Jackson Bienville Wildlife Management Area is located in Bienville, Jackson and Lincoln parishes12 miles south of Ruston in North Central Louisiana. Numerous access routes are available for entering the area with the major access being U. S. Highway 167 and Louisiana Highway 147. The major landowner maintains an extensive system of gravel roads that is available for use by the public. Limited ATV use is allowed on marked ATV trails and on the company maintained gravel roads and woods roads.

Jackson Bienville is comprised of about 32,185 acres of privately owned forestlands. Weyerhaeuser is the major landowner with several individual landowners providing the balance of the acreage. All land in the wildlife management area is leased to the Department without charge.

The terrain on Jackson Bienville WMA is primarily gently rolling hills bordering Dugdemona River and five intermittent streams. Approximately ten to twenty percent of the area can be considered bottomland. Weyerhaeuser and the private landowners intensively manage the area for timber. Habitat is highly diverse due to the varying timber harvest schedule, the interspersion of the hardwood areas, and over 40 miles of utilities rights-of-ways. Adding to the diversity is the substantial acreage Weyerhaeuser has committed to providing nesting and feeding habitat for numerous colonies of red-cockaded woodpeckers, a federally endangered species. Major habitat improvements are derived from a prescribed burning program conducted by Weyerhaeuser associated with their management for red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Forest cover is predominantly pine, except in the bottomland regions where water, willow, overcup, and cow oak, sweet and black gum, beech, and various other species of hardwoods dominate.

Understory vegetation, which is dense, consists of a variety of shrubs, vines, and annuals. Species comprising the understory area are French mulberry, hackberry, dogwood, honeysuckle, grape, muscadine, maple, sweetleaf, wax myrtle, blue beech, beggarweed, and greenbriar.

Department management efforts are supplemented by support from participants in the Jackson Bienville Wildlife Habitat Program. Members in the non-profit program provide funding and in-kind services that enhance and supplement Department activities. Major supporters of the program are Weyerhaeuser, Entergy, the national and state chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Shreveport Chapter of Quail Unlimited and numerous local contractors and individuals. Results of the Jackson Bienville Wildlife Habitat Program include increasing supplemental food plots to over 200 acres, management of understory and rights-of-ways vegetation, installation of gates, and funding and supporting research and education projects. The efforts by the Department, Weyerhaeuser and the participants in the Jackson Bienville Habitat Program have resulted in Jackson Bienville WMA becoming the one of main bobwhite quail and eastern wild turkey management areas in the state.

White-tailed deer, eastern wild turkeys, bobwhite quail, squirrels, and rabbits, are the major species hunted on the area. Limited hunting opportunities for woodcock, dove and waterfowl can also be found. Substantial success has been made to improve the habitat for bobwhite quail and eastern wild turkey with noticeable increases in those populations being seen. Trapping for furbearers is allowed.

Due to the diversified habitat on the area numerous resident and migratory species of birds use the area. Wildlife viewing is a major activity and easily enjoyed from the extensive road system and intersecting rights-of-ways. Camping areas are privately operated and located along Louisiana Highway 147.

Additional information may be obtained from the LDWF, Wildlife Division, 1401 Talton St., Minden, LA 71055. Phone (318) 371-3050.