Noxubee Refuge

[litlhitch]

My roommate got drawn to hunt there this year and I was just wondering what it was like(timber, slough, etc.) We got drawn for Dec 14. It says you are required to hunt out of a blind that is already there, what's that all about.

[hotty toddy]

I am not sure but I think you dont have blinds to hunt out of but I believe that you are restricted to a specific area of a specific GTR (green tree resivoir) I think it is mostly timber. Some of my buddies hunted it last year with not much result. But last year wasnt a good year so maybe this year will be better.

[booger]

"Noxubee" is Indian for "land of no duck".

"Blind" refers to a numbered location, no structure there.

I'm sure Noxubee has it's moments, but just shoot two woodies and call it a day. The chances of the weather, water, mast crop and migration all connecting on any one day is slim. All you can do is hope for Dec.14th!!!!

[Bluesky]

[quote="booger"]"Noxubee" is Indian for "land of no duck".

The Indians must be the sarcastic type, cause I have heard some damn good stories about this place!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sprig]

We got drawn for Dec 28th, ... There blinds are indeed "Locations" not actual blinds. As for the water... They pump it up, no worry there especially this year and right now there are lots of Quakers around. Pack light when ya go. its a hike to some of the spots. Its a beautiful place, you'll enjoy it !

[timberjack]

I've hunted the refuge alot and it's just like every other river bottom in the hills; every now and then you have a bunch of big ducks but you can always count on the woodies being there. You can't always count on the big ducks but it is a pristine place and nice to hunt because it is so highly regulated. All the "blinds" are really just small holes cut out in the timber for the ducks to land in. Just find you a tree to hide behind and hope the group in the next "blind" aren't skybusters. That's the biggest problem out there. If you like to shoot woodies in flooded bottomland hardwood then you'll have a great time but if you're countin' on mallards you might be disappointed. Good Luck..........

[Big Lou]

Yea that's right there are no ducks on the eastern side of MS. All you out of staters just keep going over to the delta and driving up the prices and over crowding the public lands. All they have over here is deer and turkey and racist rednecks. It's no fun over here! We got nothing....NO DUCKS!

[Anatidae]

They're called STANDS.....'cause that's what you do........stand.

The terrain is flooded bottomland hardwoods......lots of acorns and wild seeds.......and lots o' beggar lice and (what I call) 'stickweed', 'cause your waders will have'em stuck all in'em when you come out.

Success is governed by luck o' the draw and YOUR knowledge of the place. Liken it to goin' duck hunting once a year where you haven't scouted and don't know where to go. Heck, there might not even be enough water to flood all the 'stands'. (By the way, unless they've installed a pump since '89, they don't PUMP nothin'.......it's all rain water controlled by dikes and pipes.

Some stands are better on cold, blue-bird days, some are better on cloudy days, others shallow water, others deep.......it's all according to patterns and pressure and it takes years of hunting that place every day to figure it out. 'Ain't much different than any other place in that regard. 'Lotta times the birds don't filter-in until 10-11am. 'Gotta be outa there by noon.

But like someone said, it's a pretty place and is a well-run hunt. You just have to hope the birds are there on the day you got drawn for.

I'd WOULD suggest you start walking to class with a bag o' decoys on yo back 'til Dec 14th.......some of those stands are a pretty good hike.

Good luck!

[timberjack]

Anat is right on the money.......as usual......There are no pumps, just control structures on the levees on the back side. Talked to Johnny Wayne (if you've hunted out there much you know who I'm talkin' 'bout) Monday and he was on his way to close the pipes to start catchin' water. If you'll notice when you drive across the levee of Bluff Lake there is a small gate just North of the main spillway that they open when it comes time to flood the duck holes. It don't take long to cover that ground when it's wet as it is now.

On the day of your hunt you draw out of a hat a number which determines the order in which you pick your hole. You're required to stay within 40 or 50 yards of your stand at all times and believe me it don't take much walkin' to be on top of someone else. Some college boys chased a cripple dang near on top of me last year and peppered my group with steel before we could let 'em know where we were. Also, there ain't but one road in and one road out to that place so be prepared to be checked comin' and goin'......It's a nice place and if you'll respect others and let the ducks work (no skybusting, please) you'll have a good time.....

[SCOOTER]

your best bet is to take a 10 gauge and cut lose, the sky busters are really there, its hard to work ducks when a sky buster is 100 yards away. good luck.............

[gadwall2]

Look at it this way. Its in the hills and usually has more ducks than most places in the hills. You will most likely see some ducks and won't have to drive a couple of hours to the delta to see them.

You may kill several and then you may not here a quack. Thats duck hunting in the hills. I put my name in the hat but didn't get a draw. Two friends of mine that I let in on a lease around Webb a couple years back both drew hunts(serarate days) and rubbed it in that they were going to get to hunt it twice and didn't even invite me on one of them. They were wanting me to show them around Malmaison ,but I don't think that is going to happen now.

Good luck, maybe you guys will catch it on a good day

[Wingman]

Hehe, I would LOVE to hunt Noxubee. When I was at State, we used to go out there and sit on the levee behind the greentrees, and watch the MALLARDS pour out of there and into the lake at dark. But at that time, they weren't allowing any hunting. Since, they have done the youth hunt and now sounds like the draw hunt. Lots of overcup acorns, but I'm sure somewhere in there some willow and water oak acorns are floating around.

Wingman

[RLJames]

Lady Luck smiled on us this year we got two draws. Jan 15 and Jan 18. Noxubee is very well run and a pleasure to hunt no matter whether you can " Get in the ducks or not" Don't need pumps with several millions of gallons of water just up hill !! Gadwall2 we do have a opening for Jan15 for good info. LOL. Good luck to all.

[litlhitch]

Thanks for all the info, sounds like it will be a pretty place and I am sure we will have fun, ducks or no ducks.

[duforester]

I rode to the Refuge yesterday afternoon. You don't have to worry about the water....they had the "gate" open to flood the GTR and the water was moving fast!! As for the ducks, I saw mostly woodies and a few big ducks. You will enjoy hunting there. I wish I would have been drawn. I guess I may be "standing by" some mornings!