The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District has announced the dates for its fall archery draw hunts at Arkabutla Lake.

Four separate hunts held in October and November with each hunt lasting two days. The dates for the hunts will be Oct. 22 – 23, Oct. 24 – 25, Oct. 29 -30 and Oct. 31- Nov. 1.

Each hunt will take place in the natural area below Arkabutla Dam. Applicants must have a valid Mississippi hunting license. Applications are available at the Arkabutla Lake Field Office and the deadline for receiving applications is September 1 at 3 p.m.

The drawing will take place Sept. 6, and applicants will be notified via email or phone call. Those drawn for the hunt will be able to scout the hunting area from Sept. 6 until Oct. 2.

For questions about the hunt or to get an application, contact natural resources specialist Sawyer Hunt at 662-301-4562.

Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada lakes, the four Mississippi flood control reservoirs in the Vicksburg District’s area of responsibility, were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936, which provided a plan designed to address flooding that originated in the Yazoo Basin. The four reservoirs are used to hold runoff, or excess rainwater, as a flood-prevention measure. With approximately 3.2 million visitors each year, the north Mississippi lakes also contribute approximately $82 million into the local economy.

The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.