National Wildlife Refuge · Mississippi · FWS Region 4

Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge Hunting & Fishing Guide 2026–27

Located in Jackson County, Mississippi, Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with about 18,435 acres of land owned in fee by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For the 2026–2027 season, all 1 mapped hunt unit are listed as closed to hunting.

1 closed
View hunt map Directions Official website ↗
1hunt units
0huntable acres
18.4KFWS-owned acres
0game categories

Mississippi Sandhill Crane 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.

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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 Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR

  • Big Game
  • Waterfowl
  • Wild Turkey
  • Upland Birds
  • Migratory Birds
  • Small Game
  • Feral & Exotic
  • Fishing

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not list any hunting opportunities for this station.

Hunt units (1)

Acreage by status
Closed: 18,440 (100%)0huntable acres
  • Closed18,440 ac 100%
UnitStatusAcresPermitDetails
Station Closed 18,440 —

Permits & licenses

Refuge permit

Not listed

USFWS does not list a separate refuge permit for this station. Specific units or hunts (e.g. quota deer hunts) may still require one — check the hunt brochure.

You'll also need

Fishing at Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR

USFWS does not list fishing opportunities for Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR.

How to get to Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR

Navigate

Destination: Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge (FWS reference point)

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
30.47430, -88.79172
DMS
30°28′27.5″N 88°47′30.2″W

Download for GPS / onX / Google Earth:KMLGPX

Nearest towns

  • Gulfport, MS19 mi E of town
  • Mobile, AL47 mi W of town
  • Hattiesburg, MS66 mi SE of town
  • New Orleans, LA84 mi NE of town

Closest airports

  • MSY New Orleans Armstrong94 mi
  • PNS Pensacola Intl95 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 Mississippi Sandhill Crane 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, 20266:01 AM6:31 AM7:19 PM12h 49m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:08 AM6:38 AM7:02 PM12h 24m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:17 AM6:47 AM6:41 PM11h 54m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:26 AM6:56 AM6:25 PM11h 29m
Sun, Nov 1, 20265:38 AM6:08 AM5:08 PM10h 60m
Sun, Nov 15, 20265:50 AM6:20 AM4:59 PM10h 38m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:04 AM6:34 AM4:54 PM10h 20m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:14 AM6:44 AM4:56 PM10h 12m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:21 AM6:51 AM5:04 PM10h 13m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:22 AM6:52 AM5:15 PM10h 23m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:16 AM6:46 AM5:30 PM10h 44m

Computed for 30.474, -88.792 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day hunting weather

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

Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR FAQ

Is hunting allowed at Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not currently list hunting opportunities at Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. All mapped units are closed to hunting.

Do I need a permit to hunt Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR?

FWS data does not list a separate refuge hunting permit for Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR. You still need a valid state license, any required state tags or stamps, and (for waterfowl hunters 16+) a Federal Duck Stamp.

Where is Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR located?

Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge is in Jackson County, Mississippi, about 19 miles E of Gulfport, MS (straight-line). GPS: 30.47430, -88.79172.

What are legal shooting hours at Mississippi Sandhill Crane 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

Grand Bay NWR

Jackson County, MS · 23 mi E

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🕊️🐇🐗🎣

10.1K huntable acres

Breton NWR

LA · 50 mi S

1 closed
🎣

Bon Secour NWR

Baldwin County, AL · 59 mi E

1 closed
🎣

Bogue Chitto NWR

St. Tammany Parish, LA · 61 mi W

3 special3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

36.4K huntable acres

Big Branch Marsh NWR

St. Tammany Parish, LA · 68 mi W

2 special1 closed
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

19.1K huntable acres

Bayou Sauvage NWR

Orleans Parish, LA · 69 mi SW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🕊️🐇🐗🎣

11.1K huntable acres

All refuges in Mississippi →

Data: USFWS National Hunt Units 2026–2027, Hunting & Fishing Opportunities, Realty Boundaries & Tracts. Page updated September 29, 2026.