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May 30, 2025
By John Felsher
The dogs started howling as soon as we released them in the pine savanna. Soon, they jumped a cottontail and headed my way. I braced for action, waiting to swing my shotgun.
Then, I heard something behind me and turned just in time to see a brown object with a white, cottony tail bounce past me at high speed. With so many critters wanting to eat them, De Soto National Forest cottontails sure know how to dash and vanish.
RABBIT HOLES Mississippi’s largest national forest, De Soto spreads across 518,587 acres in 10 counties southeast of Hattiesburg. Two U.S. Forest Service Ranger Districts (Chickasawhay and De Soto) administer the forest, comprising longleaf pine savannas with thick underbrush, some hardwoods and numerous streams that provide prime habitat and countless hideouts for rabbits.
“I would characterize the rabbit population as moderately abundant,” says Rick Hamrick, small-game program coordinator with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP). “Cottontails are the most common, but there are swamp rabbits along the drainages.”
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De Soto contains two wilderness areas: Black Creek and Leaf River. Bisected by its namesake body of water, the Black Creek Wilderness Area entails 5,052 acres of hardwood floodplain. Popular for canoeing, camping and fishing, the 21 miles of Black Creek fall under the National Wild and Scenic River designation. Meanwhile, the Leaf River Wilderness Area covers 940 acres in the Leaf River floodplain. The Leaf River Wildlife Management Area, one of five WMAs managed by the MDWFP within the national forest boundaries, covers 41,350 acres east of Wiggins.
“I recommend people get a map of the forest and study it before hunting.,” says James Sealy Jr., who frequently hunts De Soto National Forest. “I prefer thick woods and look for young, planted pines. That’s my favorite for rabbits, but the forest has many places to look for them.”
Besides rabbits , the forest offers hunting for whitetail deer, squirrels, birds, feral hogs and some other game species in more than a half-million acres. But some tracts within the forest boundaries remain in private lands. In addition, the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center—run by the Mississippi National Guard—conducts drills in certain sections and operates weapons-training ranges that are off-limits to non-military personnel.
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HUNTING SEASONS AND REGS Seasons and regulations on state WMAs can differ from one to the next, as well as from statewide season and regs, so always check before you go. Camping is allowed in various areas of De Soto National Forest, and hunters can hone their marksmanship at the Black Creek Shooting Range. But be sure to let someone back home know your plans. In this massive wilderness, you can’t always depend on good cell service.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE De Soto National Forest sits an hour’s drive from Mobile, Ala., and two from New Orleans, so nearby lodging, dining and entertainment options are numerous. Other attractions include the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport, the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, and the public beaches along the Gulf Coast. For help planning your trip, check out visitmississippi.org.
DE SOTO NATIONAL FOREST Size: 518,587 acres
Location: Southeast Mississippi, near Hattiesburg
Seasons and Regs: mdwfp.com
This article was featured in the 2024 issue of Public Land Hunter magazine.
