Midnight-
The flourescent night-life of Starkville has become too much, so you and your friends decide to head to Wal-Mart to check out the new selection of hunting videos. You walk into Wally World thinking that you are only going to buy one video, but everyone knows you can’t go in The Monopoly of Superstores and only buy one item. It’s just not possible.
You head down the fishing aisle and grab of few packs of Culprit worms along with the new FLW spinner bait. You remember that you are out of hooks, so you have to get a few packs of those as well.
The new Bandit crank baits are in, so you throw a few of those in the cart. You finish up your shopping in the hunting section and head to the checkout counter … $68.32!
Uh-oh!
It happens all the time. You get into the zone of buying gear and then remember that you are in Starkville and don’t have any place to hunt and fish. So what do you do? You can either take it back to the store or utilize the public hunting and fishing grounds of Oktibbeha County. I recommend the latter.
One of the best hunting and fishing grounds in the state is only a 20-minute drive away.
The Noxubee Refuge, with over 48,000 acres of land, provides students with the opportunity to hunt and fish without the pricetag of a hunting club. Hunters only have to pay a $12.50 permit fee that can be obtained at the park office (located by Goose Overlook).
Bluff Lake (1200 acres) and Lake Loakfoma (600 acres) provide outdoorsmen the opportunity to catch a few fish. Both lakes have a lot of structure and vegetation in them, so the bass and bream are abundant. No permit is neccesary to fish, but all bass between 12-16 inches must be released.
But be aware of signs that read “road closed” and “no hunting or fishing.” This will save you from getting into trouble with the park rangers.
Oktibbeha County Lake is another area where students can go to wet a line. Though the bass fishing is up and down, the bream fishing is constant. And if you have access to a boat, your chances of catching fish just went up.
One other local hunting area is John W. Starr, located next to the Mid-South Forestry Equipment Show site on Highway 25 South. This plot of land is great for deer hunting. Although a permit is needed to hunt here, it is well worth the money.
Greenfields have been planted throughout the area and vast hardwoods are on the site. Another plus about hunting at John W. Starr Memorial Park is the lack of hunters. It is less crowded than Noxubee, which allows hunters more freedom.
So what do you do with all that hunting and fishing gear you bought? Use it. Students don’t have to travel home or join a hunting club to be able to find hunting and fishing in this area. Use the resources that you have in the area and you might be surprised at what you find.