National Wildlife Refuge · Mississippi · FWS Region 4

Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge Hunting & Fishing Guide 2026–27

Located in Jackson County, Mississippi, Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with about 10,350 acres of land owned in fee by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its lands extend into Alabama. For the 2026–2027 season the refuge has 3 mapped hunt units: 2 open with special regulations and 1 closed, covering about 10,092 huntable acres.

2 with special regs1 closedPermit required
View hunt map Directions Official hunting page ↗
3hunt units
10.1Khuntable acres
10.3KFWS-owned acres
5game categories

Grand Bay NWR hunt unit map

Hunt units are colored by 2026–2027 status. Toggle layers for FWS-owned land, the approved refuge boundary and private easements. Use satellite imagery to scout marshes, timber edges and access points.

Loading interactive map…
OpenSpecial regulationsClosedFWS-owned landWPA (public)Refuge boundaryEasement (private) Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Take it into the field: KML (Google Earth / onX) GPX waypoints GeoJSON

Hunting at Grand Bay NWR

Hunting opportunities include big game, waterfowl, migratory birds, small game, and feral & exotic, subject to state seasons and refuge-specific rules. Fishing is available — tidal / saltwater fishing. A refuge permit is required for at least some activities, in addition to your state license.

Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge’s marshy habitats hold many surprises for adventurous hunters. For instance, many do not consider the refuge to be a good spot for waterfowling, but good numbers of wood ducks can be found in backwater sloughs.

Big GameWhite-tailed and mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bear and other large mammalsWaterfowlDucks, geese, brant, swans (where legal) and cootsMigratory BirdsMourning dove, woodcock, snipe, rails, gallinules and sandhill craneSmall GameSquirrel, rabbit, hare, raccoon, opossum and other small mammalsFeral & ExoticFeral hogs and other non-native species where refuge rules allow

Categories are those listed by USFWS for this station; exact species, seasons and bag limits follow Mississippi regulations plus refuge-specific rules.

Hunt units (3)

Acreage by status
Special regulations: 10,092 (99%)Closed: 148 (1%)10.1Khuntable acres
  • Special regulations10,092 ac 99%
  • Closed148 ac 1%
Units by size (acres)
Open Area - MS
7,413 ac
Open Area - AL
2,680 ac
Closed Area
148 ac
UnitStatusAcresPermitDetails
Open Area - AL
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 2,680 Required
Signed Brochure or Similar		 All hunters must have signed brochure.
Open Area - MS
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 7,413 Required
Signed Brochure or Similar		 All hunters must have signed brochure.
Closed Area
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 148 Required
Signed Brochure or Similar		 All hunters must have signed brochure.

Grand Bay NWR by the numbers

With about 10,092 huntable acres, Grand Bay NWR ranks #7 of 13 refuges and stations with mapped hunting land in Mississippi and #192 of 420 nationwide. Roughly 99% of the acreage inside its mapped hunt units is open to hunting in some form.

The largest huntable unit is Open Area - MS (7,413 acres, special regulations), while the smallest, Open Area - AL, covers 2,680 acres. Every huntable unit requires a refuge permit.

1 unit totaling 148 acres is closed to hunting (Closed Area). Closed areas often serve as sanctuaries — learn their boundaries before you set up nearby.

Besides 10,350 acres of federally owned land, the station administers conservation easements on about 1.2 acres of private land. Easement land protects habitat but is not open to public hunting.

When to hunt Grand Bay NWR

Typical U.S. season windows for the game categories offered here. Mississippi sets the exact dates, and refuges often open fewer days than the statewide season — use this to plan scouting, then confirm the 2026–2027 dates in the state regulations and the refuge hunt brochure.

Typical season windows — Big Game, Waterfowl, Migratory Birds, Small Game, Feral & Exotic
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
🦌 Big Game
Archery deerFirearm deer
🦆 Waterfowl
Early teal & gooseRegular duck & goose
🕊️ Migratory Birds
Dove (Sept. 1 opener)Woodcock & snipeLate dove split
🐇 Small Game
Squirrel & rabbit
🐗 Feral & Exotic
Feral hog (often year-round)

Permits & licenses

Refuge permit

Required

All hunters must have signed brochure.

Type: Signed Brochure or Similar

How to get it:

  • ✉️ By mail
  • 💻 Online (FWS)
  • 📋 Other (see refuge)
  • 🏛️ Refuge visitor center / office

You'll also need

  • A valid Mississippi hunting license and any required tags or stamps — Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks
  • Federal Duck Stamp (waterfowl hunters 16+) and HIP certification for migratory birds
  • Non-toxic shot for waterfowl (federal requirement)
  • Hunter education certification where your state requires it
  • The current refuge hunt brochure / regulations (often must be signed and carried)

Fishing at Grand Bay NWR

  • 🌊 Tidal / saltwater fishing

State fishing licenses and regulations apply. Some waters close seasonally to protect wildlife.

