Alabama
public hunting land
Choctaw
National Wildlife Refuge
Description:
The Choctaw National Wildlife
Refuge is located in southwest
Alabama along the Tombigbee
River approximately 80 miles
north of Mobile. The Refuge
was established in 1964
on lands aquired by the
Corp of Engineers in conjunction
with the Coffeeville Lock
and Dam project. The 4,218
acre refuge encompasses
approximately 1,802 acres
of lakes, sloughs, and creeks,
2,265 acres of bottomland
hardwoods, and 151 acres
of croplands and moist soil
units.
The refuge
is divided into three units
by Okatuppa and Turkey Creeks.
This makes a large portion
of the refuge accessable
only by boat. Due to its
location along the Tombigbee
River, the entire refuge
is subject to annual Spring
flooding.
The primary
purpose of the refuge is
to provide wood duck brood
habitat and serve as a protected
wintering area for waterfowl.
Up to 200 broods of wood
ducks are produced anually
in the refuge's artificial
nest boxes, and wintering
waterfowl numbers can exceed
10,000. In addition, numerous
neotropical migrant and
wading birds benefit from
management activities. Following
a successful bald eagle
hacking program in the early
1990's the refuge has played
host to a nesting pair of
eagles each winter. During
the summer months wood storks
can be found resting and
feeding in the back-water
sloughs and moist soil units.
Resident wildlife includes
white-tailed deer, gray
squirrels, turkey, raccoons,
opossum, American alligator,
and beaver.
map
viewer
Choctaw
National Wildlife Refuge
Web Site
Source: Recreation.gov