienced small game hunters to educate younger generations of hunters about the sport’s proper techniques and ethics.
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 nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.