How to get to Grand Bay NWR

Navigate

Destination: Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge (FWS reference point)

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
30.39623, -88.42015
DMS
30°23′46.4″N 88°25′12.5″W

Download for GPS / onX / Google Earth:KMLGPX

Nearest towns

  • Mobile, AL30 mi SW of town
  • Gulfport, MS40 mi E of town
  • Pensacola, FL72 mi W of town
  • Hattiesburg, MS83 mi SE of town

Closest airports

  • PNS Pensacola Intl73 mi
  • MSY New Orleans Armstrong113 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

The navigation point is the station reference location published by USFWS — often the headquarters or main entrance. For a specific hunt unit, open its page or click it on the map for coordinates and parking planning.

Sunrise, sunset & shooting hours

Today at Grand Bay NWR

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Chicago local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20265:59 AM6:29 AM7:18 PM12h 48m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:07 AM6:37 AM7:00 PM12h 23m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:16 AM6:46 AM6:40 PM11h 54m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:24 AM6:54 AM6:23 PM11h 29m
Sun, Nov 1, 20265:37 AM6:07 AM5:07 PM10h 60m
Sun, Nov 15, 20265:49 AM6:19 AM4:57 PM10h 39m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:02 AM6:32 AM4:53 PM10h 21m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:12 AM6:42 AM4:54 PM10h 12m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:20 AM6:50 AM5:03 PM10h 13m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:20 AM6:50 AM5:13 PM10h 23m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:14 AM6:44 AM5:28 PM10h 44m

Computed for 30.396, -88.420 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day hunting weather

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Guides for hunting Grand Bay NWR

Deer Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Quota Hunts, Archery Units and Stand Rules

How refuge deer hunts work — lotteries and quota permits, archery-only and muzzleloader units, tree-stand rules…

Public-Land Duck Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Tactics That Work

How to find ducks, beat the crowds and set up on refuge marshes and WPAs — scouting, timing, small decoy spreads for…

Federal Duck Stamp Explained: Who Needs One, Where to Buy It and Where the Money Goes

Everything waterfowl hunters need to know about the Federal Duck Stamp — who must carry it, signing rules, the…

Nontoxic Shot Guide for Refuge and WPA Hunters

Why lead shot is banned for waterfowl, which nontoxic loads are approved, how steel, bismuth and tungsten compare, and…

Dove Hunting on Wildlife Refuges: Managed Fields, Openers and Rules

How dove hunting works on National Wildlife Refuges — managed fields and draw days, HIP and plugged-gun rules…

HIP Certification Explained: The Harvest Information Program for Migratory Bird Hunters

What HIP is, who needs it, how to get certified in each state you hunt, and why your answers help set duck, goose and…

Grand Bay NWR FAQ

Is hunting allowed at Grand Bay NWR?

Yes. Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting in 2 units (10,092 acres) during 2026–2027 for big game, waterfowl, migratory birds, small game, and feral & exotic. Seasons follow state regulations plus refuge-specific rules in 50 CFR Part 32.

Do I need a permit to hunt Grand Bay NWR?

Yes — Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge requires a refuge permit for some or all hunting. Permit type: Signed Brochure or Similar. Permits can be obtained mail, online through fws, other, or visitor center. You also need the appropriate state hunting license and, for waterfowl, a Federal Duck Stamp.

Can you fish at Grand Bay NWR?

Yes. Fishing is permitted (tidal / saltwater fishing). State fishing licenses and regulations apply along with refuge rules.

Where is Grand Bay NWR located?

Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge is in Jackson County, Mississippi, about 30 miles SW of Mobile, AL (straight-line). GPS: 30.39623, -88.42015.

What are legal shooting hours at Grand Bay NWR?

Migratory game bird shooting hours are generally one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; big game and other seasons follow state rules. See the sunrise/sunset table on this page and confirm in the refuge hunt brochure.

Nearby refuges & public land

Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR

Jackson County, MS · 23 mi W

1 closed
No hunting listed

Bon Secour NWR

Baldwin County, AL · 36 mi E

1 closed
🎣

Breton NWR

LA · 56 mi SW

1 closed
🎣

Bogue Chitto NWR

St. Tammany Parish, LA · 84 mi W

3 special3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

36.4K huntable acres

Bayou Sauvage NWR

Orleans Parish, LA · 88 mi W

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🕊️🐇🐗🎣

11.1K huntable acres

Big Branch Marsh NWR

St. Tammany Parish, LA · 89 mi W

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

19.1K huntable acres

All refuges in Mississippi →

Data: USFWS National Hunt Units 2026–2027, Hunting & Fishing Opportunities, Realty Boundaries & Tracts. Page updated October 28, 2026.